Why Populism In On The Rise In The US And How To Address Political Decay

I have posted a quote from an article by Francis Fukuyama which is in the current issue of Foreign Affairs.  You can read the full article by registering at Foreign Affairs at no cost.  The quote below summarizes the article but the details are informative.  Fukuyama argues that both of our political parties have largely ignored white working class voters.  Moreover, the political system has become so dysfunctional that it will be hard for either party to do what is needed to rebuild a political system that has been captured by elites in both parties.

“Populism” is the label that political elites attach to policies supported by ordinary citizens that they don’t like. There is of course no reason why democratic voters should always choose wisely, particularly in an age when globalization makes policy choices so complex. But elites don’t always choose correctly either, and their dismissal of the popular choice often masks the nakedness of their own positions. Popular mobilizations are neither inherently bad nor inherently good; they can do great things, as during the Progressive era and the New Deal, but also terrible ones, as in Europe during the 1930s. The American political system has in fact suffered from substantial decay, and it will not be fixed unless popular anger is linked to wise leadership and good policies. It is still not too late for this to emerge"