Insights Nov 16 2024 by Cardus Insights

David Brooks’s analysis of the US election on the Conversing podcast seems as helpful as any I’ve encountered. He offers a three-part explanation for “what just happened in America.” Superficially, affordability and inflation issues caused voters to reject the incumbent government as other electorates have done around the world. This takes place in a context in which there is a class divide among educated elites and less-educated rural and suburban voters who believe the systems are not working for them. At a more profound level, Brooks suggests that our low-trust, high-anxiety climate, which creates social isolation and a growing mental health crisis, adds a spiritual layer to our present moment. Taken together, affordability issues, a class divide, and existential uncertainty are three ingredients of a voting cocktail that certainly has changed the flavour of American politics.