Mirage of Hope

Americans need democracy to deliver representation.

The Democratic National Convention has been part dance party, demagoguery, and inspiration—full of energy and excitement. Political power couple Barack and Michelle Obama took the stage on Tuesday night, delivering uplifting speeches about hope, opportunity, and what it means to be an American. 

The event has been filled with talk of joy and optimism, but what’s optimistic about a campaign empty on policy that ignores the problems of average Americans?

In her speech, Michelle Obama said, “Hope is making a comeback.” She shared how her mom inspired her by living “out that striving sense of hope” and how she believed that “all people have value” and that “anyone can succeed if given the opportunity.”

Former President Barack Obama also took the stage, and in between taking shots at Trump, he continued the message of hope and optimism. He shared what he admired about Joe Biden, saying he believed “everyone in this country deserves a fair shot.” He says the vision of the Harris administration and the Democratic party is that “All of us are endowed with certain inalienable rights that everyone deserves a chance.”

They paint an optimistic picture of America where anyone (even kids with funny names) can become anything they want with hard work, determination, and opportunity. However, if the Obamas and the Harris administration are serious about their vision of America as full of opportunity, they should focus on representation and expand opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Many Americans believe the American Revolution was fought over taxes, but it was really fought over a lack of representation. “No Taxation without representation” was the battle cry. The rising cost of safety following the French and Indian War led Britain to tax the American Colonists. Colonists understood taxes were necessary; however, they wanted a voice in how those taxes were applied. Benjamin Franklin traveled to Britain in the years leading up to the revolution, seeking representation for the American colonies. When the British government refused, the colonists declared their independence, fought for their freedom, and set forth on their own.

John Adams in IV. The Bill of Rights, a List of Grievances, states, “All free government is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council,” and the “right of representation” must be preserved. When representation is preserved, hope and opportunity are secured. And that’s just what our founders did when writing the Constitution, dividing the power of Congress between the states and the people of the states and securing representation for the people at a representative-to-citizen ratio of 1:30k.

Unfortunately, in 1929, Congress passed the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, establishing a fixed number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at 435. Representation would no longer be added as the population grew, therefore limiting representation for future generations like us. The gap between citizens and their representatives has grown from 1:220k in the 1920s to 1:756k today.

The gap in representation has led to a federal government that is largely out of touch with the people it represents—leading to a rise in populism on both sides of the political spectrum. When representation is limited, opportunity is limited.

Obama recognizes that the government is out of touch with the next generation when speaking about housing, saying, “We need to chart a new way forward...we need to build more units and clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that made it harder to build homes for working people.”

However, when he says we, he is not talking about the working people of America but the few who hold representative power. For far too many average citizens, representation is out of reach, and the opportunity to make change is limited. Instead of representatives writing laws that citizens must live by, they should write laws expanding representation, allowing more to participate in the legislature.

The Permanent Apportionment Act is one of the old, outdated laws that need to be cleared away. It makes it harder for working people to be represented, and if it were, laws and regulations would be less likely to be written to make it harder for them to buy homes.

We all want hope, but what is hopeful about a system that shuts out the next generation? It’s nothing but a mirage. It's great to hear uplifting stories about this great country and how democracy has delivered for the people in power, but Americans have real problems and should have a say in how they are solved. Americans need democracy to deliver representation.