Do you think people have lost faith in the overall political process?

22 Jan Do you think people have lost faith in the overall political process?

Regardless of your political affiliation, most would agree the overall political climate has changed dramatically in recent times. It has become more polarized, people are participating in the process less frequently and even veterans’ roles in it are changing.

For a majority of the second half of the 20th Century, more than half of Congress had previously served in the military. Today, there are a total of 91 veterans currently serving in Congress. This is the lowest number since World War II. There are several possibilities that could have led to this change over the years.

First, politics has become more about the amount of money a candidate has. The cost of political participation has gone up exponentially decade after decade. For example, the cost of running Congressional campaigns has quadrupled over the past 20 years, according to an article in TIME.

This alone makes it incredibly difficult for a veteran who does not come from a very wealthy background to run for any type of political office.

According to the Guardian, millionaires make up less than 3% of the general public but have the majority of the control of all three branches of the government. While working-class Americans make up more than half the country, they have far less representation in U.S. politics.

To combat veterans running for office in fewer numbers, an organization was formed in 2017 specifically to target veterans to run for political office regardless of their political affiliation. According to their website, With Honor is “a cross-partisan movement dedicated to promoting and advancing principled veteran leadership in order to reduce polarization.”

Why would we need more veterans serving in politics? Not only does the American public, overall, tend to trust the military more, history has shown that former service members who also serve in politics tend to put the issues over their party.

According to research by the Lugar Bipartisan Center and a team led by a West Point political scientist, veteran lawmakers in Congress have historically voted in more cross-partisan ways than their counterparts who are not veterans.

In addition to a lack of direct participation in politics, the general population tends to engage their political leaders less often. Fewer are writing letters or requesting assistance from their local and national elected officials.

Could it be approval ratings? Congressional approval is at a mere 20%, while disapproval is at 77% as of November, according to polling by Statista.com. President Joe Biden’s approval rating is at the lowest of his presidency at 43%.

Why are people not participating in the political process to address issues that are relevant to them?

Do you think people have lost faith in the overall political process?

Today is the day. Now is the moment. Vote for change.