a call to action · a call to action in the age of hyper-partisanship and divisiveness ......
TRANSCRIPT
A Call To Action
In the age of hyper-partisanship and divisiveness
Rich Zacaroli Sacramento, CA
Thequestions,andthechallenge…• WhatdoAmericansreallythinkaboutthemostpressingissuesof
ourtime,accordingtothemostreliablesourcesofinformation?
• HowdoweasAmericancitizensdistillandmakesenseofthebombardmentofinformationandopinionwegeteverydayinthecableTVandinternetage?
• Howcanweasvoters-the“ultimaterulers”ofourgreatnation-
shapeafuturethatwecanprosperin,cherishandproudlyleavetofuturegenerations?
• Twoquestionsforyou?– Whatwouldkeepyoufromvotingin2020?– Whatwouldincentivizeyoutovotein2020?
Aboutme…• 42yearsofmanagementexperienceintheaerospacesectorfocusedonimaging
technologiesforspace,defense,andcommercialapplicationsinagriculture,foodprocessingandproductqualityassurance
– HeldmanagementpositionsinFinance,Strategy,Development,Marketing,Operations– ExperienceinsmallandFortune500businesses– Leada$50Mprivately-ownedengineeringandmanufacturingcompany– ExpatriatedtoEuropefor9yearstodevelopandgrowbusinessinEurope,MiddleEastandNorth
Africa• Havetransactedbusinessinover30countriesinEurope,NorthAfrica,MiddleEast,
SouthAmericaandAsia–havevisitedover50countriesintotal• HeldU.S.GovernmentandNATOsecurityclearances• 4yearsintheU.S.AirForce• Education:
– BachelorofSciencedegreeinBusiness,AccountingandEconomicsmajor– MasterofBusinessAdministrationdegree–ChangeManagementCertificate– Managementcoursework–DimensionsofLeadership,LeanPractitionerCertified,SixSigma
Greenbelt,ISO9000certificationexperience• 30yearsofNGOBoardGovernanceExperienceandCivicEngagement
– ServedonnumerousboardsofdirectorsintheBanking(CreditUnion),CulturalExchange,InternationalEducationandCommunityDevelopmentsectors
• ActiveinRotaryInternational–Foundationchair• Blendedfamilywith5children(allgrown)and12grandchildren
Sourcesofinformationcitedinthispresentation
PewResearch-https://www.pewresearch.org RealClearPolitics-https://www.realclearpolitics.com Gallup-https://www.gallup.com/home KFF(PollsonNationalHealthIssues)-https://www.kff.org
TransamericaCenterforHealthStudies-www.transamericacenterforhealthstudies.org/ U.S.CensusBureau-https://www.census.gov/ NPR-https://www.npr.org/tags/152255668/public-opinion AdFontesMedia-https://www.adfontesmedia.com/ BloombergData-https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/product/market-data/
Most of us can probablyagreeononething-thatwe are stuck in a hyper-partisan gridlock thatprevents us as a nationfrom addressing andr e so l v ing the mos timportant issues thataffectournation’sfuture
HowweasU.S.citizensviewourcountry
EconomicRecessions
SatisfactionwiththeTrajectoryoftheU.S.GallupPollupdatedonOctober13,2019
Lowestsatisfactionofanynon-recessionaryperiodinpast40years
WehavelittlefaithinourGovernmentinstitutions,andhavelongbelievedthatthedirectionofourcountryisonthewrongtrack
HowweasU.S.citizensviewourcountry
Compilationof5pollsupdatedon11/6/2019
Compilationof8pollsupdatedon11/6/2019
Theenvironment
ThemajorityofAmericansfeeltheGovernmentisdoingtoolittletoprotecttheenvironmentWehavelongbelievedthattheenvironmentshouldeventakepriorityovereconomicgrowth!Peopleundertheageof30aremostconcernedabouttheenvironment
Healthcare
ThemajorityofAmericansbelieveassuringthatallAmericanshavehealthcareistheresponsibilityofourGovernment
OnlyasmallpercentageofGenZandMillennialgroupshaveanegativeimpressionoftheAffordableCareAct(ACA)–knownas“Obamacare”
Immigration
ThemajorityofAmericansbelievethatimmigrationstrengthensthecountry
Youngervotersmoststronglyfeelthatimmigrationstrengthensourcountry
ReproductiveHealthPolicy
BasedonanAugust,2019PewResearchstudy,mostAmericansthinkabortionshouldremainlegal
Viewsonabortionareverymuchfaith-based
GunControl ThegreatmajorityofAmericansfavormorestringentguncontrolYoungercitizensinparticularwantstrictergunlaws
Source:NPRPublicOpinionPoll
Youngercitizenshaveadditionalincentivetobecomemoreinvolvedinthelegislativeprocessatthenational,stateandlocallevels
Despitebeingmoreeducatedthananygenerationbefore,theyarenotsharingintheAmericandreamTheaveragenetworthinyounghouseholdshasdeclinedinrealdollars
Homeownershiprateshavedeclinedsharplyinagegroups44andunder
Studentloansarethefastestgrowingsegmentofhouseholddebt
If we as Americans agree on so many key issues, then why are we stuck in hyper-partisan gridlock?
