I’ve had a number of interesting conversations lately with people from a wide variety of political leanings. One of the topics that continues to come up, regardless of who I am speaking with, is what it will take to get more people engaged in the political process. In the midst of one of the most troubling times in our nation’s history, a lot of people are wondering why it seems that a majority of Americans are oblivious to what is going on in regards to our struggling economy and the ineffectual leadership we have at all levels who have helped create or contribute to many of the economic and social problems we face. At the very least, even if many Americans are aware of the issues or have a cursory understanding about what is going on, why are so few getting involved to help solve the problems and what will it take to motivate them to do their civic duty?
I don’t know if there are really any simple answers to this question. Apathy in its various forms has been a problem since the beginning of time and seems to be most apparent when people are comfortable and secure. You may have heard the saying, “10% of the people do 90% of the work.” I have found this to be true in almost every organization, large or small, that I have been involved in. It seems most people are along for the ride and generally will expend the least amount of effort to obtain the greatest amount of benefits. At some point, comforts will be lost, security jeopardized and more people will wake up to the reality that they can no longer rely on the efforts of others to provide them with the comfort and security they desire.
In recent history, I think this “wake-up” call is most apparent in the Tea Party movement. Contrary to how most of the popular media portrays them, they are not a bunch of racist, extreme right, nut jobs (okay, so there are a few who fit that description, but every movement has their outliers). They are people who, for the most part, are fed up with the irresponsible spending at all levels of government. They recognize that our country has been on an unsustainable fiscal path for years and that a day of reckoning is inevitable if we do not take action now to put our house in order. Many of these people have never been politically involved, but are now learning the ropes so they can influence the reforms that must take place to avoid sending our country into an economic abyss.
So was it a loss of comfort and security that motivated these people to engage in the political process? I believe so. After the housing bubble burst and the subsequent financial meltdown, the financial security of most American’s was put at risk. It hurt enough that it got people asking questions about the causes of our economic troubles and what could be done to solve them. It became obvious to many that our government’s spending addiction was at the root of the problem and if we were going to get our economy going we would have to get spending under control. And so the birth of the Tea Party movement… an effort by every day Americans to demand accountability from their elected officials and the responsible use of our tax dollars. The basic message is ‘get out of our way, follow the Constitution and let the principles of liberty dictate how we do business in government at all levels.’
I think the Tea Party response is instructive and ultimately answers the question as to what it will take to get people involved. I believe that as people feel the negative effects of our struggling economy, more and more of them will seek ways to ensure their comfort and security. This effort will naturally lead to a better awareness of the issues and a willingness to become more politically involved. I hope it will not take an economic catastrophe to make this happen.
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