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Show P Tht Dc9y Thirty Wi dwonidt. Openings 1CT3 Bayne goodwin Adss enter views political system Here we are in the mkl&t of another exciting presidential election year. The television networks all hate their new Campaign '80 logos, reporting formats and musical themes. The citizenry is itching to manifest its political sotereigmy through the voting process that vitalises our democratic politic I system. Decision "80 is upon us. Do sou think that Carter or Reagan is the lesser evil? Is either one had enough to be worth voting against? Decision '80 is a tough one. That may sound cynical but all abdications aie that it is the view of millions of Americans. Only a slim majority of the eligible electorate continues to sole. Political scientists 'entire t that the iiercentage of independent voters will continue to grow at the evijense of the Democratic and Republican parties. As the 1980 primaries ik& wound down, political commentators reflected the widespread dissatisfaction and disgust with their results. Maybe there is something wrong with the primary system. What if primaries were held on a regional basis? Would they work better if they were scheduled in a brief time span? Talk of reforming the primary system has died down. The television political commentators have moved on to a more contest. pressing task: stirring interest in the Carter-ReagaPlaying around with the primary system wouldn't solve anything, anyway. The fundamental question is, "What's wrong with the political system?" Why is it that the campaigns and political processes seem so meaningless? Why do millions of Americans find participation in elections irrelevant to their lives? Why tan any old movie beat out the Democratic and Republican conventions with television viewers? 1K2TKD n SV5TKHS WSr somi Is democracy in crisis? One of the most powerful and inlluential groups in the country recently grappled with some of the problems facing the American political system. The Trilateral Commission, initiated by the directors of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1972, set out to answer the question, "Is democracy in crisis? Is political democracy, as it exists today, a viable form of government for the industrialized countries?" Zbigniew Brzezinski. then director of the Trilateral Commission, set up a "Task Force on the Governability of Democracy" in the spring ol 1974. The task force s study, entitled The Crisis of Democracy, was concluded and published in 1975. Samuel Huntington, professor of government at Harvard, wrote the section on the United States. Huntington's report focuses on a perplexing contradiction. While there has been "a dramatic renewal ol the democratic spirit. ..the spirit of protest, the spirit of equality, the impulse to expose and correct inequities," there has been a dramatic weakening of popular support for the government. There has been a democratic upsurge of all forms of citizen political activity except one: voting. The government and political system have less respect from the xpulace than ever before. "At the end of the 1950s for instance, about of the American people thought that their government was run primarily for the benefit of the people and only 17 percent three-quarte- rs fife v thought that it primarily responded to what "big interests" wanted. ..By the latter half of 1972. only 38 percent of the population thought that government was "run for the benefit of the people' and a majority of 53 x rent thought that it was 'run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.' "(The Crisis of Democracy, p.78). Too much democracy? a democratic Presumably, political system would benefit from increased citizen political activity. Paradoxically, the American political system had weakened as cilien xliiical activity grew. Contlnutd on pagt BAG Q ipnfi 'J We're the only bank downtown that offers free checking without a required minimum balance. Plain and simple, that saves you money. And we offer a lot of other services that will keep you saving at Empire State Bank. Longer bank hours 8:30-6:- 00 every weekday. A convenient location with plenty of free parking. Friendly employees. And of course other services like: check guarantee and Visa Card, savings accounts, loans, and much more. Bank-by-ma- il, 123 E. 2ND SOUTH S.L.C.UT Member FDlC r (.y4TrieJi, . " A 555 ' Thlrty-o- o |
