The Symbolic Uses of Politics, written by Murray Edelman (U. of Illinois Press, 1964), is considered a political science classic. Edelman argued that much of what passes for government policy is simply and purely symbolic, adopted to make citizens think that government is responsive or proactive. Citizens themselves often are perfectly happy with the symbolic policies, believing that meaningful action has been achieved.
We’ve had a number of examples of this kind of politics in the past week. When Representative Doyle Heffley issues a press release saying that he won’t accept a pay raise, that is symbolic politics. It has a negligible effect on the Pennsylvania budget, but it makes people feel good about Heffley. What a mensch--won’t accept a raise.
President Obama has given us another example. He announced that the pay of federal workers will be frozen for the next two years. The effect on the federal budget is comparable to Heffley’s action. It is sheer symbolism.
Unfortunately, it also isn’t very bright. First, many federal workers are Democrats. Why irritate them? Secondly, it gives aid and comfort to the Republicans by implying that federal workers--men and women who patrol the national parks, inspect poultry, run the soil conservation service, check work place safety, and carry out thousands of other jobs every day--are somehow to blame for the deficit. Third, most people see it for what it is--an attempt to act like a deficit hawk without really reducing the deficit. If President Obama really wants to have an effect on the deficit, he should hold the line on extending tax cuts for the rich.
BLOG FOOD If your going to make symbolic gesture you should make it pertinent. Instead of refusing a !.7 % pay raise, per diems and a state funded car perhaps it would be more symbolic if he vowed to introduce legislation so that no one serving the public interest would be entitled to these perks. It is no where in state constitution that they are entitled to anything but a salary and mileage . These are the people that want our country back, reduce the size and cost of government. Charity begins at the House.
ReplyDeleteNot accepting and repealing are two different things. The COLA’s that elected officials are receiving and are going to receive need to be addressed. As you all know I worked in construction for 20 years, the contractor that I worked for agreed, on his own terms, to allow me to submit gas slips. That means he would pay for the cost of my gasoline expenses for any job that I worked that allowed me to travel over 70 miles from my house. No wear and tear on my vehicle, no cost for tires, or mileage that brought down the value of my vehicle. When will the people wake up and see that our government needs to play by the same rules as the common working man or woman? Where is the COLA’s for social security? We need someone in the house to represent the working people of Carbon County. Not just someone who thinks they are, were, or wish they were of the working class.
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