Just Another Opinion

Spoiler: it’s not.

Photo by Luke Zhang on Unsplash

It’s only August of Trump’s second term, and already the air feels heavy, like we’re living under a sky that has forgotten how to clear. As Americans, we’re supposed to hope for the best, strive for safety, and squint toward stability no matter who occupies the Oval Office.

But realistically, what happens when social pressures build against the very Americans who ushered in this new era, especially if things turn sour abroad and at home?

Pew Research indicates that Americans still possess some knowledge of their government, although not extensive. Sixty-eight percent can tell you how House seats are apportioned, two-thirds know which party controls Congress, and just under half remember how long a senator serves. By the time you get to who decides the presidency in a tied Electoral College, you’re down to 40%. Older folks ace the quiz, but my cohort shrugs.

These numbers are depressing, sure, but they barely scratch the surface of what Americans do (or don’t) know about their government. Ask who’s to blame for January 6, and you’ll get a buffet: Pelosi, Trump, Fox News, the FBI, the deep state, take your pick. Meanwhile, the congressional hearings, which spelled out culpability in technicolor, have already drifted into the fog. It’s showmanship, not qualification, that has been the American ballot test for a generation now.