Forty years ago, moderates controlled the nation and the two parties agreed 58% of the time. While Term Limits even then would have flattened the power structure in Congress and avoided just a senior few from deciding how the entire parties would vote, there was still enough overlap to create an environment in which individual politicians could be held accountable for their personal actions.
At that time, should a politician be flagrantly corrupt or disassociated with his/her constituents, a voter in the poll would likely say, “My senator is a scumbag. I would rather vote across party lines since the other party agrees with me the majority of the time, than to re-elected this scumbag.”
But, the world has changed greatly from the days when personally accountability still held some sway.
Technology has developed into a public need for instant gratification. With a 24/7 news cycle, the media requires constant sensationalism to hold the public’s attention and if no sensational events exist, they will exaggerate or enflame anything to keep us watching.
This need for sensationalism has led to the continuous increase in polarizing the two parties so that now what was a 58% overlap in ideologies has decreased literally to 0%. In the eyes of the politicians in Congress, this is great news, because the greater the polarization, the less personal accountability remains. The news outlets pick a side because moderation doesn’t create sensationalism. Once they pick their side, they exaggerate and lambast the other, working the viewers into a froth.
Now a voter goes into the poll and says, “My senator is a scumbag, but there’s no way I will ever vote for someone from the evil party.”
Where before there were those who might argue that Term Limits for US Congress weren’t necessary, the polarization and sensationalism have left us no choice.
America needs Term Limits for US Congress and we can’t wait much longer.
At that time, should a politician be flagrantly corrupt or disassociated with his/her constituents, a voter in the poll would likely say, “My senator is a scumbag. I would rather vote across party lines since the other party agrees with me the majority of the time, than to re-elected this scumbag.”
But, the world has changed greatly from the days when personally accountability still held some sway.
Technology has developed into a public need for instant gratification. With a 24/7 news cycle, the media requires constant sensationalism to hold the public’s attention and if no sensational events exist, they will exaggerate or enflame anything to keep us watching.
This need for sensationalism has led to the continuous increase in polarizing the two parties so that now what was a 58% overlap in ideologies has decreased literally to 0%. In the eyes of the politicians in Congress, this is great news, because the greater the polarization, the less personal accountability remains. The news outlets pick a side because moderation doesn’t create sensationalism. Once they pick their side, they exaggerate and lambast the other, working the viewers into a froth.
Now a voter goes into the poll and says, “My senator is a scumbag, but there’s no way I will ever vote for someone from the evil party.”
Where before there were those who might argue that Term Limits for US Congress weren’t necessary, the polarization and sensationalism have left us no choice.
America needs Term Limits for US Congress and we can’t wait much longer.
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