The Wrong Identity

Tribalism, at its core, is about political identity, and political identity is antithetical to democracy

Those who are interested in how politics functions in a democratic society will likely be familiar with the political pendulum effect that is common to a society’s electorate. Essentially, over time citizens become disenchanted with how governance, economics and quality of life have evolved over time, and come to believe that change is necessary. This “change” typically represents moving from somewhere between center-left to -right toward another location within that spectrum. A much smaller percentage will shift further left or right outside the moderate center.

Given that a majority of voters are moderate within the center-left to -right span, and given that they shun political ideology in favor of a variety of opinions on a range of issues, the pendulum predictably — and slowly — reverses over time for a variety of reasons. What matters most is recognizing that this cycle is as much about human nature as it is about governing policies and socio-cultural issues. This said, there is also a general overall shift leftward as society’s socio-cultural opinions becomes more open to change over time. This can create conflict with those who find such shifts to be part of the “problem.”

Democracies work on the principle that citizens generally demonstrate tolerance and patience to solve social conflicts. Cooperation, along with give and take, are recognized as fundamental to getting along in any society. But human nature is quite capable of losing patience when it is perceived that arguments regarding economic success, race, religion and elitism — to name just a few — make compromise seem more like betrayal. Ways of life seem endangered by those who are perceived to be dangerous to tribal loyalty and norms. Tribalism is the fundamental breakdown of the habits and behaviors that make society and democracy successful.

Tribalism, at its core, is about political identity, and political identity is antithetical to democracy. While politics is meant to resolve societal conflicts, democracy cannot overcome the realities of tribalism, such as different versions of information and facts regarding issues within society. Endless disputes make governance unresponsive and prevent compromises that are necessary for society to make progress in resolving issues. Democracy itself may become the victim of this.

Technology has exponentially increased this conundrum. If millions of voters believe fabricated assertions found online, in print and on television insisting that voting in an election was fraudulent — despite no credible evidence of this, democracy may eventually become suspect in the minds of those who feel cheated. If one political party basically says that elections not won by it are not legitimate, democracy is undermined. If the presidential candidate for that party swaps true and false, and voters accept this, they will likely accept falsehoods regarding voter fraud.

So we return to the source of the problem, which is identity politics. Those most drawn to tribalism may not comprehend how negative the results are for democracy, and thus their society. Or they are so far from the political center that they cannot recognize they are the problem. Or they simply reject ownership. It doesn’t require a university degree to understand basic civics and history, but it does require paying attention as to why democracies are dependent on citizens. Not voting is bad enough, but fabricating assertions regarding the integrity of voting is far worse.

Some self-correction in politics is inherent: the slowly moving pendulum that drives political cycles between center-left and -right. But this isn’t sufficient when tribalism represents more than a modest percentage of citizens. It becomes necessary for sufficient public dialogue that makes the topic too obvious to ignore. This is the pragmatic reality for the country that has been a beacon of democracy for other societies to emulate, and now represents a society undermining its own best interests.

Political identity, when combined with populism, is a warning that too many in government and in the economy have been ignoring the distresses and resulting anger of a significant portion of their society. Bringing tribalists back into society as valued members of it is essential. It starts with dialogue, but this must lead to political action that ameliorates and rectifies issues for those who feel ignored and neglected.

That I’ve felt it necessary to explore this topic in two consecutive posts says much about my pragmatic concerns. It should bother you as well.