A few days before the midterms, the tone of the election campaign is getting rough.
(Photo: dpa)
A crowd dancing to hip-hop and cheering for politicians. A 21-year-old who dropped out of college to run an election campaign. An outsider candidate who has no chance, but still gives everything. All of this can be observed in the USA these days, a few days before the important midterm elections.
Around 250 million voters will be able to decide on thousands of important positions in the states, in the Senate and in the House of Representatives next Tuesday. And in the face of radicalization and brutal attacks, one might think that frustrated people would turn away from their country, their democracy, their politics.
But instead you can feel energy and enthusiasm in many places – across the political camps, which are more hostile than ever. Of course, the appalling consequences of polarization in the United States should not be put into perspective, let alone underestimated.
Hate, violence and the brutalization of discourse are poisoning the social climate, and large sections of the Republican Party have committed themselves to extremism. The Republican ticket features 300 candidates who question the democratic system and threaten to sabotage the 2024 presidential election.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
But there is also the other America. For one thing, “the USA” is a gigantic, extremely federally organized nation. The state of Texas alone is larger than France, and California’s economic power is likely to overtake that of Germany soon.
>> Read also: Midterms could throw the USA into chaos – in the worst case, a constitutional crisis threatens
As huge as the USA is, its political tendencies and interests are as diverse. What unites many US citizens, however, is their interest in being actively involved in political processes.
Voter turnout could break record
In the past midterm elections in 2018, every second person went to the polls, which doesn’t seem like much by European standards. But in the US, there were more people than ever before. Turnout could be even higher this year.
Because a positive side effect of the blatant polarization is that it mobilizes, creates enthusiasm and arouses interest in substantive politics, for example the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn the nationwide right to abortion.
Trump on the 2024 candidacy: “I will very, very, very likely do it again”
The party donation system in the US may be in dire need of reform, but the fact is that millions of people in the US can have a say on a very small, local level: through school boards, community centers, grassroots campaigns, a small donation to their candidate.
Political volunteering is low-threshold and much more widespread than in Germany – and people like to use it.
Also listen to our podcast Today US Special: American Foreign Policy and Its Implications for Europe
The tableau of the candidates for this year’s Midterms is also diverse, for both parties. Changing careers is part of the American model. Also because people in the “hire-and-fire” mentality are forced to reinvent themselves. Many applicants for offices and mandates have not had the classic party career behind them, have neither attended an elite university nor were they born rich.
The field of candidates is more diverse than ever: there are more women, Hispanics and blacks on the ballot papers than ever before. The US Congress is still totally outdated, but something is changing.
At the end of the day, US democracy is only as strong as the people who support it – and at least that foundation is still strong.
More: Trump fuels speculation about renewed candidacy