a call to action · a call to action in the age of hyper-partisanship and divisiveness ......

A Call To Action

In the age of hyper-partisanship and divisiveness

Rich Zacaroli Sacramento, CA

rzacaroli@gmail.com

Thequestions,andthechallenge…•  WhatdoAmericansreallythinkaboutthemostpressingissuesof

ourtime,accordingtothemostreliablesourcesofinformation?

•  HowdoweasAmericancitizensdistillandmakesenseofthebombardmentofinformationandopinionwegeteverydayinthecableTVandinternetage?

•  Howcanweasvoters-the“ultimaterulers”ofourgreatnation-

shapeafuturethatwecanprosperin,cherishandproudlyleavetofuturegenerations?

•  Twoquestionsforyou?–  Whatwouldkeepyoufromvotingin2020?–  Whatwouldincentivizeyoutovotein2020?

Aboutme…•  42yearsofmanagementexperienceintheaerospacesectorfocusedonimaging

technologiesforspace,defense,andcommercialapplicationsinagriculture,foodprocessingandproductqualityassurance

–  HeldmanagementpositionsinFinance,Strategy,Development,Marketing,Operations–  ExperienceinsmallandFortune500businesses–  Leada$50Mprivately-ownedengineeringandmanufacturingcompany–  ExpatriatedtoEuropefor9yearstodevelopandgrowbusinessinEurope,MiddleEastandNorth

Africa•  Havetransactedbusinessinover30countriesinEurope,NorthAfrica,MiddleEast,

SouthAmericaandAsia–havevisitedover50countriesintotal•  HeldU.S.GovernmentandNATOsecurityclearances•  4yearsintheU.S.AirForce•  Education:

–  BachelorofSciencedegreeinBusiness,AccountingandEconomicsmajor–  MasterofBusinessAdministrationdegree–ChangeManagementCertificate–  Managementcoursework–DimensionsofLeadership,LeanPractitionerCertified,SixSigma

Greenbelt,ISO9000certificationexperience•  30yearsofNGOBoardGovernanceExperienceandCivicEngagement

–  ServedonnumerousboardsofdirectorsintheBanking(CreditUnion),CulturalExchange,InternationalEducationandCommunityDevelopmentsectors

•  ActiveinRotaryInternational–Foundationchair•  Blendedfamilywith5children(allgrown)and12grandchildren

Sourcesofinformationcitedinthispresentation

PewResearch-https://www.pewresearch.org RealClearPolitics-https://www.realclearpolitics.com Gallup-https://www.gallup.com/home KFF(PollsonNationalHealthIssues)-https://www.kff.org

TransamericaCenterforHealthStudies-www.transamericacenterforhealthstudies.org/ U.S.CensusBureau-https://www.census.gov/ NPR-https://www.npr.org/tags/152255668/public-opinion AdFontesMedia-https://www.adfontesmedia.com/ BloombergData-https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/product/market-data/

Most of us can probablyagreeononething-thatwe are stuck in a hyper-partisan gridlock thatprevents us as a nationfrom addressing andr e so l v ing the mos timportant issues thataffectournation’sfuture

HowweasU.S.citizensviewourcountry

EconomicRecessions

SatisfactionwiththeTrajectoryoftheU.S.GallupPollupdatedonOctober13,2019

Lowestsatisfactionofanynon-recessionaryperiodinpast40years

WehavelittlefaithinourGovernmentinstitutions,andhavelongbelievedthatthedirectionofourcountryisonthewrongtrack

HowweasU.S.citizensviewourcountry

Compilationof5pollsupdatedon11/6/2019

Compilationof8pollsupdatedon11/6/2019

Theenvironment

ThemajorityofAmericansfeeltheGovernmentisdoingtoolittletoprotecttheenvironmentWehavelongbelievedthattheenvironmentshouldeventakepriorityovereconomicgrowth!Peopleundertheageof30aremostconcernedabouttheenvironment

Healthcare

ThemajorityofAmericansbelieveassuringthatallAmericanshavehealthcareistheresponsibilityofourGovernment

OnlyasmallpercentageofGenZandMillennialgroupshaveanegativeimpressionoftheAffordableCareAct(ACA)–knownas“Obamacare”

Immigration

ThemajorityofAmericansbelievethatimmigrationstrengthensthecountry

Youngervotersmoststronglyfeelthatimmigrationstrengthensourcountry

ReproductiveHealthPolicy

BasedonanAugust,2019PewResearchstudy,mostAmericansthinkabortionshouldremainlegal

Viewsonabortionareverymuchfaith-based

GunControl ThegreatmajorityofAmericansfavormorestringentguncontrolYoungercitizensinparticularwantstrictergunlaws

Source:NPRPublicOpinionPoll

Youngercitizenshaveadditionalincentivetobecomemoreinvolvedinthelegislativeprocessatthenational,stateandlocallevels

Despitebeingmoreeducatedthananygenerationbefore,theyarenotsharingintheAmericandreamTheaveragenetworthinyounghouseholdshasdeclinedinrealdollars

Homeownershiprateshavedeclinedsharplyinagegroups44andunder

Studentloansarethefastestgrowingsegmentofhouseholddebt

If we as Americans agree on so many key issues, then why are we stuck in hyper-partisan gridlock?

