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| It could be you..., not if you're parents got anything to do with it!! |
With congress habitually
posting depressingly low approval numbers and the almost pathological American tradition
of not trusting government never mind their public representatives, it’s no
wonder why according to a poll published by Gallup that two
thirds of the
American public would advise their children not to choose politics as a profession[1].
Politicians are rarely the most popular section of society in any country as they are infamous for making promises they can’t keep and are seen to be interested only in their own self-interest rather than the larger interests of the people they are supposed to represent. However, while the numbers look quite conclusive on the surface, a closer look at them reveals some interesting insights. Men are more likely to see their child in politics than women, democrats as well as independents are more likely prepared to see their children enter politics than their republican counterparts but when the factor of race is brought into the picture, the numbers fluctuate.
While 26% of white parents
would like to see their son get into politics, an incredible 42% of Nonwhite
parents would like to see their son represent their fellow citizens in public office
and 45% would like their daughters to do the same[2].
There are many reasons why non-white parents would like to see their children
in public office but the most obvious would be that non-whites are minorities
and the need for political representation is dearer.
A surface deep reading of
American history would explain why nonwhites are prepared to see their
offspring in public office given the well documented effects and consequences
in the past of not having any. While the “non-white” bracket describes a number
of group with varying experiences in the American story, the common denominator
between these different ethnic conclaves is that all these group at one point
or another have suffered for having no
real political representation with the experience of African-Americans serving as a prime example.
In sum, in the land of the free
and the home of the brave, you can be anything you want to be but if you’re
planning of becoming a politician, expect to pursue politics with parental
disapproval as a given.
[1] Gallup,
2013, In US, 64% Want Their Child to Avoid Career in Politics, http://www.gallup.com/home.aspx
[2]
Ibid
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