I have a confession to make: I’m a nerd. I mean, a hardcore nerd fascinated by all things political. Not the well-crafted veneer of politics that casual observers see, but the messy behind-the-scenes contestations over power that make perfection in government an impossible goal.
As a Political Scientist, I’m enthralled by process as much as the output. I watch Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and DemocracyNow. I read four newspapers a day and devour sites like Al Jazeera, Vice, The Guardian and, of course, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. I’ve long believed that politics shapes everything around us from the curriculum offered in public schools to how streets are prioritized for clearing after a Nor’easter. Lately, it’s become nearly impossible to keep up.
As the White House becomes a revolving door of appointees kicked off the island of misfit toys, our democracy seems to be in a death spiral of chaos. The constant “breaking news” disruptions of our momentary respites from political controversy leave me ready to disengage from politics as an investment in self-care.
Frankly, that worries me. Now, more than ever, we can ill-afford to retreat from a process that literally shapes our ability to live, learn and earn. While we were distracted by tweets and playground taunts, state agencies across the country wasted months scrambling to craft contingency plans as Congress debated whether to pass a long-term funding solution for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that provides coverage to 9 million children. Parents already overwhelmed by the task of caring for a sick child faced the added stressor of wondering whether the treatments their children rely on would become even more unaffordable.
And now, as President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos advocate for arming teachers with guns, teachers in West Virginia are just returning to the classroom after an historic nine-day strike protesting efforts to weaken teachers’ health coverage by requiring them to wear tracking devices. Dystopian, indeed.
Communities in greatest need of effective, accountable and efficient political representation can’t afford to be distracted from the very real issues that are decided not at the national level, but in city halls and state legislative chambers.
My students know that my favorite concept in the whole of American politics is federalism. The division of power across multiple levels of government structures a policy space where voters can determine whether their state allows medical marijuana, provides in-state tuition for undocumented students or protects pensions for public employees.
