I have always wondered what I would ever do with my political science degree. Despite graduating with honors, finding a job that doesn’t want 5 years of experience, your first born child, and the blood of a virgin is, well, difficult. Lately though, I have been amazed at how American politics has been playing right into the things I researched in college- so much so?that it seems rather spooky to me at times.
A few years ago, I wrote a research paper about populism and how it?has impacted?elections in Latin America. I talked with my mom about it because we like to get into political banter at times. Of late, I can’t help but very clearly see the patterns that were happening in populist movements in Latin America not so many years ago?happening right now here in the United States. This is exactly why Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have a chance. Whether one of them gets the presidency this time is anyone’s guess, but you can be sure that political analysts are taking note of both of their rising popularity.
That popularity is happening because they’ve both been able to resonate with populist movements from either side of the aisle. Republicans want an unapologetic, anti-immigrant?business man who can improve the economy without having to walk on politically-correct eggshells. Democrats want an anti-Wall Street, eco-friendly politician with socialist values (and let’s be clear that socialist isn’t a bad word).?This really illustrates how sick Americans are of the political status quo. If Donald Trump doesn’t get the Republican nomination, don’t be surprised if he becomes independent. Same goes for Bernie. This may very well be the first time in over 100 years where Americans are showing that they’re rejecting the popular candidates in a push for something more extreme. Robert Merry, of the Washington Post,?said it very well in a column he wrote about the subject last year:
“The central cry of the populist is the need to smash institutions of entrenched power that, in the populist view, distort the American system to benefit themselves at the expense of the broad mass of citizens.”
Right now, Americans are at odds over the future course of our country. This isn’t uncommon when there are large generational changes, which usually translates to value systems changes. What we see is values-based politics continuing to create division and dissent as those values change over time. The?Baby Boomers are on the way out, the Millenials?are on the way in, and both generations couldn’t be further apart in experiences, technology understanding, worldview, and a whole slew of other issues that create division. Not to mention the millions of people in between.?It’s important for Americans on both sides of the aisle to understand the pendulum effect of whatever choice is made this election. If we push far right, there will be an equal and opposite push to the left following it, and vice versa. Yes, those?Newtonian laws?you thought you’d never need from high school?apply to politics as well. As a data analyst, what I see in the polling data suggests to me that even though Trump or Sanders may not become the next president, they are illustrating for us the very divergent courses that Americans believe the country should go. It’s not always a bad thing to reject the status quo, but the 2016 will be historic no matter the outcome. When Americans do go down the populist path, rest assured, no matter which side of the aisle it goes, it will be a rocky ride and everyone should prepare for continued discourse that will even further separate our country. These types of populist movements also tend to open the doors for constitutional conventions- which I’ve heard more and more chatter about lately. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a constitutional convention within 5 years of electing a populist candidate. For the last few years, I always thought Hillary was that candidate. Now, I’m sure that what the polls are telling us is that there are two populist candidates. Trump and Sanders really could change the game. If they don’t get their respective nominations, you can guarantee there will be splits in the party that will feed the populist dissent on both sides, which will make for a very interesting 2020 election. Just imagine how divided the country is now. Now imagine several more years of that.
I’m certainly rooting for Bernie, but very cautiously. I realize we lived in a dualist nation. If Bernie or Trump is elected, the unrest we see now will be tenfold after they’re in office because populism is always a sort of angry political response that has the tendency to go a little too far. This is not to seem gloom and doom. It really is simply a natural political progression. Let’s hope if either is elected that if we do have a constitutional convention, both sides are able to come to the table to create ideas that will work for everyone. The Baby Boomers aren’t going anywhere, and neither are the Millenials. Don’t we wish we could go back to that time when cooler heads prevailed and political leadership meant compromise and reaching across the aisle?
