By Jade Pinero '19:
A billionaire businessman, the first surgeon to separate conjoined twins, the first woman CEO on the Fortune 20, and an independent 74-year old socialist all want to be the next president of the United States—and the American people have shown that they want them, too. Frustration with a stagnant legislature in Washington has reached a fever pitch; the percentage of Americans that trust the government to do what is right is down to 8% in 2014 from 73% in 1958. The fierce American nationalism that defined the zeitgeist of the second half of the twentieth century has faded, and now more than ever, voters want to dismantle what they believe to be a broken system. Despite the polarization of the Democratic and Republican parties, the unprecedented support for anti-politicians signals a widespread shift towards valuing a populist platform over political experience in the face of an eroding American Dream.
The Election of 1828 marked the beginning of the modern campaign process; as voting rights expanded to more and more of the populace, winning elections became a popularity contest. Following the Era of Good Feelings, a time when the national economy thrived and a single party ruled the government, a series of economic and legal events (including the country’s first real recession and the escalation of the slavery issue) made voters disillusioned with big government’s bureaucracy and corruption. Andrew Jackson, elected in 1828, was the first President to run on the platform representing the “Common Man.” His policy embodied the ideals of Manifest Destiny, a philosophy that committed to making America great, whatever the cost.
The Election of 2016 is similar in that an Era of Good Feelings, with a booming economy and public complacency towards government, prevailed through 2006. In years since, a slew of economic and legal events (including the Great Recession and the Citizens United decision) have made voters less and less trusting of the federal government. The meteoric rises of Trump, Carson, Fiorina, and Sanders to the national stage have been, in large part, due to their vocal shared disdain for the status quo. It is quite possible that one of these “outsiders” could be our next President; therefore, voters, pundits, and the establishment party members are asking: do they have the experience to enact the change they claim they can? Does experience matter?
America is saying loud and clear that experience does matter—but the kind of experience has changed. Voters want a leader with a history of success and perseverance in the face of obstacles. Voters want a leader with experience being honest; a candidate unashamed of who they are and what they stand for, whether they lean left or right. The return to populist politics could usher in, as it has in the past, a revival of voter participation, a replacement of establishment representatives, and a renewed faith in government to work with and for the people.
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