What is wrong when we cannot make progress on issues that a majority of Americans agree on?

TheinformationmediaintheageofcableTVandinternetplaysakeyroleinthehyper-partisanenvironmentwelivein

Mostwatchedcablenetworkin2018

ThetraditionalsourcesofnewsbeforecableTVandinternetareclusteredinthissector–neutralandfactreporting

Thirdmostwatchedcablenetworkin2018

Nearly1800individualarticlesandTVnewsshowswereratedbyatleastthreeanalystswithdifferentpoliticalviews(left,rightandcenter))-FordetailedratingsmethodologyandrubricsvisittheAdFonteswebsite:

https://www.adfontesmedia.com/how-ad-fontes-ranks-news-sources/

Americans’trustinthenewsmediahassteadilydeclined,despitearecentuptick,andisclearlydividedoverpartisanlinesThemostobjectiveandunbiasednewsoutletsarenolongerthemosttrusted!

A well-informed electorate must pursue balanced sources of news and information upon which to base voting decisions, and listen to both sides of an argument

Overthepast8yearsU.S.Congressionaljobapprovalhasconsistentlyaveragedbetween10%and20%

Yetwe,thevoters,repeatedlyreelectthesamepeoplewho,asagoverningbody,>80%ofusdisapproveof!

2%

10%

25%

32%

29%

Stronglyapprove

Somewhatapprove

Neitherapproveordisapprove

Somewhatdisapprove

Stronglydisapprove

TheCongressionaljobapprovalscoreamong18-34yearoldsisevenlowerthanthenationalaverageat12%

NBC/Univ.ofChicagopollJanuary2018

18-34yearoldsbelievethatacandidate’spositionontheissuesisthemostimportantfactorintheirvotingdecision

TheNBCNews/GenForwardattheUniversityofChicagoSurveywasconductedJanuary,2018amongadultsages18-34,recruitedandadministeredbyNORCattheUniversityofChicago.

Themajorityof18-34yearoldsbelievetheyhavetheskillsandknowledgetoparticipateinthepoliticalarena…

…andtheybelievethat,byparticipatinginthepoliticalarena,theycanmakeadifference

Yetthe18-34agegroupthathasthemostatstakeintheissuesvotestheleast,andallowthosewhohavetheleastatstaketodecidetheirfuture!

Althoughvoterturnoutamong18-34yearoldswashigherin2018thananytimeinthelast20years,itwasstillmuchlowerthananyotheragegroup

80millionAmericansaged18-34combinedrepresentthelargesteligiblevotingblockgoingintothe2020elections

Each10%incrementalincreaseinvoterturnoutfor18-34yearoldswouldequalnearly8millionvotesThemargininthelasteightpresidentialelectionshasbeen8.2millionvotesorless

ThebalanceofvotingpowerisshiftingtoMillennialandGenZvoters!

Wecanfixthis–acalltoaction!ü  Vote for change!

ü  Become familiar with the voting records of your senators and congressional representatives

https://www.govtrack.usü  Start with the primaries to remove incumbents who are ineffective, non-

collaborative or divisive – don’t wait until the general election when the choice may be binary

ü  Advocate for national and local candidates who share a united and flourishing world view and care about the most important issues impacting our futureü  The environment, health care, immigrationü  America’s standing as a world leader morally, ethically and socially

ü  The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, not truth in speechü  Get news from multiple sources, including traditional sourcesü  Knowledge is key to recognizing facts from opinion, hyperbole and fabrications

damaging to the public discourseü  Think for ourselves, and don’t let punditry drive our beliefs

ü  Engage at the local levelü  School boards, city councils, state legislaturesü  These are also breeding grounds for candidates for national office

•  Whatwouldkeepyoufromvotingin2020?

•  Whatwouldincentivizeyoutovotein2020?

“Letusneverforgetthatgovernmentis ourselves and not an alien powerover us. The ultimate rulers of ourdemocracy are not a president andsenators and congressman andgovernment officials, but the votersofthiscountry.”FranklinD.Roosevelt,32ndPresidentoftheUnitedStates

Apartingthought…