A Politician's True Beliefs are displayed during a Crisis

A politician's true beliefs are displayed during a crisis.

Describe a specific situation in which a politician's true beliefs might not be displayed during a crisis. Discuss what you think determines whether or not a crisis will bring out a politician's true beliefs.
___

Recent polls show that Congress hit record-low approval ratings. In addition to its inability to reverse the economic woes of the country, our nation's politicians appear to put politics above working across party lines to solve problems. Indeed, voters elect these politicians to move the nation forward in the right direction; they cannot make decisions, however, on a timely and sound manner if hindered by red tape and fighting across the aisle. While it may take politicians a seemingly long time to accomplish certain tasks, the occurrence of a national crisis forces them to think quickly and make decisions in a more timely manner. In this case, a politician's true beliefs are often displayed during a crisis.

In the case of a national crisis, people's lives and money are put at stake. Politicians find themselves under increased pressure to alleviate the situation and return the nation to "good times." Indeed, during a crisis, the priorities of politicians--particularly their need to get re-elected-- are revealed by their decisions regarding fund appropriation. For example, after Hurricane Katrina, key decisionmakers were chastised for their slow reaction to the crisis. Only the media and its images of people in dire situations forced action. The victims of Hurricane Katrina--largely poor and black-- did not constitute a population that had political clout and some have noted that this reality influenced the type of federal response to the disaster.

The ongoing economic crisis of the nation has also highlighted the politicians' overwhelming wish to maintain power. Given the growing deficit, Congress has been forced to make huge cuts to spending and also find ways to generate new revenue. The Democrat and Republican platforms on how to solve the deficit problem reveal how political pandering to constituents has been prioritized over working together to reach sustainable solutions. While the Democrats prioritize entitlements and extending unemployment benefits, the Republicans insist on maintaining tax cuts for the rich. These platforms do not show per se that Democrats empathize with the plight of the poor and that Republican think that only the rich should be taken into account. They do reveal, however, that both parties push policies that help them gain votes and maintain support from their likely constituencies.

At times, a politician's true beliefs might not be displayed during the beginning of national crisis. This was especially seen in the couple of weeks following 9/11. The overwhelming shock experienced by the nation as a whole unified citizens and it seemed as if everyone put aside their politics and differences. Americans saw themselves as being attacked by a common enemy and realized that they needed to support all of the administration's efforts to protect them from future terrorist acts. Politicians also reflected this national unity and seemed averse to political squabbles during such a sensitive moment. Once the dust settled, however, politicians returned to their partisan bickering and politics as usual.

In general, national crises reveal where politicians' priorities lie--that is, the intense need to be re-elected. These crises often involve taking action in a quick manner by deciding who receives help and resources. It would be ideal for our nation's leaders to make decisions based on what is best for the nation as a whole. However, their political survival entails pleasing constituents and formulating arguments in a way that "appears" to be in the best interest for the nation.