Grateful for Democracy
President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
By: Ruth Mungai
It has been several weeks since President Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU) address. Just over a month since a new House Speaker was elected. The dust has settled. Republicans have the House and Democrats have the Senate. Congresswoman Pelosi resigned her gavel to become an emeritus House Speaker after almost two decades at the forefront of American legislation.
There are many emotions that I’ve rummaged through since the midterm as states counted votes, declared victors, and we witnessed the SOTU address. At the forefront of these emotions is a slight sense of relief that democracy endured another election cycle. Yet, to even claim such a thing, I think, speaks ill of our current democratic process.
The first time I ever voted was in the 2020 Presidential elections, eight months after I became a naturalized citizen. When I stood in line to vote, it never occurred to me that I would be one of the numbers that stood to restore stability in leadership. One of the additional seven million votes that put Biden over the top. During the 2022 Midterm Elections, when I stood in line again, I never thought it would be to preserve the American Republic from lurching rightward into authoritarianism.
Moreover, I never thought I would associate the words fascism or totalitarianism with current American politics. From time to time when I was consuming news as the Midterms drew closer, I would often read the results and how close the margins were. And it boggled my mind. Why? Yes, gas was expensive. I did have a few occasions at the gas station where I did shed a tear or two or ten. Gas on a student budget was not easy. Nor the fact that eggs cost more and so does the butter that I use on my toast. But then, when you put democracy on the scale, what is inflation to a functioning democratic form of government? Had most Americans become lost in their kitchen-table issues and forgotten that we are still recovering from a global pandemic and global supply-chain bottlenecks? Other countries like Germany and the U.K. are experiencing the same side effects of inflation. Truth be told, we are not alone in our economic discomforts.
To be honest, there were moments I doubted that we would make it to this side. The “we-barely-made-it” side and the relief it brings. Not unlike the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterm cycle reflected a similar outcome. Against the odds of high costs and inflation, we prevailed to save democracy. A little more than half of voters thought that democracy was worth preserving. I suppose in the quaint parameters of the voting booth, perception rounded out to the simple conclusion that essentially once you lose democracy, it is harder to restore it. And so, we did preserve her once more. We did keep the Republic. For now.
Yet questions linger and stark divisions remain that have yet been subdued. Yes, some of the most vocal deniers of elections were defeated; others remain and now walk the halls of Congress. As a country it is obvious, we (still) cannot agree on the basics - the sun is yellow, the sky is blue, and the grass, green. So, it begs the question, if we cannot even agree on the fundamentals, how can we effectively work together and govern? Will 2024 also mirror the outcomes of this midterm? Or 2026? Or 2028? How will we break this cycle?
I think we found a potential answer: the youth. While we may not vote with the same consistency as other generations, we do have the numbers. I am so grateful to everyone who went to the polls and voted to preserve and defend democracy, especially those who are new voters. The fold is growing. I am hopeful because this generation - my generation - has lived through a series of crises that have challenged us to find better solutions. We have endured childhoods marred with gun violence, the Great Recession, and weathered catastrophes. It is as if there is a clarion call demanding change because current methods are unfeasible and insufficient. Make no mistake, we do have serious challenges from climate change to systemic inequality. Yet, I have faith that we will be the generation to address these issues with bold, empathetic solutions. It will take time, no doubt, but it will be worth it in the end.
Ruth Mungai is a current graduate student at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy. During her time at Sanford, her focus has primarily been on social policy from a financial standpoint.
