The Worst Aspect of American Politics

The worst aspect of the American political system is the lack of trust in the government by the American people. The citizens have no faith in the elected of appointed officials, and most of the time, it is for good reason. In March of 2006, the presidential approval rate for George W. Bush was down to 45 percent according to CNN. Even more dismaying is the Huffington Post’s August 2006 report of Bush’s approval rate by the American youth. Only 20% of the country’s population under the age of 18 trusts the president. This statistic should prove a very important point: If the people, especially the youth who will make up the next group of politicians, law makers, and citizens, do not have faith in their government, the nation will suffer for years to come. People do want to trust the government, especially with the rise in patriotism after the September 11 attacks. It is a crucial time for people to believe in their government.

There is blame to be placed on both the United States government and its citizens for the current situation. Citizens are not informed about what is truly going on. There are press conferences, news briefings, and occasional State of the Union addresses, but the media spin has warped the minds of so many people, increasing the gap between conservatives and liberals; politicians and American citizens. The government is also not always forthcoming with the truth, however. There have been many times in the last few years in which the President, Secretary of State, of other member of the government has said one thing, and done the polar opposite. There is no wonder why so many people question the current administration. Especially with all of the internal changes and resignations, the government does not seem stable at times.