There’s this interesting dichotomy in U.S. politics today, which County News explored at some length in this piece last year. Even as Americans are feeling increasingly pessimistic about the direction of the nation, they maintain a sense of hope and optimism when it comes to their local communities.
But why?
That’s the subject of a recent article by The Atlantic’s James Fallows, who, like many, has been dismayed by the election of Donald Trump.
People who subscribe to the theory of the enraged Donald Trump voter are missing the mark, Fallows says. In fact, many of the heartland’s downtrodden are full of positivity—but only when it comes to their local governments and communities. As Fallows notes, polling bears this out.
“A Pew study in 2014 found that only 25 percent of respondents were satisfied with the direction of national policy, but 60 percent were satisfied with events in their own communities. According to a Heartland Monitor report in 2016, two in three Americans said that good ideas for dealing with national social and economic challenges were coming from their towns. Fewer than one in three felt that good ideas were coming from national institutions.”
Fallows believes the divergent views on national and local politics lie in the difference between perception and reality. National politics are being monitored from afar, which allows for a distorted view. But, “city by city, and at the level of politics where people’s judgements are based on direct observation rather than media-fueled fear, Americans still trust democratic processes and observe long-respected norms,” he writes.
Of course, it could also be that local institutions are simply more responsive and in touch with the needs of their residents. As we said in March of last year, polling shows that people feel increasingly removed from the values and priorities of Washington. By contrast, they feel a heightened sense of accessibility and efficiency when it comes to their local leaders and communities.
till reigns at the local level. Why?