The Pros And Cons Of The 2014 Congressional Elections

The United States had an election on November 4, 2014. This election had the lowest voter turnout since World War II. During World War II, people had an excuse not to vote, as a lot of people were fighting overseas. There was no war this time. Americans, frustrated with the state of our democracy, just gave up on the political process. The main problem with elections today, or at least a problem worthy of being put on the top ten list, is the cynicism that plagues American politics.

Americans are cynical because, they sense their vote won't change anything. More specifically, Americans feel that their elected representatives will just listen to the interests of the top 1%. There is some truth to this. The 2014 Congressional Elections were some of the most expensive in American history. According to the Center for American Progress, $721 Million was spent by the fossil fuels industry alone, yet 53% of Americans are worried about the consequences of climate change. The money isn't representing the interests of the average American. Most Americans look at this and they think, "Why

According to Sean Theriault, a political science professor at the University of Texas, congress is more divided than ever before. The 113th congress, a Republican-controlled congress, lead the U.S. into a government shutdown, estimated to have cost the economy $24 billion. Instead of working with Democrats on key issues, the GOP pursued a detrimental shutdown, in order to reiterate their hatred of Obamacare. The governing style, or lack thereof, of the GOP has been to spite the president and other Democrats. This has come at the expense of the American people, who now sense that congress is now more interested in bickering than working on important issues such as income inequality, immigration reform, and climate