What single word or phrase was most common in Americans’ top descriptions of the current state of politics
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, your big brain, the information provided and any links below:
The circle size indicates the frequency of the use of the word to describe American politics. What single word or phrase was most common (i.e., the largest bubble) in Americans’ top descriptions of the current state of politics.
65% of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. Just 4% of U.S. adults say the political system is working extremely or very well. What one word or phrase would you would use to describe of the current state of politics in the U.S. these days? Please enter your answer in the comments section below.
When asked to sum up their feelings about politics in a word or phrase, very few (2%) use positive terms; 79% use negative or critical words, with “divisive” and “corrupt” coming up most frequently. How many of the most frequent words or phrases listed above to describe the current state of politics in the U.S. were positive, and how many of them do you generally agree describe the current state of politics in the U.S.?
Based on the most frequent words or phrases use by respondents, summarize in a sentence or two, the current state of politics in the U.S. these days.
It appears that the United States government may be headed towards another government shutdown. What is another political consequence of the public’s opinion about the current state of politics in the U.S.
Since the end of his first summer in office, President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have been underwater (that is, his disapproval has been greater than his approval - which is bad). Less than a month into his presidency, Donald Trump’s approval ratings went underwater and stayed there for the remainder of his term in office. Draw a conclusion connecting the lack of recent presidential popularity (from either party) and the words used by Americans to describe the current state of politics.
I’m going to pretend that the word Americans used to describe the current state of politics in the U.S. these days which is listed as S - - T is SWAT. Do you agree with me? Now, imagine you were a delegate to the Constitutional Convention meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 to create a new Constitution to address the flaws of the Articles of Confederation. What do you think would have been the most frequent words or phrases used by delegates (Anti-Federalists and Federalists, alike) to describe the state of politics in the U.S.
In Federalist No. 51, (which I hope you have read by now) James Madison (O.G.) wrote, “But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.” As you may have realized, “men” (people) are not angels and neither is the government, which after all, is made up of “men.” What did James Madison propose to try to make the government work better despite how devilish “men” can be.
In 20023, 16% of Americans reported that they trust the government to do what is best just about always or most of the time. Americans are also highly polarized. That is, Americans on both sides of the political spectrum are moving more towards extremes and less towards the middle. More than eight-in-ten Americans (86%) say the following is a good description of politics: “Republicans and Democrats are more focused on fighting each other than on solving problems.” Explain how political polarization (extremism) relates to to Americans’ top descriptions of the current state of politics.
Asked to describe in their own words the biggest problem with the political system, 22% of Americans volunteer partisan polarization (a move away from the center to either extreme of the political spectrum) or lack of partisan cooperation. Only critiques of politicians (31%) are mentioned more frequently. If you had to describe the biggest problem with our political system what would you say it is:
Learning Extension
Read this Pew Research Center report: Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics.
Action Extension
Ask 10 people what single word or phrase they would use to describe the current state of politics. Share the responses in class then make a class poster of the responses and put it up on the whiteboard, on the classroom wall, or in the hallway. And fight negativity by registering to Vote!
Visual Extension
