We have previously talked about how politicians focus on education and healthcare. But also, politicians focus on the economy during an election. Whether this is right or wrong is subject for debate, but why do politicians do this?
Often, politicians focus on the economy as it is both a tangible and intangible thing. People can see the benefits of a strong economy, and will want to vote for the party that says “We did that!” Whereas, no one wants to vote during a recession, and especially not for the party who they blame.
Both sides use the economy to their advantage. During a boom, both parties talk about how it was them, and them alone that brought us into this age. And remind us that this will continue if they are allowed into power again.
But, during a recession, or a slump in the economy, both sides will focus on why it isn’t their fault that the recession is here. They often use this, as once again, people feel the effects of a recession.
It’s no secret that people lose their jobs during a recession. Both parties see that. It’s just that generally the left takes advantage of this, by playing their “Man of the people” persona, in order to get votes.
However, this is not the real reason why politicians focus on the economy. The real reason is power.
Why does the economy impact power?
It’s not just that the economic climate can influence elections. Often in booms, the conservative parties come to power, whilst in the recessions, the socialist parties come to power.
But it’s that it represents a significant threat for the maintenance of power for the political parties at stake. Whilst the left is happy to slam the right for being greedy or for causing the recession in the first place, they don’t do much to fix it.
This is because, they know what happens if they go too far. Businesses go abroad. The richest people go abroad. Confidence decreases and the economic impact is worsened.
If this happens, the people demand more change. Something that no socialist government would be able to do at this point, just short of becoming communist.
And when they cannot fulfill that demand, the people will demand another election. Something that it would be almost unheard of not to do.
To which the opposite party would win, due to the fact that their politicians focus on the economy, and how they can fix it.
The people would demand change, something the newly elected party had chosen. Yet it is all lies, or at least perceived lies.
Again, the newly elected party will be powerless to fully carry out their promises. Even if what they carry out is better economically speaking than what they’d said.
Again, the people will call for another election. Again, politicians focus on the economy in the election in order to get votes. But neither of the two biggest parties will win, rather, some smaller, less experienced party will win.
On a new high, this new party will do what the people ask of it. They will introduce a wealth tax, they will increase corporation tax, they will do just about anything to appease the people.
And people will love it!
That euphoria will continue into the next election. Where the new party’s politicians focus on the economy, and how they have served the people, doing everything the people have asked of them.
Again, they will be re-elected. And it will be the beginning of the end for the two, previously dominant parties.
The economy is truly the lifeline of politicians. Whenever politicians want to get votes, win a war, or focus on the economy.
Either way, people like it. It’s either an increase in national pride and prestige, or an increase in their incomes. And that is something people tend to listen to!
It’s often that politics and economic growth go hand in hand! A stable political climate leads to a stable economic one, and vice versa! But, I digress…
Many people say that this, alongside focusing on education and healthcare is bad as it plays at the age old game of class warfare. Where the richest and poorest in society fight against one another, rather than together!
Politicians focus on the economy- good or bad?
Personally, I would say that it is one of the better metrics to use. Regular people can see economic growth or downturn. Whereas something like the happiness index is not necessarily beneficial, as people can’t always see it!
(Without researching it, which has it’s own difficulties!)
A politicians can simply pull out a graph showing economic growth in the past X amount of years, or a graph on unemployment. And people can see it.
As the old adage goes “Seeing in believing”
The same is when politicians focus on the economy during an election.
However, others will argue that it is indeed a poor thing for politicians to focus on. Not only is it divisive, in that it turns the ‘ones who have’ against the ‘have nots’.
It also a poor metric at it can be misconstruen. It is famously said that:
There are only two types of lies: the blatant ones and facts and statistics!
Unemployment is the best example of this. Employment (and thus unemployment) isn’t measured by the amount of working age adults who pay tax, or something similar.
But in fact, it is measured by a survey done to a small portion of the country. Or, it is measured by those who are receiving unemployment benefits, which isn’t necessarily everyone who is unemployed.
For this reason, unemployment graphs are usually considered to be unreliable and biased.
It is for these reasons why people believe that it immoral when politicians focus on the economy. However, the answer is truly down to you.
But, remember this. No matter what politicians will tell you, we will always have peaks, and we will always have recessions. It’s just how the markets work.
Why else do you politicians focus on the economy? Should politicians focus on the economy or not? Tell me in the comments!