2010
The contradictions of 2010 populism
In a recent New Yorker article, James Surowiecki explores the inherent contradictions (and resulting challenges) in what people want (or don’t want) from the government.
Key quotes: “The anger is understandable, and voters are under no obligation to be consistent. But that doesn’t make the new populism any less of a challenge politically, since, at the moment, voters will find something wrong whatever is done…”
“The temptation, then, is simply to abandon ambitious plans in an attempt to annoy no one. But a better approach would be to recognize that voters’ anger is less ideological than pragmatic: at heart, it’s the product of the weak economy and the poor job market … what matters most is getting the economy moving again … it may bring some short-term political pain, but the only way out is through.”