Avibrant democracy should be about citizens trusting their elected representatives who will strive to improve peoples’ lives. Yet the multitude of people who have lost faith in politics keeps increasing.
Many express their scepticism by not caring to vote. Others vote for maverick candidates and some others invalidate their votes. Opinion polls in most countries indicate that many doubt whether they will vote or express no preference for any political party. What has gone wrong with politics?
Up to a few decades ago, politics in most democratic countries was characterised by an ideological divide. Politicians argued on the merits and risks of having more government involvement in socioeconomic matters or giving individuals the space to decide what is best for them in a free society. These distinct visions, however, did not prevent essential policy advances with both sides of the ideological spectrum delivering the best ideas for the betterment of society.
What has changed in the last two decades is that there is a growing tendency in Western democracies for politicians to pursue victory above all else. They treat politics as war which runs counter to democratic values. This political culture, where the winner is expected to take all, marginalises a large section of society. It also endangers the optimisation of economic performance that needs the full contribution of all members of the community.
There is a difference between the way western politicians campaign and the way they govern when elected. Polarisation has become the norm and cross-party support for critical legislation a rarity. There is no broad agreement on what is driving this polarisation. Many argue that the growing role of money in politics and political gerrymandering are the root cause. Others insist that the way that news is covered in the age of social media prevents ordinary people from making informed political choices.
Those who believe in the importance of government to serve society suffer in silence
I have still to hear of anyone entering politics not confessing that they are doing so to make a difference in people’s lives. Unfortunately, those who honestly believe in what they say often lack the wherewithal to convince enough people to be elected. A section of the electorate believes that their government is inefficient, invasive and easily corrupted. They use this conviction to barter their vote with politicians who promise to deliver benefits to which they are not entitled.
Those who believe in the importance of government to serve society suffer in silence. They are today’s political orphans who fail to identify with politics of the left or the right and doubt whether politics will ever be of any value to them.
The obsession with winning at all costs tramples everything else, including respect for adversaries, the integrity of institutions, and even the health of the democratic system. Compromise has become a dirty word as the concept of allowing each side to win part of its agenda is seen as tantamount to surrender by the party in government.
In a few months, the biggest democracy in the Western world will have a crucial election. In the last few years, the US has given up its role as the only superpower that could ensure that democratic systems of government would be supported against attempts to roll back individual freedoms by totalitarian regimes. The US has become an inward-looking nation living under the illusion that isolation and hard borders with the rest of the world is the way forward for the well-being of their society.
So far, the EU has failed to show the potential that it can take the role of a global superpower capable of defending democratic values. No EU leader seems to have the moral and political competence to lead western democracies in the next decade and beyond if the US electorate decides not to elect a new president.
A cultural revolution is needed to change doubters into believers for a better democratic future. This revolution will have to start from the bottom up. Schools need to effectively teach the workings of democracy and the responsibilities that go with citizenships. The present political class in most countries is incapable or unwilling to lead this revolution.
No democracy can excel economically unless a well-educated electorate is ready to meet the constant challenges of democratic governance. Competing views of government are healthy as long as they prove constructive in harnessing the best ideas of political, business and community leaders.
The interconnection between social, political and economic issues can only become stronger if we put the health of democracy first.