Joseph Middot; EMIDDOT; Steiglitz
As the Congress elections approached in November, all eyes were concentrated in the United States.Trump had many worrying questions after winning the election two years ago, and the results of this election will be able to provide answers for this.
Will American voters declare that Trump is actually not a representative of the American spirit?Will they abandon his racism, watticism, localism and protectionism?Will they say that his concept of priority against the United States that resists international rule of law was not defended by the United States?Or they will clearly say that Trump's victory is not a primary election of Republican primaries with defects and nominations, and a historical accident that has jointly created by the primary election of Democratic Party, which produces Trump ideal opponents?
Because the future of the United States is in danger, the fierce dispute over the results of the 2016 election results is not just an academic issue.The key is how the Democratic Party, and similar European left -wing parties, how to position themselves to win the most votes.Should they tend to intermediate voters, or do they focus on mobilizing new people who are young, aggressive and enthusiastic?
We have full reasons to believe that the latter method is more likely to bring election success and weaken the danger of Trump.
The voting rate of American voters is very low, and the year of non -presidential elections is even worse.In 2010, only 41.8%of voters voted.According to data released by the US election project, only 36.7%of qualified voters participated in the voting in 2014.The Democratic Party's voting rate is lower, although it seems to have risen in this election cycle.
People often say that they do not vote because they feel the same: both parties are half a catty.However, Trump proves that this statement is wrong; the Republicans who voted for the great tax reduction of billions of wealthy and enterprises in those republicans of those republicans who had tossed all fiscal disciplines last year and voted.; And those misleading testimony of Brett Kavanaugh's misleading testimony and the reliable evidence of the past non -transistant behavior are still nominated for his Republican Senator to serve as the Supreme Court of the United States. It also proves this statement.It's wrong.
However, Democrats are also responsible for the indifference of voters.The party must overcome the long -term history of collusion with the right, including the Capital Division of Capital Earnation Tax (Maximum 1%of the income), relaxing control of the financial market (promoted the process to a large recession), and 2008The year's bank rescue (but it has little help to unemployed workers and homeowners facing mandatory auctions of houses).In the past quarter century, the party sometimes seems to pay more attention to winning those capital benefits, not the support of the working class.Many voters who stay at home complained that Democrats would only attack Trump, but they could not get a real alternative.
The eagerness of voters for different types of competitors reflected in their former presidential candidate senator Bernie Sanders and 28-year-old Alexandria Middot; Okasio Cole, 28-year-old in New York City,The support of progressive candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.The latter recently defeated the Fourth Democratic member of the House of Representatives in the Democratic Party.
Progressive people like Sanders and Okasio Cultes have already tried to convey a very attractive information to voters, and the Democratic Party must mobilize these voters to win elections.They seek to rebuild a sense of financial security by providing a decent and high -salary work to ensure that they have obtained high -quality education (instead of the student loan that has not been able to suppress many graduates now) and appropriate medical care (no matter what the previous health status),Live a middle -class life.They called for affordable housing and guaranteed retirement life, so that the elderly were free of greedy financial industry.They also require a more vibrant, competitive and fair market economy by curbing market forces, financial melting and globalization, and strengthening the bargaining ability of workers.
These conditions leading to the middle class can be achieved.Half a century ago, when this country was more poorer than it is now, people can afford this; and today, it is still affordable.In fact, the U.S. economy and democracy cannot bear the consequences of the middle class, and government policies and plans, including medical insurance, supplementary retirement benefits, or public choices for mortgage loans, are essential to realize this vision.
The public's enthusiastic support for these progressive solutions and the promotion of their political leaders have deeply encouraged me.In a normal democratic country, I am confident that these ideas will occupy the upper hand.However, US politics has been corroded by money, GERRYMANDering, Unfair Elementary District) and large -scale deprivation of citizens' right to election.The 2017 tax bill is tantamount to bribery with enterprises and wealthy people, so that they will pay for the 2018 elections.Statistics show that money is pivotal in US politics.
Even if the democratic system in this country is defective, including someone who is working together to prevent some people from voting, the power of American voters is still pivotal.We will soon know whether this public opinion is more heavier than the money that flows into the Republican Vaca.The political and economic prospects of the United States are likely to include peace and prosperity of the entire world, which will depend on this answer.
Author Joseph E. Stiglitz is the 2001 Nobel Prize winner of Economics.His latest work is to reintegrate globalization and dissatisfaction: Globalization and ITS Disconents Revisite in Trump's era.
English Title: People vs. Money in American Midterm Electies
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2018.
