Election could bring some change, but it might not be enough
A voter uses a drive-thru station on Oct. 23 during early voting at NRG Stadium.
One thing I love about American democracy is that elections really do not change things that much, and in some ways, I hope that remains true in 2020.
Yes, voting is essential, and we need competent leaders, wise policies and equal justice. But I’ve covered elections in countries where voting led to coups, massacres, mass arrests and brutal repression. If a U.S. general’s favored candidate loses, we will not see troops and tanks in the streets.
Americans are also unlikely to flee the country if their party loses. Business owners are not worried about a devalued dollar or armed insurrection. If anything, the results will trigger relief, providing clarity about what to expect in the coming years.
Lastly, stock values typically rise, no matter who wins. The biggest threat to the economy will be if the election does not dent destructive divisions.
The last two presidents polarized the country, triggering hyper-partisanship. Checks and balances sound great, but when the two houses of Congress and the presidency are divided, politicians generate more outrage than legislation.
If President Donald Trump wins, he will still have to negotiate with Speaker Nancy Pelosi because there is little chance Republicans will gain control of the House of Representatives. If Trump wins and Democrats control the Senate, the nation will remain utterly gridlocked.
The same will be true if Joe Biden wins and Mitch McConnell remains Senate majority leader. Nothing will get done.
Businesses need a functioning administration that addresses the most significant issues of the day. Divided government only benefits extremists and hurts commerce.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a dramatic example.
The lack of a coherent national response has left governors, county leaders, mayors and business people to decide based on their gut. Even where the coronavirus is equally prevalent, different communities have different rules about masks, tests and restaurants. It’s madness.
In Europe, governments set standards for what to do based on regional testing. The United States has no integrated testing regime, leaving us incompetent to make smart decisions. Where science is
absent, politics take over.
A more long-range example is the ever-elusive national energy policy, which everyone agrees the United States needs, but politicians have not delivered in decades. Global climate change, caused by energy use, demands a globally coordinated response, again based on science.
In the United States, though, local politics prevails. Oil well flaring that is illegal in New Mexico is allowed a mile away in Texas. New Yorkers fight natural gas pipelines from Pennsylvania while they burn highly polluting heating oil from the Middle East. Oklahoma has plenty of wind potential, but Arkansas opposes transmission lines to deliver the electricity to the east.
Lastly, we need to repair and replace our aging transportation networks to facilitate interstate commerce, but 12 years of divided government have blocked any major spending plans.
Every industry relies on government to lay out the rules for commerce, level the playing field and build for the common good. Every innovation and catastrophe requires elected officials to reassess and make adjustments to build a better future. Laws cannot remain static.
Divisive politics also leads to dramatic swings in policy that disrupt business plans and create uncertainty. No bar owner knows when they can reopen because there is no standard. Companies that invested in complying with the Paris Climate Accords have no idea what to do because President Barack Obama signed on, Trump dropped out, and Biden says he’ll re-up.
If business people, entrepreneurs and workers want the nation to prosper, they will need to speak up more, not promote their special interests, but to demand action to unify the country.
The most popular way to communicate with elected officials is through trade associations, chambers of commerce or labor groups. These groups spend $3.2 billion a year lobbying the federal government, according to Open Secrets, a watchdog organization.
Too often, though, donors do not make sure the lobbying is done wisely.
In recent years, we’ve seen business leaders across all industries demand less politicking, more unity and inclusive policies. The Business Roundtable, which includes the CEOs of the nation’s largest companies, has demanded action on climate change, income inequality and immigration.
Business leaders should put their lobbying dollars where their press releases are.
Executives promise to consider the needs of the entire community when making decisions, not strictly take the side of shareholders. The smartest executives in the world understand that we need a cohesive society to prosper. They need to demand the same from their elected representatives.
No matter the election outcome, we all need less partisanship and more mutually-beneficial problem-solving. We can get it, if we demand it.