We have addressed American political culture from many perspectives this quarter. We have discussed the evolution of American political culture and several of the important elements that continue to shape it including, immigration, race, ethnicity, religion, education, elections and representation, etc. Although we often find it challenging to view things outside of the modern day perspective, much has changed over time. Consider the following:
2 months ago: you started this class
5 months ago: #MeToo movement begins
14 months ago: Trump signs first of three immigration and refugee bills aimed to curb immigration and refugees from several majority-Muslim nations (all have been stalled in court)
17 months ago: Trump elected president
2 year ago: marked increase in hate crimes in U.S., largely targeting immigrants, Muslims, Jews, and LGBTQ community
4 years ago: Unemployment 6.3% overall, 12.1% for African Americans, 9.1% for Hispanics, 4.8% for Asian Americans, DOW 16,700 (Today: Unemployment 3.9%, 7% for African Americans, 4.7% for Hispanics, 2.9% for Asian Americans, DOW at 24,275)
5 years ago: Black Lives Matter movement begins
6 years ago: Protestants no longer make up majority of American population
10 years ago: the first nonwhite president was elected
11 years ago: Unemployment 4.5%, DOW at 14,000
12 years ago: very few of us had ever heard of Barack Obama
15 years ago: The supreme court ruled that colleges still had legitimate reasons to use race and ethnicity as factors in college admissions
17 years ago: 9/11
27 years ago: the Rodney King Case and racially charged rioting
40 years ago: Regents of University of CA vs. Bakke
45 years ago: Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion nationwide
50 years ago: modern civil rights movement ends (according to most historians), Martin Luther King killed, major riots, peak of troops in Vietnam
51 years ago: third year in a row of major racially charged riots throughout American cities
53 years ago: Voting Rights Act of 1965, new immigration laws dramatically increase immigration (especially from Asia and Latin America), Black Power movement, Malcolm X killed
54 years ago: Civil Rights Act of 1964
55 years ago: March on Washington, Birmingham protests
63 years ago: Montgomery Bus Boycott
64 years ago: Brown vs. Board of Education
73 years ago: end of WWII
74 years ago: Interment of 110,000 Japanese Americans
98 years ago: Women gain the right to vote
111 years ago: peak of Immigration in early 20th century
122 years ago: Plessy vs. Ferguson - separate but equal is constitutional
124 years ago: widespread lynching and intimidation
130 years ago: Chinese Exclusion Act
141 years ago: end of reconstruction, early Jim Crow Era (which lasts nearly 100 years)
148 years ago: 15th amendment - black men given right to vote
150 years ago: 14th amendment
153 years ago: 13th amendment - end of slavery
153 years ago: end of Civil War, Start of reconstruction, black codes
157 years ago: start of Civil War
209 years ago: end of slave trade
231 years ago: Constitution written including 3/5 compromise and slavery
242 years ago: Declaration of Independence
398 years ago: First Pilgrims arrived searching for freedom to practice their religion
399 years ago: first slaves from Africa brought to colonies
411 years ago: first British Colony established
several thousand years earlier: Native Americans living here.
The point: much has changed, and often in a short period of time. Looking forward what do you predict will be the state of American political culture 5, 10, or even 20 years from now? What can and should be done politically to help?
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American political culture for the future is not bright. The majority of Americans, feel disengaged and are starting to wake up. The government has spoken for the people less and for money more. I foresee the tensions between government and citizen only growing with new generations succumbing to the wave of populism. Whether this is a liberal or conservative populist movement they both are anti-status quo. The demand for radical change stems from feeling ignored by political authority. I believe the chance on the right for a radically different libertarian candidate is stronger than ever. For the left the chance for a radically different socialist candidate is strong and will only grow. Every time one of the parties wins a policy or campaign battle I fear the chance of anger and violence increases. We the people feel ignored and throughout history we have seen the deserted resort to violence. In my mind to avoid the potential for violence there needs to be radical change. Surprisingly, I think that reducing the role of the federal government dramatically would anger liberals less than increasing federal government would anger conservatives. A transfer of power to state governments while not completely eliminating the role of the federal government could be a means of mitigating the damage done to the reputation of the U.S. government.
