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KANSAN.COM
ELECTION 2016
Munoz: Responsibility is on voters to fix politics
▶ VINCE MUNOZ
@vmunoz_18
Associated Press
John and Colleen Kramer, of Stockton, Mo., vote at the Caplinger Mills Trading Post on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, in Caplinger Mills, Mo. Associated Press
As the election season winds down, many of us are eager for it to be over. But as tempting as it might be, we shouldn't forget what we have experienced for the past nearly two years. Regardless of who wins, this is the perfect opportunity to ask difficult questions about our country, especially: what caused our politics to get so out of hand?
Some would blame our absurd campaign finance laws that allow campaigns to raise seemingly endless amounts of money from special interests. Others may point to gerrymandering: the process of redrawing congressional districts to benefit one party over another. Several candidates have claimed the election rules were rigged against their supporters.
But the truth may be even more discouraging. Rather than some insidious force that can
be changed with the right law. it may just be voters.
There are several ways in which voters may inadvertently be rewarding problematic politicians who refuse to compromise. The first being that voters are not educated enough to make informed decisions. One example of this is voters' opinions on the Affordable Care
Act compared with their opinions on Obamacare. In reality, there is no difference between the two; one is merely the nickname of the other. However, a poll conducted in 2013 - a full three years after it was passed - found that 37 percent of Americans oppose the ACA while 46 percent oppose "Obamacare."
Another factor may be that voters don't care to see compromise. As of 2014, 66 percent of Republicans would rather have their party leaders "stick to positions" made during campaigns rather than "compromise." Some members of both parties may say that this sentiment is justified but the reality is that
our system was built for compromise, not brinksmanship.
All of this begs the question: what can be done to fix the system?
While I would absolutely agree that we should enact meaningful reforms to campaign finance, congressional redistricting, and our primary systems, voters have to work harder to
make our democracy work at the ballot box. It can be exhausting to be bombarded with misleading political ads, but the reason campaigns use them is because they work. If voters take time to improve their media literacy skills and think critically about what they hear before accepting it, campaigns might actually be forced to talk about the issues.
Additionally, voters should support candidates that are willing to compromise. There is a time and place to take a stand on principle, but it should be for truly extraordinary circumstances, not routine behavior.
It might not be what any of us want to hear, but to fix our democracy we have to work harder as citizens. Apathy is what got us into our current situation, it's not going to be what gets us out.
Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications.
In this Sept. 27, 2016 file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Associated Press
Future of the GOP uncertain
► TANNER HASSELL
@tthassell17
With one of the most volatile presidential campaign years behind us, some people are uncertain about what the future holds for the Republican party.
Political science professor Patrick Miller said he thinks the GOP will continue moving in a more extreme direction, but the University's College Republicans Chair Adam Steinhilber and Vice Chair Sara Prendergast said they hope that a more moderate party will emerge.
Nominee Donald Trump was viewed unfavorably by 62 percent of adults nationwide as of Oct.26, according to a Gallup poll.Among Republicans, Trump has a 28 percent unfavorable rating.
Miller said this election has exposed the changing face of the Republican Party, and could be a look into the future.
"I think this election has highlighted how both
parties are changing demographically and politically," he said. "Democrats are becoming more liberal; Republicans are becoming more conservative. Democrats are becoming the party of higher education; Republicans are becoming the party of the white working class."
"Both parties are diverging demographically and ideologically. People were surprised by the rise of Bernie and Trump, but really shouldn't be when you think about how the parties are changing," he said. "The Democrat Party of Bill Clinton is dead, the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan is gone. That was a generation ago."
Miller said the popularity of outsider candidates like Bernie Sanders and Trump surprised many voters.
Miller said Trump's popularity among Republicans in this cycle, compared to support for former nominees Mitt Ronney or John McCain is an indicator of the party's direction.
"Trump was nominated with much more consensus among Republicans than Romney or McCain were," he said. "I think Trump has shown that there is an appeal to the way he talks and the kind of policy he promotes."
Steinhilber and Prendergast, students at the University, have different images of the GOP in the future, but said it will depend on the result of this election.
"If Trump wins, he will basically be the party leader. If he loses I see Republicans revamping [their] image," Steinhilber said. "If Trump loses I think we'll see the voices of younger Republicans shining through."
"I think the party needs to look to the future, and what they need to do to be successful," he said.
Steinhilber said he would like to see the GOP become more moderate and be more inclusive.
Prendergast said a Trump victory could send
the GOP down a more conservative route, but she hopes to see a more moderate party.
"Obviously I can't speak for all young Republicans, but I think we need to have more consensus in general," she said. "The parties are really moving away from the middle right now and that causes a lot of the disagreements, as we see. There are plenty of Republicans who would disagree with me, but I feel the younger generation wants to move to the center."
Although both parties face uncertainty and questions, most eyes are on the Republicans, Miller said.
"They certainly have some challenges," he said. "I think a lot of what's happened raises the question: What is the Republican Party is going to stand for? I think they face questions about what the next four years will be like."
- Edited by Chandler Boese
Fast facts for Election 2016
- LARA KORTE
  CONNER MITCHELL
  @lara_korte
  @ConnerMitchell0
1. The final results of the presidential election don't depend on individual votes.
The electoral college is responsible for electing the next president. There are a total of 538 electoral votes up for grabs, and each state has a different amount based on its population. Kansas has six, and the most populous state California, has 55.
In 48 states, candidates win electoral votes by winning the popular vote in each state. Basically, a candidate will win all of a state's electoral votes, or none of them. Nebraska and Maine have the ability to split their state's electoral votes based on congressional districts.
The candidate to win a majority of electoral votes, 270, wins the election.
2. The Kansas Secretary of State's office estimated a 1.3 million voter turnout - or 72 percent of the state - the highest turnout in the past 16 years.
3. As of Nov. 3, Republicans counted for 50 percent of advance votes in Kansas. Democrats were at 31 percent and unaffiliated voters at 18 percent, per the Secretary of State.
4. There are 1,812,670 registered voters in Kansas this year. That's about 62
percent of the total state population.
5. In the 2012 presidential election, only two counties in Kansas voted for President Barack Obama: Douglas and Wyandotte.
6. Taking a picture with your ballot is legal in Kansas, according to Douglas County officials, but not all states. In Missouri, for example, posting a ballot selfie could get you in trouble with the law.
8. Had the election ended in a tie, with each candidate receiving 269 electoral votes, the House of Representatives would decide the presidency, with each state casting a single vote. From there, the candidate who won the majority would win the election.
9. Both Clinton and Trump watched the results roll in ton from New York City, less than two miles apart. Clinton's venue was the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 34th St. Trump watched be the election from the New York Hilton Midtown.
7. Kansas has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election since 1964.
10. In accordance with the 20th Amendment, the president will be inaugurated in Washington D.C. and officially take office on Jan. 20, 2017.
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