There’s no question that the average U.S. citizen may feel a bit weary and discouraged from this year’s presidential lineup: Former President Donald Trump vs. current sitting President Joe Biden- the sequel opposition from the 2020 election that shook the foundations of the nation to its core in more ways than one.
It is certainly one thing itself to perform the civic duty of voting- casting your vote to contribute to the country’s politics in a way that reflects your individual values, morals, interests, and desires. It is another beast entirely to go through the steps of being a non-performative activist, a politically-informed citizen, and more as we attempt to make well-rounded and data-backed decisions not only this autumn, but in our everyday lives as well.
Each individual’s lived experience in the U.S. varies highly depending on their race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religious background or lack thereof, economic class, and more. In turn, these lived experiences are often directly influenced by law and policy- oftentimes set at the top in the Oval Office and trickled down through the political labyrinth that is Congress, state governments, and local entities as well.
It’s quite obvious, then, that individuals throughout the nation that have been targeted, negatively influenced, oppressed, and discriminated against over the last several years and election cycles are not jumping for joy at our presidential prospects.
Besides the real, actionable consequences we’ve seen over the last several years for minority groups, our political communication as a nation in the digital and technological scape has provided a double-edged sword.
One one hand, social media and mobile phones have allowed for an unprecedented level of real-time updates and access to information regarding national news, politics, international relations, and more. Alternatively, by constantly being exposed to and consuming this level of (often upsetting and negative) content, voters can easily feel overwhelmed, burned out, fatigued and discouraged from politics, allowing for the temptation to mute keywords, limit app usage and skim past headlines to win over their internal battle.
In essence, who is expected to run to the polls when there is a new headline every minute detailing the incompetence, selfishness, carelessness, and deceit of individuals who have been entrusted with the country’s well being before, and can very well “earn” the right to that wellbeing again later this year?
If we want to see true, meaningful progress in the U.S. political scape, our candidates must give us a platform that revitalizes a mutual interest for that progress to bloom.