ReplyDeleteIn the past 10 years, up until Trump won the election (in my opinion, sry), America seemed as though it was truly progressing as a nation. However, because of the polarizing effects of the 2016 presidential election, America is torn. Everyone is so quick to point out each other's differences rather than the things we have in common and that holds true to both sides of the political spectrum. No one is immune to it. Despite the step back we have taken, it's still important to note the progress that has been made in the past 10 years as we look toward solving our issues. Legalization of gay marriage, increased representation in governing bodies, and inclusivity has changed the rhetoric of American politics as we know it. As I look to the future of American politics, I see a lot of uncertainty. But even though the future is murky, I refuse to accept the fact that the American people will stop fighting for progress and for what they believe in. And because of this, some day we may have a more perfect union.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to predict what the future has in hold for American political culture, but I'd like to hope that there could be a positive future for American political culture. With rises in discrimination of recent anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim activities, and the alleged rise in actions that enforce white supremacy such as the Charlottesville incident, America is not in the greatest shape. Although we may be living in a time where America is not at its best, I'd like to note that when America gets to its worst, some of the best comes afterwards. For example, incidents such as the unfair murder of Emmett Till during segregation lead to the civil rights movement. My point is that America has had its difficult times, but through action Americans helped lead America towards progress. This is why I believe we should be more active in American society to improve American political culture, and especially right now since we live during a questionable time in American history.
ReplyDeleteHistorically after seeing what happen in this election and seeing a lot of election trends I feel the next few years can be looking very promising and can be something to look forward too. American political culture will continue to change and grow just like the individuals that contribute to the culture. As for politically what should be done is a very extensive list, there are many things that the policies should play and the direction that are nation wants to go in after this administration. The state of political culture in the next five years will most likely be a radical shift from what we have right now, but if policies are implemented and what’s imposed don’t work out, years after we will see another shift towards the opposite side that will implement different policies to change the direction that the nation should go. I think the main focus in the following years needs to be on the economy, I only say that because judging this rally that the market has done it can go down just as fast as it went up and in doing that will lead to another recession and that something that the nation doesn’t need right now in the mist of all the political drama.
ReplyDeleteWe had a long discussion in my capstone class debating over whether or not America is in decline: I came to the conclusion that America is in a serious fundamental transition and that because we’re in the middle of significant change, we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s hard feeling optimistic during times like these. But good positive change doesn’t come without struggle. If Trump hadn’t been elected, we wouldn’t be having the conversations we’re having now about race, gender, and other identities fundamental to the people who make up our country. Had Clinton been elected, we would’ve slapped another bandaid over our social problems and called it a day — Trump’s aggressive, brunt leadership style is forcing Americans to confront their differences and their emotions around those differences. I’m not saying that I’m happy Trump’s been elected, but I’m glad we’re being forced to confront the problems we’ve been sweeping under the rug for so long.
ReplyDeleteI think America can recover and improve from this. I’m optimistic because of the shifting demographics of this country — I want to see a more diverse population and how their interests influence the direction of the country as we continue to move on. I’m optimistic because of the younger generation, like Emma Gonzalez and her peers, who seem fired up and angry enough to really enact change.
America’s in the middle of adaptation. It’s premature to abandon her now.
Some days I feel more pessimistic than others about the future of American political culture. There are a lot of things that have happened geopolitically, and surrounding the 2016 US Presidential election that feel surreal and dystopian - in a bad way. I think a lot of Americans hold these fears, but have normalized them or feel defeated. I think apathy had already seeped in by the time Nov 2016 rolled around. However, I do believe in the power collective action has to change culture and politics. We have seen it before, and I believe we will see it again. We are already seeing mass protests and marches on Washington, and i know we are capable of so much more. The recent student organizing in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas HS shooting has reminded me of the impact students and young people have on motivating and shaping political movements. I think Americans have too strong a sense of self-preservation to let our future be ruined.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, it may not be a popular opinion, but I think American Politics has an extremely bright future ahead. With all the commotion going on with the past Presidential elections, and with the ever increasing social media presence young minds are becoming so much more informed. At such a younger age now kids are becoming so much more informed and are able to create a path in what they choose to believe in ideology wise. This increasing social media presence even helps the older generation, my dad always says he loves how he can read news article from his iPhone, and that now he can choose which bias he wants to read upon based on what resource he gets his information from. I think with people, especially young people, becoming more socially aware and taking a stance in whether or not they believe in certain things will only create a stronger government. Also, I think people are more willing nowadays to listen to the other side. Again, to focus on the presence of social media, but these politicians and lobbyist groups are now feeling pressure unlike ever before to listen to their constituents, and also their detractors. I am optimistic that American Politics is heading towards a good future, and I remain extremely positive in the fact that I think the future generations now whom will be our future public officials are willingly to compromise more so than ever.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the next 5, 10 and even onto 20 years I feel like it is a little difficult to think about where the state of America will be then. Even in the last 10 years I think that the state of America has taken a lot of unexpected terms. Especially with two very contrasting Presidents, Obama and Trump, I feel like there has been a large shift. Although, the President in the United States does play a huge role in the state of the country at the time – I do think as the years have progressed we have been able to bring a lot more issues to be discussed. Though we haven’t had many solutions in place yet, I feel over the course of the last few years problems have been brought into the light more, especially in the media. Such as police brutality and sexual harassment, problems that have been going on in America for many years are finally being talked about more. But ultimately, I think it’s hard to say where we’ll be in the following years, as so much of what happened in the state of the U.S. is pretty unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about the large shift in politics between Obama and Trump. Because of that, I see our nation heading towards the elimination of two party system, as well as increasing the amount of political groups that currently exist, as political activism is certainly trending and people are having much different beliefs than before.
