The Importance Of Voting In The United States

America is not, and has never been, one thing. We should not only celebrate our diversity but also recognize it as one of the assets that has kept us strong through the centuries. But we are in the midst of an age of extreme polarization, one that has rippled across our nation’s capital with disastrous effect. Actual governing has ground to a standstill in favor of blood sport. As a consequence, a new silent majority, level-headed Americans who simply want their government to solve problems, now regularly stay home come election time. They surrender their privilege of voting out of a mix of apathy, bitterness and cynicism.

In no place has this surrender become more consequential than in theprimaries. The midterm primary turnout is usually abysmal, but even the last presidential primary in 2012 saw 15.9% turnout—a shockingly low number. The last primaries, in 2014, had an even lower turnout, with voters again surrendering control to the extreme base. The consequence has been clear: A new breed of politician has to come to Washington, one who believes that compromise is weak, that any attempt to reach across the aisle is tantamount to betrayal, and that grinding government to a halt is some kind of victory. …show more content…
The dysfunction of government has satisfied no one, whether on the right or the left. But this year things have reached such a point that a breakaway group of voters, sick of business as usual, have created something of a monster. That Donald Trump is a man of no political experience seems not to matter. Trump is filling the gap that has presented itself inside a dissatisfied electorate. While some perceive him as cutting through politics as usual, Trump is a consequence of our dysfunction, not its solution. It doesn’t seem that the real-estate mogul is interested in governing. He certainly doesn’t exhibit even basic knowledge about it. But it’s clear what he is passionate about:

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