SMOKERS' CORNER: THE ANGRY VOTER.

Donald Trump did not do anything apart from making a habit of offending 'liberals' through hundreds of outrageous tweets. At least this is the general perception about Trump's presidency. However, he did deliver on some of his promises. But they failed to prevent the hit that the American economy took because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They also failed to address the violent manifestations of the many social tensions brewing in the US.

Susan Milligan writes in the February 23, 2018 issue of US News that it was the 'angry vote' that had helped push Trump past his opponent during the 2016 presidential elections. Most American political scientists now believe these votes were cast as an expression of anger towards mainstream politicians. These were votes for the so-called 'outsider' Trump. Angry votes are often the result of unresolved social conflicts in society.

Established democratic systems have built-in safety valves for this very purpose. But sometimes the intensity of the tensions is such that even the immune system of an established democracy fails to resolve them. The resultant anger thus turns towards the democratic system itself, sending it spiralling into an existentialist crisis.

In the minds of angry voters, they are punishing what they believe has become a 'corrupt' system. So the sight of an 'uncouth' man such as Trump sitting in the White House was enough to appease the anger of those who felt alienated by the outcomes of social and economic shifts in the US.

Those who manage to reach a position of power through angry votes really don't need to do anything. Since their appeal lies in not being like 'typical politicians', there is no need for them to satisfy voters through 'good policies.' Instead, they are pressed simply to retain their 'anti-politician' posture. They don't come in with any well thought-out plans. Their fiery rhetoric is the plan that either remains just that or, more worryingly, is manifested through narrow racial, religious or chauvinistic manoeuvres.

Those who reach a position of power through angry votes often don't need to do anything. Their appeal lies simply in not being like 'typical politicians'

We can see this playing out in another established democracy. A shaky economy in Modi's India has taken a back seat and certain awkward religious and cultural issues have come to the fore, because Modi's core appeal lay in him posing as an unabashed Hindu nationalist who would 'crush' Pakistan and Indian...