Voters Want to be Heard

Earlier this week I overheard a Member of Congress say that he was approached by two members of the Tea Party, one older who expressed concern that Medicare Advantage would be cut and one younger who wanted unemployment benefits extended. The Congressman was clearly frustrated that these constituents both wanted smaller government (his assumption about the point of the Tea Party) and wanted their big-government programs protected. The Congressman’s consternation is understandable, and is based on a flawed assumption about the Tea Party.

The first important caveat is that there is no single Tea Party, no agreed upon manifesto or platform. Tea Party members have a range of ideas and ideologies, got involved in local organizations for a variety of reasons and have different goals for their organizations.

To the extent there is a unifying theme it is not one of policy but rather of process. Members of the Tea Parties around the country share a frustration that Congress and Washington seem out of touch with the challenges facing America’s families. There is a sense that elected officials spend more time sniping at each other than solving the problems of their voters, Congress appears to care more about political points than solutions. And when solutions are developed they are often seen as being the result of insider deals or political trades rather than based on what will most benefit voters. Politics appears to be a game rigged for politicians rather than a means of addressing shared challenges.

Tea Party members are not alone in this. Everyone wants “a seat at the table” and their “day in court.” Most of us are more likely to accept outcomes with which we disagree if we have had a say in those outcomes, we want a decision making process that takes us and our ideas seriously. We distrust and loathe a process that seems rigged or contrived behind closed doors.

While we all want to be listened to, it is more important that we believe we have been heard.