Americans are in a really sour mood. By every indicator we have, we are not pleased. We are ordinarily an optimistic people, so what has gone wrong? ? Why are we so sullen and sour?
At least two explanations come to mind. First, economic conditions depress us. Even though the numbers suggest full employment, we are not convinced because of grinding wage stagnation.
Most Americans have not recovered from the Great Recession. The middle class is squeezed. Unsurprisingly, economic stagnation spurs intense resentment over income inequality. It always has.
But disappointment and resentment over the economy is matched only by disappointment and resentment over the political system. Trust in government is at an all-time low.
Leading candidates in both parties reject the current political system in harsh terms. Government seems to be deadlocked and, therefore, unresponsive to our needs. Hyperpartisanship drives the parties apart, and compromise appears impossible--even discredited.
Of course these two problems are interrelated. A disfunctional government cannot help heal a disfunctional ?economy.
There is more than disappointment here; there is danger. The danger is to democracy itself. Perceived simultaneous economic and political failure can threaten the very foundations of democracy.
I'm Bob Evans, and that's my perspective.
