When a given demography of voters loses trust in how the government in place is being operated, they will express their reservation to participate in a democratic exercise. This will negatively impact the politics of the country as there is the risk of having a government which is not representative of the electorate but elected by a small group that feels their interests are well articulated by the politician. On that matter, those who felt that their interests are not considered will think that the government is for the few who voted. Candidates elected by a demographic group that felt that they resonate with the issues affecting them will encounter internal rebellion from the rest of the none supporters that feel left out of the political process. The situation is worsened if the candidate does not extend an olive branch to the dissenting group (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
How the political climate might look like
Disenfranchised voting patterns lead to a division on political grounds as various groups react differently depending on whether their candidate of choice won or lost. Rather than supporting the winning candidate, the rest of the groups usually develop an inward form of resistance against the winner and the entire political structure as constituted. If the elected legislators and the government, in general, does not live up to its promises or neglects the underlying issues facing the citizen, the voters lose trust in them, and with time, such mistrust will affect the entire country politically. In such a situation, there are possibilities that only a small demographic group that voted for the candidate or government will be supporting them. Such a state that lacks the support of the majority is not only weak but susceptible to conflicts and rebellion from the citizen who can quickly start anti-government movements. This might further bring issues like the change or amendments of the constitution championed by the voters against the legislators or talks of secession. If the situation deteriorates resulting in political unrest in the country, it becomes difficult for the government to operate as the sovereign power lies with the people. The political climate in the country will be horrid and will have an impact on the economy and the well being of the American people (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
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Significant shifts caused by the decline in trust
When different political demographics feel alienated by the government, it is highly probable that the electorates will start civil disobedience against the state of the day causing political unrest. Such actions lead to political turmoil which leads to the decline in the peace and security of the country. Chances of having a stable government in place are rare with civilians expressing their outright dissatisfaction with the government using demonstrations and unlawful acts including the destruction of property. If the police force is unable to contain the situation, then there are high chances that the case will be worse and the country will not be governable in future (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
Political unrest will directly affect the economic stability of the country. An unstable economy not only scares investors away but also slows down the economic growth including job creation, employment, and investment. The nation will be unable to collect sufficient taxes from the existing businesses as corporate tax will ultimately be affected. , the same government will be forced to take austerity measures to control a ballooning wage bill and debts that cannot be paid using internally sourced funds. The general cash flow in the entire economy will be reduced thus affecting the purchasing power of the citizens and the overall GDP (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
America attracts the highest number of tourist in the world earning a sizeable amount of its foreign exchange from international tourists. The government also raises a substantial amount of revenues from the tourist industry including the hotel industry and other service providers. With political uncertainty in the country, the number of tourists will drastically reduce as they look for alternative destinations that are stable and therefore the incomes from the tourism industry will reduce (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
The Citizen Patriotism will have faded away since they will no longer be proud of their sense of belonging hence will feel left out and send out a wrong image of the country. America will cease from being a land of opportunity to a nation that is disenfranchised and struggling to maintain the unity of the states which will be striving to remain autonomous. The expatriates will relocate to emerging economies like Brazil and China that offers an opportunity for growth (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
Effects on the military
In any instances of political unrest in the country, the security situation in the country and outside will be of great concern. The ability of the military to defend American interests in the country and other parts of the world will significantly be affected. The military will no longer be able to maintain its active role in the international arena encouraging the growth of militant groups and attack on American interest around the world. America will also be unable to defend its weak allies and therefore exposing them to other powerful countries like Russia. The military will not be able to stop advances in chemical and nuclear wars that might have devastating impacts on the existence of American and other countries. The military might be called upon to enforce law and order in the country if the police force is unable to restore peace (Jessee, 2012).
Effects on trade
In instances of political unrest, business in the country will be affected negatively resulting slowdowns or recession which will impact the entire world. America is the most significant economy and market for finished goods will positively affect the global economy leading to a depression worse than that experienced in 2008-2012. In such a situation, investors find themselves in a wait and see case. Low investments lead to reduced economic activities, and therefore the overall GDP will be affected. There is a general decline in the cash flow in the economy leading to the decrease in consumption and attractiveness of the country as an investment destination (Aisen & Veiga, 2010).
Effect on relationships with other countries
It's the sovereign responsibility of any nation to protects its citizens within and outside its territorial boundaries, in case of civil unrest in America, it's evident that every other country with its citizens residing within America, will rush in to try to evacuate its citizens if the security situation cannot be contained. While a nation evacuating its citizens for security concerns might seem a good solution, America will in a way be disappointed by such countries and might feel like the other countries have neglected in its hour of need. America will no longer be able to influence the politics of other nations. Similarly, it will be unable to affect the global democratic space. Countries like Russia and North Korea will have an opportunity to implement their policies and activities with no state to check their program (Jessee, 2012).
Will America still be a global leader?
When a big chunk of American citizens feels alienated and take upon themselves to start a revolution against the government, there is a high possibility that some states will secede from America weakening it further. Americas will no longer concentrate on international affairs leading to its downfall as a Global leader. Any factors that might lead to political unrest in the country will not only bring down the economy but also give other countries like China or Russia a chance to catch up and overthrow America as a global leader (Glazer et al., 2017; Zengerle, 2017).
Conclusion
America should strive to ensure that all voters are satisfied and feel that their interests are considered. The country should not allow bad politics to take center stage and ruin the future of the nation. People should feel that the elected person will address their interest. The politicians should also try to unite the electorate by promoting issue-based politics. The impact of a divisive political environment cannot be allowed to ruin the growth and development experienced in the country.
Reference
Aisen, A., & Veiga, F. J. (2010). How Does Political Instability Affect Economic Growth? SSRN Electronic Journal . doi:10.2139/ssrn.1560524
Glazer, N., Ahmari, S., Rothman, N., Kirchick, J., Siegel, F., Ferguson, A., . . . Continetti, M. (2017, August 23). The Future of American Politics, by Samuel Lubell. Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-future-of-american-politics-by-samuel-lubell/
Jessee, S. A. (2012). Ideology and spatial voting in American elections . New York: Cambridge University Press
Zengerle, J. (2017, June 20). Is North Carolina the Future of American Politics? Retrieved November 25, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/magazine/is-north-carolina-the-future-of-american-politics.html
