You might be surprised at how many people are asking this same question. But you probably won’t be surprised at how many people also think they already know the answer – and believe they’re “right.”
Talking about government is tricky because it almost always drags us straight into politics. And once politics is involved, most of us start thinking about whichever party or group we usually support. We judge how government is performing through the lens of who we voted for, who we like, or who we can’t stand.
I’m sure you can relate to feeling more forgiving when the people in charge are the ones you support – and much less forgiving when they’re not.
But here’s the part that’s hard for many of us to get our heads around:
It no longer matters.
The reason government isn’t working today has very little to do with politics in the way we usually think about it. That’s why you’ll hear people say things like “they’re all the same” or talk about a “uniparty.” It’s not that all politicians secretly belong to one big club. It’s that every political party we can choose from today is still part of the same way of thinking.
And that way of thinking – not a group of elites, not a secret organisation, not the banks or big business – is what has shaped every decision that has led us to where we are now.
This is what “the establishment” really means. Not a class. Not a conspiracy. A worldview.
A worldview that every major political party shares, even the ones that claim to be “anti‑establishment.” And once you understand that, you start to see why government feels stuck, confused, or unable to fix anything – no matter who gets elected.
How government works today – how politics works, how elections work, how decisions are made, and how those decisions affect you and me – is far too complex to cram into one message here. And trying to do that would only confuse things further.
Yes, we need to understand what has happened, why it has happened, and where politics is heading now. I’ll give you links that will help you explore those questions and ask new ones too.
But for now, what matters just as much – if not more – is finding others who are looking for direction, who want to put reason before fear, and who are open to working together to take positive steps in the same way.
Whatever difficulties lie ahead, we will be far better able to face them together than alone.
Adam Tugwell 