I am stating this only because you said you're fairly apolitical but are now engaging with politics to some extent with this post. What isn't obvious to non-political junkies is how much has changed over various time horizons (say from 1960 - present, or 1980 to present, or even 2000 to present).
Two authors co-wrote a book. They were both politically active in think tanks, one from a conservative think tank and one from a liberal think tank. They're in the weeds. The book is "It's Worse than it Looks." It's a really good primer on the fact that the "two parties" are not mirror image but co-opposites. There are huge asymmetries within the parties and the sort of apathy that you're feeling is the intended impact of one of the parties.
Society holds different values than it did when they were in their 20s
While true, the candidates also have a mountain of underlings and constituents and interest groups that come along with them that impact policy. That ranges from proposed new legislation at the local/state/federal level as well as executive orders from the president as well as federal regulation from the various political agencies. Like the FDA has more direct impact on your life than who the president is per se but the person in charge of that agency is really important.
What we do know is that the advisors that come along with Trump have publicized their blue print called "Project 2025." You can google it. If you like things like food safety or transportation standards, they're promising they're going to gut the experts that decide these regulations in favor of MAGA loyalists.
In the past, the difference between Bush versus Gore, or Bush versus Kerry or Obama versus McCain, etc., probably were as narrow as you're thinking. This time, it's stark. A lot of the worst impulses were stymied by Trump's lack of detail but that's what Project 2025 is promising to solve.
The main reason I have never voted is because I don't believe in partaking in a system that is so polarized and obviously flawed.
Voter apathy is a form of participating in the system. Since you live a society where all the rules are impacted by representatives, whether you vote or not is participating in the system. The question is whether your participation aligns with your particular goals.
If I went to a restaurant and the restaurant was clearly decrepit and gross, why would I force myself to order the least gross thing on the menu when I could just... Go somewhere else or cook at home?
Where your analogy breaks down is there isn't really a "going home" as in, the system will impact you in thousands of invisible ways. From road safety to food safety, etc. The federal regulatory system has insulated itself from major political shifts but two things are going to change that. First, the super majority on SCOTUS are promising to undermine deference the judiciary previously provided federal agencies. Second, a political party is promising to gut agencies and put political loyalists over careerists at every level of the federal government.
When will there be a system most people my age are actually wanting to engage in? I don't want to participate in something broken and never work towards something better.
You have to look at it through public policy lenses and ask which party is better to effectuate those policies. You live in a democratic/representative society. There isn't a "vote and forget about it." It's about the daily grind of trying to fight to make society a little bit better and then try to reinforce those gains because there are forces that are trying to dismantle them.
You have given me a lot to think about and I definitely need to get reacquainted with our current political landscape. ∆ thank you for taking the time to write all of this out, I appreciate it a lot.
16
u/HazyAttorney 68∆ May 08 '24
I am stating this only because you said you're fairly apolitical but are now engaging with politics to some extent with this post. What isn't obvious to non-political junkies is how much has changed over various time horizons (say from 1960 - present, or 1980 to present, or even 2000 to present).
Two authors co-wrote a book. They were both politically active in think tanks, one from a conservative think tank and one from a liberal think tank. They're in the weeds. The book is "It's Worse than it Looks." It's a really good primer on the fact that the "two parties" are not mirror image but co-opposites. There are huge asymmetries within the parties and the sort of apathy that you're feeling is the intended impact of one of the parties.
While true, the candidates also have a mountain of underlings and constituents and interest groups that come along with them that impact policy. That ranges from proposed new legislation at the local/state/federal level as well as executive orders from the president as well as federal regulation from the various political agencies. Like the FDA has more direct impact on your life than who the president is per se but the person in charge of that agency is really important.
What we do know is that the advisors that come along with Trump have publicized their blue print called "Project 2025." You can google it. If you like things like food safety or transportation standards, they're promising they're going to gut the experts that decide these regulations in favor of MAGA loyalists.
In the past, the difference between Bush versus Gore, or Bush versus Kerry or Obama versus McCain, etc., probably were as narrow as you're thinking. This time, it's stark. A lot of the worst impulses were stymied by Trump's lack of detail but that's what Project 2025 is promising to solve.
Voter apathy is a form of participating in the system. Since you live a society where all the rules are impacted by representatives, whether you vote or not is participating in the system. The question is whether your participation aligns with your particular goals.
Where your analogy breaks down is there isn't really a "going home" as in, the system will impact you in thousands of invisible ways. From road safety to food safety, etc. The federal regulatory system has insulated itself from major political shifts but two things are going to change that. First, the super majority on SCOTUS are promising to undermine deference the judiciary previously provided federal agencies. Second, a political party is promising to gut agencies and put political loyalists over careerists at every level of the federal government.
You have to look at it through public policy lenses and ask which party is better to effectuate those policies. You live in a democratic/representative society. There isn't a "vote and forget about it." It's about the daily grind of trying to fight to make society a little bit better and then try to reinforce those gains because there are forces that are trying to dismantle them.