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More often than not, the world focuses far too heavily on what Washington is doing and saying. As a result, average Americans, as well as citizens of other Nations, are generally locked out of the political arena. With exception to Election Day and a few town hall style meetings, powerful small groups of political leaders, analysts, and commentators decide what questions are asked, how they are answered, and what policies are developed based on those questions.
Because our world is growing ever more interconnected, People need to be involved while society must balance the many short-term, long-term, and broad interests of the world’s population. We live in a highly dynamic global community where a failure to pursue your own interests and the interests of your community will eventually lead to devastation for both you and your community. In turn, this type of social decay undermines the fabric of our entire society.
Today, we see an ever-increasing number of crises caused by a failure of our social leaders to balance the interests of the many. Consequently, the Peoples of the world need tools that will allow them to recognize and address their own interests. This is why the Washington Outsider is dedicated to independent political analysis and truly open discussion on public policies, the news, and social issues.
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Why Does Politics Matter?
Politics is supposed to help facilitate governance and strengthen public policies by improving communication between the governed and their leadership. Politics is supposed to encompass civil discourse that focuses on the interactions between government and the governed. The study of politics and the coverage of political news are, therefore, valuable, because they can help improve how political leadership interacts with the People, which can foster better governance.
Today, politics is dominated by self-serving special interest agendas, mutually destructive rivalries, distracting propaganda, and extreme polarization. Regrettably, the nastiness of politics does more to sabotage public policy, undermine trust in civil society, and divide people along the pettiest of issues than it does to help improve civil engagement and discourse. Unfortunately, the “politics” of the modern age has become little more than gossip focusing on those in government.
The sad truth is that the coverage of “politics” has become just another form of entertainment news. Instead of following the lives of A-list and B-list celebrities, political news coverage has become a perpetual realty show featuring the quotes, mishaps, and antics of P-list celebrities. Political gossip feeds government dysfunction by rewarding political leaders, who embrace controversy and discord, with attention. Instead of cultivating solutions for the issues the People face, the character and personal flaws of political leadership thoroughly saturate political news coverage.
Political gossip does more to create problems in government than to solve problems, because the political industry is far too obsessed with who is in public office and who is running for office. The result is a focus on short-term election cycles instead of the long-term need to facilitate proper governance. The ability to withstand the psychologically crushing theatrics of the campaign trail has become the number one qualification for political candidates. The ability to uncover, develop, and implement solutions is an afterthought.
To give politics value and reverse the destruction political gossip has caused, the focus of politics must change. It must go beyond the politicians and beyond the political parties to focus on what really matters: what government is doing and what government is going to do. Government exists to fix problem. Politics matters, because it can help improve how government addresses problems. By focusing on solution-driven analysis of the issues and thought-provoking discussion on current events, the political industry can be compelled to address the collective interests of the People.
Today, politics is dominated by self-serving special interest agendas, mutually destructive rivalries, distracting propaganda, and extreme polarization. Regrettably, the nastiness of politics does more to sabotage public policy, undermine trust in civil society, and divide people along the pettiest of issues than it does to help improve civil engagement and discourse. Unfortunately, the “politics” of the modern age has become little more than gossip focusing on those in government.
The sad truth is that the coverage of “politics” has become just another form of entertainment news. Instead of following the lives of A-list and B-list celebrities, political news coverage has become a perpetual realty show featuring the quotes, mishaps, and antics of P-list celebrities. Political gossip feeds government dysfunction by rewarding political leaders, who embrace controversy and discord, with attention. Instead of cultivating solutions for the issues the People face, the character and personal flaws of political leadership thoroughly saturate political news coverage.
Political gossip does more to create problems in government than to solve problems, because the political industry is far too obsessed with who is in public office and who is running for office. The result is a focus on short-term election cycles instead of the long-term need to facilitate proper governance. The ability to withstand the psychologically crushing theatrics of the campaign trail has become the number one qualification for political candidates. The ability to uncover, develop, and implement solutions is an afterthought.
To give politics value and reverse the destruction political gossip has caused, the focus of politics must change. It must go beyond the politicians and beyond the political parties to focus on what really matters: what government is doing and what government is going to do. Government exists to fix problem. Politics matters, because it can help improve how government addresses problems. By focusing on solution-driven analysis of the issues and thought-provoking discussion on current events, the political industry can be compelled to address the collective interests of the People.
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