Campaign season is finally over. No more political ads on TV. No more newspaper columns filled with campaign rhetoric and name-calling. We can let out a sigh of relief as the events leading up to the first Tuesday of November are at last over.
However, this momentary absence of bipartisan bickering will be brief, as the presidential bids for the 2008 election will undoubtedly soon develop, and political feuds between prospective candidates will once again ensue.
It is a never-ending cycle that, believe it or not, is good for citizens and further shows that the political system of the United States does work, not always efficiently, but nevertheless effectively.
Because Congressional elections occur every two years, average citizens are forced to stay on top of political issues. Power continually lies within the hands of the people as they elect the best candidate to represent them.
Election season, and the ridiculous amount of political campaigning that accompanies it, is the perfect way to keep people involved and in touch with the political and societal aspects of our government. It forces candidates to make proposals and create initiatives that will upstage the opposing candidate within the eyes of eligible voters.
Candidates ignite conversation through campaign trails and political rallies, forcing the public to think about the issues and decide which candidate best serves their interests.
Essentially, the Congressional election process is the catalyst that creates change in policies and shifts in ideological thinking. If there was only one political party and if there were no elections, very little would ever change in terms of governmental policies. There would be no reason to address citizens, as politicians would be in power regardless of what the people think.
Such a scenario would not be a democracy; therefore, the fact that political campaigns dominated all mediums of public discourse over recent weeks should be lauded as a testament to our successful government. UW-Madison political science professor John Coleman agreed.
""Although people love to hate them, there's a reason televised campaign ads are popular among candidates: They work,"" he said. ""They get a message out efficiently. They introduce voters to a candidate.""
Yet, for a candidate to win over voters, he or she has little choice but to revert to political mind games, namely that of attacking the opposing candidate. Hardly a noble act by our country's elite, but nonetheless an effective campaign mechanism.
Instead of focusing on what a candidate did or plans to do while in office, a large portion of a political campaign is spent criticizing the opposing candidate's previous decisions and votes. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Coleman.
""Negative advertising may just mean that candidate A is commenting on the flaws in candidate B's record,"" he said. ""Would candidate B volunteer that information for us? Unlikely.""
Therein lies the very thing that makes our political system so great: The two-party system forces candidates to remain honest and make decisions they feel are in the best interest of the public.
Otherwise, they risk losing support from a disgruntled political base. Due to this, the government can never become too strong or too politically one-sided, as voters always have the final say on who deserves to stay in office.
People gripe and complain about our current democratic system, yet the very ability to complain about that governmental system is an attribute to a democracy.So break from campaign advertisements and overall lack of political influences while you can. It will not be long before another election season is upon us.
When that time comes again, relish it rather than hate it, as campaigns are essential in keeping the government balanced and the general population informed.