DeleteIt's very easy to feel cynical and hopeless about the state of American politics, I've gotten that way a lot recently, but cynicism is an enemy of progress and in recent months, I've only become more hopeful about the future of American politics, mainly because of the younger generation. The students from Stoneman Douglas have inspired a real movement, and I've noticed that young people, including the people in this class and other classes, are more aware and better able to articulate some of the issues that need addressing in this country than some (if not most) of the older people in power, and so that gives me hope for the future generation of politicians, knowing we'll have people in charge who truly want to fix issues because they've lived through periods of inaction and lack of compromise, and they would want to correct those and other mistakes. At the same time, one of the only benefits of President Trump's term has been an energizing of citizens becoming engaged in politics and in voting, and I think that the more people that vote and participate in politics, no matter the party, the better our democracy will be. While we may be in a hyper partisan and sometimes scary age of American politics, there's always gonna be light at the end of the tunnel and I'm extremely hopeful about what the future can hold for this country.
ReplyDeleteI see the U.S. becoming increasingly more diverse across several identities; I just can’t picture a future where demographics of the U.S. stay the same without some type of oppressive force stepping into to stop the progress. I also hope that U.S. will become accepting of these changing demographics. This past election and the things that have transpired since then seem like a backlash to what was increasing acceptance and visibility to diversity in the U.S. I don’t see this happening in the next five years, but maybe the next ten or fifthteen. I know that since the U.S. was found on ideals that embodied oppression and prejudice that reaching this point might be difficult. However, I also believe that marginalized people are going to have a backlash of their own to the current administration.
ReplyDeleteThis is already being with the mass amount of protest that have taken place, the increased diversity of those running for public office, and even by some of the people who have already been voted to office. This is what must continue to happen if the U.S. is to become and an actual melting pot of people and culture. In order for certain people in the to realize and accept that the U.S. is a diverse nation, the diverse populations of the U.S. must be visible and listened to. Increasing the diversity seen in the media and government will not only give hope to marginalized people that they can also achieve the same thing, but it will force non-marginalized people to confront what is happening in the U.S. My hope is that the U.S. will go from “melting pot” that is very segregated and pushed against to one that is fully together and accepted.
I wouldn't say that the future is dim, but I also wouldn't say it is bright either. Definitely agree with people in that the U.S. will only become more and more diverse, and that the image of what an American is will be really hard to narrowly define as one stereotype. Like if someone was to travel abroad, I feel like there would be less connection to being "American" as there will be so many shades of American. Depending on future presidencies, midterms, and other elections, the polarity of the country is also something to look at. As it stands now, polarity is extreme, so it will be interesting to see how that changes. One thing that I feel like will still define us is the tragedies that happen here, as sad as that sounds. Many outsiders see America as "that place with a bunch of issues", and unfortunately the stagnant state of the government now and probably in the future will see us not making much progress in terms of laws and rules. All in all, America will survive, but it may not be pretty, however the near future struggles can pave the way for further down the road to be better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I think that we will continue to become more diverse as a nation which I believe to be a great thing. Our diversity will make us stronger and more understanding of other races, ethnicities, and religions. I think the future is very unknown and we will have to see what happens as time goes on. We are perceived at the moment as a nation filled with many problems. That is something that definitely needs to be addressed and solutions should be developed. There are a ton of issues we see everyday that could give us every reason to become pessimistic. But, I feel that it's critical we stay optimistic and continue to hope for the best. Thats the only way we can become better from this.
