PASSION

As we fantasize about a parallel universe, where American politics are not a joke and our President and other political figures care about other human beings, the same questions keep swirling in our heads. What has happened to United States of America? Can all this be stopped? When will it end? How did we get here?

Democracies don’t merely collapse, as that “implies a process devoid of will.” Democracies die because of deliberate decisions made by privileged human beings. Usually, it’s because the people in power take democratic institutions for granted. They become disconnected from the citizenry. They develop separate interests apart from the voters. They push policies that benefit themselves and harm the broader population. It cultivates an angry, divided society that pulls apart at the seams. I would suggest that democratic erosion in America begins with a breakdown in what we call the “class compromise.” Because democracies thrive so long as people believe they can improve their life. This basic belief has been “an essential ingredient of Western civilization during the past 200 years.”

But unfortunately, fewer Americans believe this is true. Due to wage stagnation, growing inequalities, automation, and a shrinking labor market, millions of Americans are deeply pessimistic about the future. This pessimism is grounded in economic reality. In 1970, 90 percent of 30-year-olds in America were better off than their parents at the same age. In 2010, only 50 percent were. Numbers like this cause people to lose faith in the system. What you get is a spike in extremism and a retreat from the political center. That leads to declines in voter turnout and, consequently, more opportunities for fringe parties and candidates. While Political polarization is another obvious problem, but phenomena of “social compact,” which is basically an implicit agreement among members of society to participate in a system that benefits everyone is also working.