IS POLITICS A REFLECTION OF OUR SOCIETY?

By Ruma Dubey

Did the chicken come first or the egg? That’s the relation of politics and society – each creates the other.

Politics permeates every aspect of our lives. The freedom of thought and expression, the spirit to innovate and discover, technological and medical breakthroughs; all aspects that shape a society are a consequence of the political leader we choose. Voters usually choose the political parties who best represent them; it is their preferences that shape politics.

Barrack Obama made history in 2008. People wanted a change and Obama promised them the end of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, putting in place the much needed universal health insurance plan. It was a consensus for a changing ideology just as they voted back a very polarizing President Trump in 2016.

Another overwhelming representation of people’s choice was Narendra Modi in India. Apart from a weak incumbent, people had voted for development, uninterrupted power and water, employment, good roads. The victory of Justin Trudeau in Canada, a Liberal, toppling a Conservative Stephen Harper was indicative of changing behaviors and attitudes. Canada prides itself on being a multi-cultural, inclusive country. Harper was trying to break down this very ideology with his hard line on taking in Syrian refuges and opposing Muslim woman wearing the niqab.

In many countries as electorates get younger, liberal ideologies are becoming the norm. These cultural shifts reflect the way a society thinks and forms an evolving consensus. Nonetheless, politics does not just follow the public; politicians can also lead in new directions. Legalisation of homosexuality and abortion, abolition of the death penalty were undertaken despite public majorities against the changes. David Cameron, Prime Minister of UK, legalized same-sex marriages despite being the leader of a Conservative party. The death of a pregnant Indian woman in Ireland, due to denial of abortion led to a change in law.

It is not always that politicians and politics reflects society – that happens only in a well-functioning society. But in societies where there is turmoil, we witness crises of representation. Fintan O’Toole said it right, “Power lies only in part with elected governments, whether in London, Edinburgh or even Washington. It also lies with global corporations, with media monopolies, with unaccountable oligarchies, with mighty financial industries immune even to their own reckless follies.” Russia in many ways is a dysfunctional society and Putin acts more as a facilitator where large business empires have been built on the back of connections with Putin.

When a society goes out-of-balance, people revolt, change the leadership; sometimes it works and other times, fails. The Arab Spring was a huge success in Tunisia which has a functional elected assembly in place but the same revolt in Egypt has left the country in further turmoil. The Scots voted for a “No” when it came to the referendum though leaders there were all for a “Yes”.  In Greece, Alexis Tsipras was elected for his anti-austerity promises but on seeking bailouts, the Greek are back on austerities as prescribed by the EU.

Thus it is ideas or ideologies of people and not economic factors alone, which shape a society. Thus political change is inevitable – what is ‘Right’ today could be ‘Left’ tomorrow. Politicians might impose their biases on the society and for some time, it could go off balance. Eventually though, it is the will of the people which will prevail. Politics, almost always is a reflection of the society!