DeleteIn the following years and decades, I see this country changing a lot, and though I can’t predict anything, the changes in American political culture and society in general, are setting the tone for changes in our government and country. The first thing that comes to mind for me is the elimination of the two party system. The 2016 election showed us that their are many other groups who want and need to be represented. The changing beliefs, ideas and values of newer generations and newer ways of thinking also adds to the possibility of eliminating a two party system, as was seen with the Bernie Sanders campaign and his vast support network. The huge amount of discontent and lack of trust towards our politicians and both political parties also sets the stage for change in how we elect our officials, and from what party. Due to all of this, I see our country becoming much more progressive and liberal, for better or for worse, like many European nations are. On the other end, I worry about another massive world war in the coming years, with the constant escalation of tensions between the US, it’s allies and Russia, not to mention the entire Middle East in which our military is highly active in, as well as Africa and the growing terrorist networks and attacks. In terms of conflict, it begins with acknowledging that Russia has nothing but nefarious intent towards us, and did meddle in our elections, as well as heavily beefing up our cyber security measures. By allowing this to go unanswered for and unacknowledged, Russia is able to expand its influence without any repercussions (they also need to be held accountable for their actions in Syria). All in all, as a nation, I see us becoming more progressive and changes in how our government has traditionally operated, and I see the world becoming more chaotic and and fragile if nothing is done to end the major threats in the world.
ReplyDeleteFor the future of the United States, it is difficult to tell exactly what we will see within the next 10 years let alone 20 or 50. I do believe we are in a huge transition into accepting ideals more widely within the United States. I hope to predict that wide diversity is completely accepted and not discriminated against races that are not widely accepted. Hopefully, by then the overall population will shift into a majority to immigrants as trends are showing. As well, I hope to see less disdain within our political parties. Hopefully, these separate parties can at least be a lot more open to compromise and fairness within that; rather than just either party trying to spite one another. With certain measures, we could help create America into a way more well-oiled machine, instead of its current state, in which we could solve many pressing issues rather than filling up media and the budget with issues that aren't a major issue within America.
ReplyDeleteI think its fair to say that the future is up in the air. I would like to think that we, as a country are constantly evolving culturally, however I still feel like the separation amongst ourselves stalls progress. The future of our country moves beyond choosing a political side, but is also a matter of inevitabilities. A constantly evolving and expanding demographic, for example, has been in motion for many years now. Support or opposition of other people entering our country can not counter the people that have already ingrained and assimilated into our country. Likewise, the growing population of non religious Americans will continue to expand I believe. As technology and science expands, we will also see a trickle down into not just what we believe but how our beliefs are projected in politics. Likewise, I do not have any problems with our two party system, only that there is little to no middle ground between them. To grow, we must be willing to delve into certain opposing viewpoints (obviously extremes such as hate groups and white supremacists are on the list of excepetions) objectively. This is something that is currently missing in a general sense. The natural progression of our country in addition to more positive interaction amongst ourselves will pave a brighter future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the country has lots of opportunity for change and positive change, but many of the issues people are pushing for require an entire change at once. Unfortunately due to our size and Government making a big change at once is nearly impossible and thus happens piece by piece. This normally ends with people not believing the change is useful and thus it never makes it to the complete change. This often implies that change will not make it to the final big change. So, if America wants to make these changes they will need to become used to make the change all at once, particularly for things such as Universal Healthcare, because as we saw with Obamacare if it is only part way it is not popular. Things like gun control however can be done bit by bit, but hopefully will still reach the end goal. As a country we need to start having discussions of how we can make these changes all at once to allow these changes to actually reach the destination we were attempting to get at. Due to this I believe dramatic change cannot come until we decipher how to make these decisions as a country.
