Expecting the Best

When I was a child, I heard swear words associated with President Nixon's name so often, I might have assumed that Nixon's first name was directions to the abyss. My parents and family were never shy in criticizing our resigning president. I think that was a turning point in politics. People my age grew up believing that corruption and politics go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly. Obviously, certain politicians, like Mr. Nixon, made that association difficult to avoid. Unfortunately, though, they made the stereotype almost universal.

Recently, I was speaking with a friend about the action of a City Councilor. He said sneeringly that the councilor was "pushing forward his own personal agenda." I thought that was odd. After all, don't we elect politicians to push forward their agendas?

Mostly, though, it was evidence to me that, no matter what politicians do these days, someone will ascribe a sinister motivation. I don't think that times were always like that. There was a time when politicians, like teachers and doctors, were admired. They were viewed as men (almost always) who chose paths that enabled them to serve their community and improve the lives of citizens. Of course, politics has always had a nasty side. From the days of our founding fathers, there have been accusations of corruption, seedy implications of depravity. But the presumption that all actions of a politician are driven only by selfish motives and personal gain is something new.

Because we all expect that politicians are corrupt, no one is surprised when our assumptions are confirmed. And then we start making excuses for the politicians we like, while condemning those we don't. We argue that one politician's actions are excusable because "all politicians do that" or that "the media is just out to get him/her" instead of simply acknowledging that a bad act is a bad act.

There is a theory in Sociology called the "Labeling Theory" that says that people tend to become that which they are continually labeled. I wonder if our assumptions of corruption in politics are becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why would a decent, concerned citizen want to take on a job that is full of crooks and liars? Why would a politician choose the right path if he were convinced everyone else was breaking the law?

I believe that for our country to properly function, we must elevate our opinions of politicians. Don't get me wrong—a healthy skepticism of our elected officials is a good thing. But a complete loss of faith in the people who run our country will devastate our democracy. Totalitarian governments don't need trust—they rule by fear and power. But Democracy can only work when people have faith in their government. After all, democracy requires intelligent debate and acceptance of the will of the people. It requires a belief that, even when you disagree with a decision of government, you accept its legitimacy. It is one thing to believe that a government act was poorly conceived; quite another to believe it was criminal.

Of course, our politicians can certainly make it difficult for us to hold them in esteem. They frequently remind me of my young, fighting sons. Yet, with my sons, I would never think of stooping to their level, jumping into the fights, and excusing the name calling or hitting because they all do it. Instead, I let them know that I expect better of them, all of them. Perhaps it's time that we the voters become the parents, by assuming the best in our politicians, that even when they make mistakes, they are only trying to do what they think is right. Perhaps if we all assumed better of our elected officials, we could return to a time when politicians worked together to accomplish things, instead of constantly trying to denigrate opposing sides.