WASHINGTON (AP) — For many Americans, the Republican dysfunction that has ground business in the U.S. House to a halt as two wars rage abroad and a budget crisis looms at home is feeding into a longer-term pessimism about the country’s core institutions.
The lack of faith extends beyond Congress, with recent polling conducted both before and after the leadership meltdown finding a mistrust in everything from the courts to organized religion. The GOP internal bickering that for nearly three weeks has left open the speaker’s position — second in line to the presidency — is widely seen as the latest indication of deep problems with the nation’s bedrock institutions.
“They’re holding up the people’s business because they’re so dysfunctional,” said Christopher Lauff, 57, of Fargo, North Dakota.
Part of that business, he said, is approving money for Ukraine to continue its fight against Russia’s invasion, something he says ultimately helps the U.S. — a point President Joe Biden stressed Thursday during an Oval Office address.
Widespread belief that government institutions are dysfunctional is a desired target and result for some people. If you want to lower taxes and gut regulations, getting people to think the government is useless is an incredibly effective way to grow support.
The sad part is that many of the people that fall for this are the ones that need to support it the most.
Low-income workers that are abused and put their health at risk don’t want workplace regulations. People in poverty have been convinced that increasing taxes on the ultra-wealthy will hurt them. People without the ability to pay for healthcare don’t support public assistance for it. The list goes on and on, covering most of the critical topics that government can and should be helping with.
When you convince all of these groups that “government bad” then you can wipe these concerns off the table.
“Maybe if we elect the loudest, dumbest, most obviously self-serving people possible, they’ll fix our dysfunctional government.” – Republican voters
I think it’s interesting that so many are accepting that this is chaos. I get that it feels like chaos but I am seeing the predictable end of a political juggernaut and the inevitable realignment of the tectonic plates of Republican politics. Trump’s influence is diminished as evidenced by the rejection of his choice for Speaker. Yet the party lacks an obvious successor. But nature abhors a vacuum including power vacuums so I feel certain an enterprising politician will emerge to take the reins and plot a new course for the Republicans.