ReplyDeleteI see a very positive future for the United States. The great thing to come out of the 2016 election was the dramatic increase in political participation which it spurred. More people are interested, active and want to change the the United States for the better. That is what makes the United States so great. It is our desire to want to be better, we want to evolve. And that is why I think we will see some of the biggest changes in our political culture in the future. Greater political involvement will lead to change. I also think we are going to see a greater representation of women and minorities in power, as a direct result of this past presidential election. This is a result of the rhetoric which was used during the election to describe these groups. We are even seeing this evolution now, with the great influx of women and minorities entering politics this midterm election cycle. I don’t think we need to do anything to help, the change is already happening without any kind of political help. We as a country are about to see a great transformation in our political culture.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to predict the future just because of all the different variables that can greatly effect the political culture. At this point, the divide between parties is somewhat discouraging to the belief that our country will improve in the upcoming years. Although many view the US in a period of social chaos, history has shown us that we can most definitely rebound and become better. With the increase of diversity and the decrease of religion amongst citizens, I think it’s safe to say that the country will greatly contrast the culture we currently live in. I think more cooperation amongst parties will be huge factor in whether or not our country’s future will improve or not. It’s imperative that our government operates in a constructive manner for the improvement of American life moving forward.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward, I’m hesitant to state solid predictions, especially given the volatile and everchanging nature of the current US administration. In the near future, I am going to predict a wave of flipped House seats from red to blue in the upcoming 2018 elections, but that’s based on recent special elections that have shown a trend of a blue tidal wave. In five years, assuming Donald Trump even serves out the rest of his first term, which is looking more and more unlikely, I predict that a Democratic presidential candidate will sweep to the White House if they harness the backlash against Trump’s corruption and failed politicking. I cannot even begin to predict the state of American political culture in 20 or 10 years, but again, based on past trends, I believe that we’ll begin to see a broader base of progressive voters from the liberal-leaning millennial and Gen Z population which may lead to more progressive leadership and policy implementation. I don’t want to say outright that Congress will be more polarized than ever, because there are party candidates running in districts by appealing to middle-of-the-road voters on local issues. I believe that politics will become less polarized if, and only if, candidates begin to subscribe to the old Tip O’Neill idea that “all politics is local.”
ReplyDeleteI feel that as a nation we are still evolving just as we have always been. From racial, religious, and ideological grounds everything is adapting and changing. It is my hope that in the coming years that we, as a society, can learn to listen to opposing viewpoints and use them to adapt our own and to learn. Political discourse and culture feels as if it's become more divisive lately. Progressing as a culture takes time and we've been progressing at a rate faster than any other time in our history, even if it doesn't seem like it. Politically, I think one of the most effective measures we can take to improve our country is to improve our public education system across the board and to encourage meritocracy more in American society.
ReplyDeleteI am cautiously optimistic of what the next ten years will bring for this country politically. I am hoping most for our generation to realize the decision-making power we hold as young Americans, and that those powers are used for the benefit of the country as a whole. The previous presidential election has shown us that unpredictable things can still happen in this country. Therefore it is up to us to make sure that the political system is kept in check and tasked with helping us as a country and not serving other interests. I truly believe that this country will always be one of progress and modernity and now we are the key to these constant changes. Therefore it is the responsibility of us and our peers to get involved in local and national politics to make sure the government works in our favor.
ReplyDeleteI am not so sure with that our American political culture would be in the next five to ten years as our current political culture seemed to have been changed significantly. I would hope that the primaries and upcoming elections would bring in new faces, as I think there should be a change in who is currently serving as our politicians. I am highly curious as o what the 2020 president elections would be and I know just with that, the American political culture will be changed significantly. However, I do have high hopes that there would be more discussions on different types of reforms such as gun control, as I see more people speaking out and our politicians realizing that they can no longer try to filibuster the issue. I do hope that new people will be elected in, especially a more diverse group, because there needs to be a change on how our political culture would look like and how this country should be run.
ReplyDeleteHad this question been posed closer to the results of the 2016 presidential election, my answer would be more bleak and probably mostly based on reactionary emotions. However, with the first year of Trump’s presidency behind us I find that I am not as hopeless as I thought I would be. While the wave of racial resentment felt by white America propelled Trump, and many like him, into the public eye and political office, they were quickly met with grassroots resistance from all across the United States. Actively participating in democracy, in ways other than voting, has given me more faith in a movement that will call hate by its name and face it head on. During the election cycle of 2016, and after, I became more politically engaged, and I feel like when people were met with the realities of a Trump administration — the Muslim ban, failed DACA deals, healthcare battles — they did not shy away from voicing dissent and protest. For me, it’s hard to predict how American political culture will evolve in 5 to 20 years as we will face technological advances that could pose challenges for the foundations of our democracy, which we have already been victim to. It is hard to find commonality across party lines when each side sees the other through a demonized lens. But I think one thing that should be done to help the division in our country is to find these commonalities, which link us together more than our differences separate us.
