We can improve politics in America. Here’s how. | Ezra Klein | Big Think | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

We should focus more on state and local politics to improve our relationship with politics, as our political system is not built for a nationalized approach.

Key Insights

• 🥺 Nationalizing politics has led to a neglect of state and local politics.
• 🌍 The media's focus on national news has contributed to this nationalization and weakened local outlets.
• 📰 Consuming a healthy news diet, including state and local news, can help rebuild state and local political identities.
• 🌍 Involvement in local politics is often more impactful and fulfilling than engaging in national politics.
• 🤗 State and local representatives are more accessible and open to influence, unlike national-level politicians.
• ❓ Rebuilding state and local political identities can contribute to a healthier and more balanced political system.
• 🌍 State and local politics address specific needs and issues that national politics may overlook.

Transcript

I think the single healthiest thing most of us can do for our relationship with politics and for politics would be to de-emphasize our connection to national politics and re-emphasize our connection to state and local politics our political system is not built to be this nationalized one of the very powerful cross-cutting identities were supposed t... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why should we de-emphasize our connection to national politics?

De-emphasizing national politics can help build stronger state and local political identities and prevent the formation of two overwhelming factions. It allows for greater focus on the specific needs of states and cities.

Q: How can individuals be intentional about their informational ecosystem?

Individuals can reconstruct their news diet to include more state and local news. This can be done by subscribing to local newsletters, bookmarking local newspapers, and reducing reliance on nationalized social media for news consumption.

Q: How does getting involved in local politics differ from engaging in national politics?

Local politics involves organizing people in your community to make change, whereas national politics often involves social media rants. Working locally leads to quicker results, as local representatives are more accessible and responsive to constituents.

Q: Is it necessary to completely de-emphasize national news consumption?

De-emphasizing national news does not mean completely ignoring it. The suggestion is to have a more balanced approach, prioritizing state and local news while still staying informed about national issues.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• James Madison thought that state political identities would be more important than national identities, but history proved him wrong.

• The media's nationalization has weakened state and local outlets, leading to a lack of focus on state and local politics.

• To address this, individuals can be intentional about their informational ecosystem by consuming more state and local news and getting involved in local communities.