The Anti Anti-Establishment?
It’s no surprise that this election has woken up millennials. But for someone like me who has always been politically engaged, the effects have been less of a call for activism, and more of an identity crisis of sorts. The reason stems largely from a perception that the two-party system has been uprooted. As we found out this election, whoever yells the loudest is the one that gets heard, and it just so happens that fighting against the establishment was the resonating message. For both the alt-right Republicans and liberal Democrats, their candidates represented the anti-establishment—they voted against corruption, against political elites, and against party politics. As Americans rail against the lack of progress in D.C., 2016 proved that the American people want political outsiders.
But here’s the strange dichotomy: if the establishment is white, old, wealthy, and male, shouldn’t the anti-establishment be the opposite? Thus far, the anti-establishment has been represented by more of the same. But if the anti-establishment is to serve in direct contrast to the establishment, it’s time that we elect young, innovative, ambitious, and diverse candidates who counter the trends young Americans so eagerly voted against.
With an approval rate of 12% this week, and 77% of Americans perceiving the nation as divided, you could say Congress needs a makeover. As partisanship rises, and public policy polarization between liberals and conservatives rises too, it’s time for young legislators, and young voters, to meet in the middle. But to do so, we must break the cycle of apathy, and restore trust in government. Millennials overwhelming feel as if government is getting nothing done, and therefore don’t vote. Politicians vying for reelection then cater to the views of the populations who do turn out to vote- white, middle class voters.
And so the cycle continues of a small group of Americans electing candidates and young voters feeling more isolated from party politics than any other generation. This has manifested itself in a decline in party affiliation. Despite the bad news, if the anti-establishment movement can re-brand itself as a group of thoughtful legislators, committed to passing common-sense reform without the need for strict party loyalty, perhaps millennial voters, and moderate politicians, will have a chance at success.
While re-branding the anti-establishment movement may seem like a daunting task, I would argue the bipartisan coalition is actually possible if you take into account that 57% of American’s desire a third party. As conservatives lean further to the right, and liberals lean further to the left, the opportunity for young legislators to rise up and re-establish party cooperation as the norm is present. But the only way for the young legislators to get elected, is for young voters to participate in our democracy- and that starts with Midterm elections. Only ⅓ of the eligible voters cast ballots in 2014, and that number is even lower for millennial voters, with only 21% of eligible Millennials casting votes. The feeling of under-representation of millennial values- which are by and large bipartisan- is valid, as our representatives are being elected by a small minority of the population. Issues such as climate change, campaign finance reform, criminal justice reform, and education reform can serve as the basis of a millennial led movement- one that transcends party lines, and restores faith in our leaders.
The opposite of the establishment should not be calls for inexperience or uprooting DC. Instead, it should be supporting the rising generation of leaders in our legislatures — leaders who can inspire their young constituents to see past our divisions by example. The proposed rebrand of the anti-establishment allows for an opportunity for young legislators who believe in change to champion common-sense causes, and restore faith in government. With a platform of cooperation and a commitment to millennial generational values, the average voter can be inspired to participate the electoral process once again.
There is an opportunity for individuals, and organizations like the Millennial Action Project, to create a unifying message that spans across generational lines, rather than party lines. With the most divisive election in American history behind us, it’s time we invest in middle ground candidates who understand the youngest, and largest generation in the country.