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest, I have no idea what the American political culture will be in 2 years let alone in 5 /10 / 20. I definitely do think that the future has potential to be great. We can definitely make necessary changes, but in order to do so we need to make sure that the younger generations understand what’s happening in the world of politics, to see that their voices should be voiced. Many people in our generation have given up, have said that their voice and vote doesn’t count. But that’s just not true! We need to come together and fight back and make sure that the country progresses rather than go back into history when things were worse.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to predict what the state of our political culture will be in the future. Currently, the political climate seems very dark and the public's trust in Government and support for our social institutions are at an all time low, and according to ANES surveys, has been for the most part steadily decreasing over the past 50 years. With less trust in our political system means less credibility in our democratic system and less representation. Political partisanship has been increasingly divided and polarized over the past 50 years as well, especially in Congress. This has caused an uptick in stubborn party politics and creates obstacles that slow the process of achieving modern reforms and policies.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, demographics in the United States and within the U.S. government are becoming increasingly diverse and with more diverse groups of people in our country there is hope that there will be greater representation of various different people and ideas. With ever action there is an opposite and equal reaction, and our government is a very reactionary system. Although our current presidential administration has very a malicious and backwards agenda, there is a good chance that something equally great will come as a result of this, no matter how painfully slow it will be achieved.
Although our history looks bad on paper. And, I mean really, really bad. I am optimistic about the American Political Culture in 10 to 20 years. I think when white people become the minority, American political culture may flourish because of all of the diversified voices that will be represented. And, it is not a matter of if, but when. I hope that since racist institutions are socially constructed, they must be able to be deconstructed socially as well, Right? I mean, theoretically I guess. Anyway, I am optimistic about the future but not about now. I think as long as long as white people are the majority and women are underrepresented (and feminist perspective suppressed), this country will make little to no improvements in terms of social and personal self-determination for underrepresented or historically disadvantaged groups. I hope I am wrong. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteI think that the current polarization in American politics is going to lead to increased awareness about racism as a real issue in modern society. We neglect the word ‘racist’ as something that is morally beneath us because we have supposedly overcome that already with the civil rights movement, but with white nationalism on the rise I think that we are going to be forced to acknowledge the reality of racial resentment in the country, which is hopefully going to encourage different groups to engage in meaningful conversations and effect political change.
ReplyDeletePredicting the future of the American political culture is probably the hardest thing to predict right now. Honestly, nothing surprises me at this point. With each day being a new shift, it seems as though not a single person knows what could happen even tomorrow. With this being said, I do think there is some hope. Today's political culture is incredibly divided, and we face a lot of issues. But, one thing that stands out is the fact that we are finally discussing some issues that have existed for years. The fact that there is such a debate over major issues we face shows that progress is being made, and while it entirely possible we never come together on some issues, I am hopeful, and do honestly believe there is a chance we can come together and move forward. Whether it be in 5 years, or 20 years, we are experiencing a change, and I think (more like hope) that this will be for the better.
ReplyDeleteI believe, or at least hope, that the future of American Politics in 10 to 20 years will be much more stable and progressive than we are witnessing today. I think that the polarization we are seeing today will hopefully lead to a multiparty system, which I believe would bring more voices into politics. No more would our people and politics be divided into two sides. It think we will see the need to do this because we will see our government and society come to a halt because we cannot come to pass economic or much needed social reform. In my ideal vision the US would be led to this progressive way by a coalition or party fighting for Environmental Justice and Climate Change action. Much like the movements in the 1960's we would have to rely on the youth to do this.
ReplyDeletePredicting the future is exceptionally difficult, especially when considering how much has changed in just the past 100 years. However, I think American political culture is moving to be more and more divided, especially as the rural and urban divide grows. But in the long term 20+ years, America will become more and more diverse and that diversity should lead to an overall more 'liberal' America. Predicting waves of liberalism through demographic shifts, especially 20 years ahead seems almost too much. I do think that younger people are becoming increasingly engaged in politics and that trend will continue, meaning more and more Americans will be interested and invested in the political system.
ReplyDeleteI believe the biggest determiner for the future will be the midterm elections. President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress and Senate have had no opposition in pushing their agenda. If the 2018 midterm elections favor the Democrats, Trump could face extreme opposition to some of his policies. DACA could get funded without bipartisan support.
ReplyDeleteIn five years I think the US will be more tolerant towards minority and LGBT communities. Public support for these groups has risen steadily and will continue to grow. This rise comes from the increasing diversity of the United States. However, I do not know if the US will turn liberal. Most of the immigrants coming into the US are Catholic, and the traditional values of the Catholic Church may champion conservative candidates.