What is wrong when we cannot make progress on issues that a majority of Americans agree on?
TheinformationmediaintheageofcableTVandinternetplaysakeyroleinthehyper-partisanenvironmentwelivein
Mostwatchedcablenetworkin2018
ThetraditionalsourcesofnewsbeforecableTVandinternetareclusteredinthissector–neutralandfactreporting
Thirdmostwatchedcablenetworkin2018
Nearly1800individualarticlesandTVnewsshowswereratedbyatleastthreeanalystswithdifferentpoliticalviews(left,rightandcenter))-FordetailedratingsmethodologyandrubricsvisittheAdFonteswebsite:
https://www.adfontesmedia.com/how-ad-fontes-ranks-news-sources/
Americans’trustinthenewsmediahassteadilydeclined,despitearecentuptick,andisclearlydividedoverpartisanlinesThemostobjectiveandunbiasednewsoutletsarenolongerthemosttrusted!
A well-informed electorate must pursue balanced sources of news and information upon which to base voting decisions, and listen to both sides of an argument
Overthepast8yearsU.S.Congressionaljobapprovalhasconsistentlyaveragedbetween10%and20%
Yetwe,thevoters,repeatedlyreelectthesamepeoplewho,asagoverningbody,>80%ofusdisapproveof!
2%
10%
25%
32%
29%
Stronglyapprove
Somewhatapprove
Neitherapproveordisapprove
Somewhatdisapprove
Stronglydisapprove
TheCongressionaljobapprovalscoreamong18-34yearoldsisevenlowerthanthenationalaverageat12%
NBC/Univ.ofChicagopollJanuary2018
18-34yearoldsbelievethatacandidate’spositionontheissuesisthemostimportantfactorintheirvotingdecision
TheNBCNews/GenForwardattheUniversityofChicagoSurveywasconductedJanuary,2018amongadultsages18-34,recruitedandadministeredbyNORCattheUniversityofChicago.
Themajorityof18-34yearoldsbelievetheyhavetheskillsandknowledgetoparticipateinthepoliticalarena…
…andtheybelievethat,byparticipatinginthepoliticalarena,theycanmakeadifference
Yetthe18-34agegroupthathasthemostatstakeintheissuesvotestheleast,andallowthosewhohavetheleastatstaketodecidetheirfuture!
Althoughvoterturnoutamong18-34yearoldswashigherin2018thananytimeinthelast20years,itwasstillmuchlowerthananyotheragegroup
80millionAmericansaged18-34combinedrepresentthelargesteligiblevotingblockgoingintothe2020elections
Each10%incrementalincreaseinvoterturnoutfor18-34yearoldswouldequalnearly8millionvotesThemargininthelasteightpresidentialelectionshasbeen8.2millionvotesorless
ThebalanceofvotingpowerisshiftingtoMillennialandGenZvoters!
Wecanfixthis–acalltoaction!ü Vote for change!
ü Become familiar with the voting records of your senators and congressional representatives
https://www.govtrack.usü Start with the primaries to remove incumbents who are ineffective, non-
collaborative or divisive – don’t wait until the general election when the choice may be binary
ü Advocate for national and local candidates who share a united and flourishing world view and care about the most important issues impacting our futureü The environment, health care, immigrationü America’s standing as a world leader morally, ethically and socially
ü The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, not truth in speechü Get news from multiple sources, including traditional sourcesü Knowledge is key to recognizing facts from opinion, hyperbole and fabrications
damaging to the public discourseü Think for ourselves, and don’t let punditry drive our beliefs
ü Engage at the local levelü School boards, city councils, state legislaturesü These are also breeding grounds for candidates for national office
• Whatwouldkeepyoufromvotingin2020?
• Whatwouldincentivizeyoutovotein2020?
“Letusneverforgetthatgovernmentis ourselves and not an alien powerover us. The ultimate rulers of ourdemocracy are not a president andsenators and congressman andgovernment officials, but the votersofthiscountry.”FranklinD.Roosevelt,32ndPresidentoftheUnitedStates
Apartingthought…