R: Politics Should be Boring

In America today, politics can seem inescapable. From the 24-hour news cycle and the army of angry, cynical pundits screaming at one another about an offhand comment from a semi-celebrity-status political player to the spectacle that is the modern political debate and near-euphoria that comes with seeing your side win decisively, one thing is clear: politics in America is not boring. But should it be? This week we will consider how each individual should conceive of proper political engagement and the form politics should take in America by debating Resolved: Politics Should Be Boring.

There’s quite a lot to be said in favor of shifting politics in America from the sensationalized, editorialized mess that it is into something much more “boring.” Boring is not meant to imply unimportant but rather a political scene that doesn’t make as many demands of the average voter to take up arms and manifest radical action. Politics and the art and science of policymaking is probably best left to the individuals who have studied and participated in politics long enough to be considered experts. This is not to say that democracy should be downplayed, but rather that the deliberative aspect of nearly requiring each person to have an opinion, express that opinion, and value each opinion equally should be dispelled. Politics should be the realm of reason and logical argumentation, of procedure and perhaps boring change over time.

On the other hand, the idea of relinquishing the role of idealism and not fiercely encouraging political participation seems contrary to the ideas of liberal democracy. How can our society claim to be the product of rich democratic contributions by all if politics is some boring, minor elements of the lives of the citizens? Additionally, with deemphasizing political engagement in society, there would seem to be more potential for corruption and the creation of a political aristocracy or oligarchy. This possibility is unacceptable. Certainly, appeals to emotion are not the right way for politicians to engage with society and stir up engagement by the populace, but we shouldn’t do anything to discourage political interest in our society. Politics shouldn’t be boring because it is instrumental in maintaining our society and can only flourish with robust interest and engagement.

This debate forces us to grapple with many nuanced questions and considerations. To what extent is emotion helpful/harmful for the political process? What duty do average citizens not directly involved in the political process have to engage with political rhetoric/activity? Is it possible for our representative democracy to remain strong and uncorrupt if our society was less interested in politics? What amount of scholarship/experience is necessary to make an individual “qualified” to act/organize politically? What metric should we use in determining the value of political opinion?