The Current Government Landscape

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Voting and Registration Data:

> MAY 2, 2023 — The voter turnout for the 2022 U.S. congressional elections reached 52.2% of the eligible voting-age population, the second highest for a non-presidential election year since 2000. Registration rates also peaked at 69.1%, an increase from 66.9% in 2018, according to the Current Population Survey (CPS).

The partisan conflicts have escalated since Trump’s election, revealing deep divisions within the government. This environment has led both parties to focus inward, criticizing one another while the electorate often engages in demonstrating how "the opposition" is incorrect—an understatement, to say the least.

The current government landscape is characterized by partisanship that strays from the principles laid out in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Numerous discussions exist on how to restore the intended governance of our nation.

> How to Restore the Founding Fathers’ Vision for Congress > The Constitution is celebrated each year on September 17, marking its creation and signing. The founding fathers envisioned this document as a framework for our government, designed to balance power and ensure effective governance in service to the American people.

What Is Actually Happening

The fate of the nation increasingly depends on Independent voters and partisans seeking narrow victories.

The War of Rhetoric

The verbal battles between Democrats and Republican extremists have reached a fervent level, with both sides employing every argument to vehemently criticize the other. This situation fosters vigilance but ultimately fails to benefit "the people" or secure a brighter future for upcoming generations.

Insights on Independent Voters

Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2021. The narrative surrounding shifts in leadership is a mere footnote in the historical context of the U.S. Senate.

> Footnote 17: From January 3 to January 20, 2021, with Republicans in the majority, McConnell led the Senate until Democrats won both Georgia seats in a runoff election. With a 50-50 split, Vice President Kamala Harris's tie-breaking vote enabled a Democratic majority.

The 2022 midterm elections served as a referendum on President Biden, who took office on January 20, 2021. The extreme choices presented by partisans mirrored the fervor of their supporters, while Independents cast votes reflecting their genuine opinions, leaving Republicans reeling from the outcome.

> Radical Politics — Refers to efforts aimed at fundamentally transforming or replacing societal principles, often through significant social or structural changes.

In this context, both major parties have adopted radical stances, focusing not on shared solutions to pressing issues like national debt, but rather on controlling the Constitutional framework of governance. Their followers have become similarly radicalized, oblivious to the broader implications of their actions.

Politicians seem to prioritize: 1. Reelection, 2. Control of governmental processes, 3. Serving their reelection supporters, with the interests of their constituents often coming last.

After Harris’s tie-breaking vote, Republicans regained control in the midterms, but the final results of the Georgia runoff election between Hershel Walker (R) and Raphael Warnock (D) were not finalized until December 2022.

The Georgia election yielded 51.37% for Warnock and 48.63% for Walker, a result heavily influenced by a few urban areas. Of the 159 counties, only 28 voted for Warnock, while 131 favored Walker, highlighting a trend that mirrors strategies in Texas.

The vote difference amounted to 646,619 votes. The data indicates a higher average of Republican voters (70.25%) compared to Democrats (62.51%), particularly in the 28 counties where Democrats prevailed.

Rural populations tend to resist government intervention, preferring to maintain distance from authority, while urban areas generally advocate for greater governmental support.

The Cosmopolitan Influence of the 21st Century

Government programs initiated since the 1930s have become entrenched in society, creating a dependency comparable to addiction. This cycle of reliance has proven difficult to break.

Moreover, new programs have exacerbated this dependency, contributing to a national debt that spirals beyond control due to rising interest rates and declining credit ratings.

Marc Goldwein, Senior Vice President and Policy Director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, notes that interest payments have escalated to become the fourth-largest expenditure, following Social Security, Medicare, and Defense.

This trend is similarly evident in Texas, where an influx of residents from California and other Democratic states has accelerated this shift, often leading to higher taxes and fewer job opportunities.

While the economic insights of the YouTube clip may hold merit, politically, Texas is transitioning from a strong Republican stronghold to a more Democrat-leaning state, particularly in urban centers like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin—all of which are led by Democratic mayors, except for Dallas, which recently switched party affiliation.

National Trends Illustrated by Ballotpedia

The unpredictability of the universe is a reminder of the lessons from ancient Greece, where wisdom teaches us that arrogance invites consequences, and that true success and happiness can only be judged at life's end. Moderation and humility are vital in guarding against our darker impulses.

The pressing question remains—can a love for our nation and a renewed sense of identity help reduce polarization and shield us from the internal conflicts we face?

THE END