Voters’ perceptions of the economy are starting to flip along partisan lines
I mean, no shit. People act like partisanship is arbitrary, but it isn’t. We fundamentally disagree about what economic policies, or even which economic systems are best. If you think unregulated, free-market capitalism is best, you’re going to be happiest when the free-market capitalist party is in power. If you’re a neoliberal, you’re going to be happiest when the neoliberals are in power, if you’re a social democrat, you’re going to be happiest when the social democrats are in power. If you’re a socialist, you’re going to be happiest when the socialists are in power.
Or you get even more nuanced and say unregulated free market is best only on the frontier of emerging new market sectors, and that areas we depend on should be heavily regulated, socialized, and run at cost for the public for free supported by tax dollars.
Have different systems for different things depending on which works best for what.
Nuance is important, but it’s also difficult for laypeople. Not because they’re unintelligent, necessarily, but because they haven’t studied and trained like experts have. That’s why we have to be able to rely on experts. But, deferring to the authority of experts means giving up at least some power. I think that can work when there’s trust between the experts and the laypeople, but when trust is lost, laypeople will no longer respect the authority of experts. That’s what the experts, the “elites” have to understand: their expertise gives them authority, and with authority comes power, and, well, as uncle Ben would say, with power comes responsibility, and accountability. I don’t think the experts of today take their responsibility seriously enough, nor do I think they take proper accountability.
I mean, no shit. People act like partisanship is arbitrary, but it isn’t. We fundamentally disagree about what economic policies, or even which economic systems are best. If you think unregulated, free-market capitalism is best, you’re going to be happiest when the free-market capitalist party is in power. If you’re a neoliberal, you’re going to be happiest when the neoliberals are in power, if you’re a social democrat, you’re going to be happiest when the social democrats are in power. If you’re a socialist, you’re going to be happiest when the socialists are in power.
Or you get even more nuanced and say unregulated free market is best only on the frontier of emerging new market sectors, and that areas we depend on should be heavily regulated, socialized, and run at cost for the public for free supported by tax dollars.
Have different systems for different things depending on which works best for what.
Nuance is important, but it’s also difficult for laypeople. Not because they’re unintelligent, necessarily, but because they haven’t studied and trained like experts have. That’s why we have to be able to rely on experts. But, deferring to the authority of experts means giving up at least some power. I think that can work when there’s trust between the experts and the laypeople, but when trust is lost, laypeople will no longer respect the authority of experts. That’s what the experts, the “elites” have to understand: their expertise gives them authority, and with authority comes power, and, well, as uncle Ben would say, with power comes responsibility, and accountability. I don’t think the experts of today take their responsibility seriously enough, nor do I think they take proper accountability.