By Laura Jost The rise in political partisanship in the United States has been growing more evident over the past decade, coinciding with the formative years of Gen Z as well arguably both promoting and neglecting our generations’ coming issues. Radicalization on both ends of the spectrum has emerged as a result whether that has proved to be beneficial or not -- is yet to see. In order to be cognizant of the platforms many prominent far left figures have risen on, research into AOC and Bernie Sanders policies is necessary. AOC primarily runs on lines of promoting immigration policies, increasing access to ascend in social mobility and reducing income inequality. Similarly, Sanders considers himself a democratic socialist -- promoting access to free healthcare and a free college education. These policies in particular have resonated with millions of youth, however what exactly would these economic and social agendas entail? And what is the importance of them? Economically, AOC and Bernie’s funds will be insufficient to pay for all the welfare and spending programs they hope to implement: in fact there are roughly 16,000 households as of 2016, according to IRS data that have taxable income over the $10 million threshold they propose which amounts to roughly $245 billion. This plan would further the federal deficit and put strain on the system. Ultimately the apparent benefits would be outweighed by the consequences given that the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Tax Commission run on the “crowd-out” assumption meaning that government borrowing will “crowd out” funds that would otherwise have been lent to the businesses. With less money available to businesses, they invest less, and the workers are less productive. As a nation, it’s argued that the far left has indeed done the opposite of what they proclaim they stand for: inclusion and tolerance. Yet, the intolerance - from both political parties on the extreme ends - arguably, has only divided the country as a whole. The notion of “cancel culture” and overarching phrases such as “defunding the police” has only pushed moderate politicians and voters away leaving candidates such as Bernie versus other extremes such as Trump on the stage. On the other end, the rise of right wing populism has built up momentum as seen with Trump in the US, Modi in India, Widodo in Indonesia, Chavez in Venezuela, and Erdoğan in Turkey which can be linked to rises in authoritarian populism -- posing a global risk by dividing already divided countries and escalating nationalistic tendencies against other nations -- the exact opposite of what is needed in order to formulate solutions. It would be ignorant and inaccurate, however, to simply argue that Bernie and AOC are destroying the democratic party. An old friend of mine who worked with the House Democrats in DC recently gave some input that resonates with this article: that the emerging popularity and growth of candidates like AOC and Bernie “forces us to have conversations in the Democratic Party that otherwise maybe wouldn’t be considered. That it doesn’t always work, but that it’s critical in our democracy to have conflicting views, even within the party.” Indeed, the obligation of intraparty discussions and disputes are inherent in parties as diverse regionally and demographically as the Democratic Party. Julie Wronski from the University of Mississippi explained to the New York Times that “what works in local campaigns between urban, suburban and rural areas cannot be neatly packaged into a one-size-fits-all national message”. Aligning constituencies to work together is a difficult task indeed which is why this is necessary, but there also must need “a strong, passionate, determined base”: progressives. Indeed, the far left has also promoted the issues that this nation will have to face sooner or later: climate change, increases in immigration, the escalating prison populations, systemic racism and the rising cost of a college education combined with the fact that US student debt in the last decade has risen higher than both credit card and auto loan debt which directly impact young people’s futures. The voice of younger voters and activism has gained momentum in putting these matters at the forefront of the policy agenda as candidates must appeal to their constituents to continue holding office. In addition to this, demographics in young voters has also changed: racial and ethnic diversity within our generation is the highest ever. The staggering increase in social media use for Gen Z has also led to information exposure unprecedented in generations prior which arguably has led to the disintermediation of traditional sources of information has amplified the emotional reactions, stereotyping and belief distortions that are typically associated with political extremism , whether that be left or right leaning, the echo chamber effect has had its role. According to Pew Research Center, 70% of Gen Z believes that the government ought to have a larger role in solving problems -- making them more likely than any other generation to do this. Analyzing this polarization has left some thought provoking results. After conducting a casual poll of 276 of my peers through social media, roughly 85% reported that they generally supported AOC and Bernie Sanders policies, whereas a mere 15% disputed the far left leaning politicians ideology. (It is important to account for the demographics and political beliefs of my own followers specifically). Diving deeper and asking Crescent Valley students personally why these politicians resonated with them whether positive or negative, led to some compelling arguments and personal accounts. Most of those who supported AOC and Sanders platforms stated that “they very obviously care about people other than themselves” and that she“ is an amazing role model for young girls and women everywhere. Seeing the strength of her presence in politics is amazing”. Others responded that “young people in general resonate with Bernie’s/AOC’s message because they are championing policies that benefit a greater swath of America than what is being passed through Congress” and that “their vision would lead to greater wealth and prosperity for everyone”. One senior responded that “I’m drawn to Bernie and AOC because they care about our generation (the youth), especially things like college costs and climate change which are very immediate for us." On the other hand, others pointed out some of AOC’s anti-Semitic patterns that often go unnoticed. Still others argue that they believe in almost everything Bernie stands for “except some of his views on the Israeli Palestine conflict”. A recent letter sent by a dozen members of House Democrats including AOC and Sanders argued against Israeli annexation of Palestine claiming that this was a measure to protect the rights of Palestinians yet Palestine is predominantly controlled by the Palestinian Authority which is known for corruption, human rights abuses and even terrorism against Israelis. This issue is only worsened by potential soured ties in US-Israel relations if this letter were to be put into act. Another recent alum recounted in reference to Romanian and USSR policy that “my own family lived under socialist economic policy for multiple generations and my mom lived in poverty because the socialist economic system prevented my family from building wealth or rising up in the socioeconomic ladder." To be sure, establishing full blown socialism in the United States would prove to be a very difficult and divisive goal. Gathering input from friends and colleagues has allowed for discussions that may not have taken place if it wasn’t for writing this piece. Decidedly in the end, it will be up to our generation and future generations to make what we want of this country through difficult conversations and genuinely understanding the “other side”. Hopefully we will make the decision to push forward and create progress that will benefit the world to come -- whether it be through left or right wing politicians willing to take grassroots action while still keeping in mind the consequences of their actions. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
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