Widening Cracks in Our Political System Demand Rethinking How We Make Policy

In the lead-up to the 2024 election, many Americans were interested in how young people and people of color were planning to vote. The conventional wisdom was that if Donald Trump could make inroads with these communities, he would win the election. Fast forward a few months, and Trump did just that, thanks, in part, to votes from these groups.

While the election itself is now old news, the concerns that motivated voters then are as relevant today as they were in 2024. It’s worth revisiting those concerns today. Last year, our organization, Next100, a think tank that centers the voices of everyday folks, was also interested in measuring these trends, so we polled young adults, oversampling people of color, to get a sense of what was happening with them. When these voters responded to the poll last spring, they had two unmistakable messages. First, they were most concerned about economic issues; and second, they were distrustful of the government and had serious concerns about our political system.

This sentiment led many voters to pull the lever for Donald Trump. And now, ironically, on these two issues that propelled many more young people and people of color to support Trump for the presidency than historical trends would suggest, the present situation is dire and getting worse. The second Trump administration has been characterized by a flurry of chaotic and undemocratic actions. These actions are disturbing, broadly unpopular, and gravely threaten a democratic and prosperous future for the United States. The present moment calls for both real solutions to people’s economic concerns and a way to address their lack of faith in our system of government.

Making Americans Poorer and Less Secure

Economic concerns topped the list when we asked young adults of all political persuasions “What is the greatest issue facing your community?” in a survey we conducted with GenForward last May. Respondents identified economic growth (11 percent), income inequality (11 percent), poverty (10 percent), homelessness (10 percent), and high taxes (10 percent) as their communities’ top concerns in nearly equal numbers. These findings mirror what the young people Next100 works with are worried about: finding quality housing, building wealth for the future, and affording postsecondary education. When asked what the most important issue in the upcoming election was, respondents again pointed to economic issues, including inflation (18 percent), economic growth (11 percent), threats to democracy (9 percent), income inequality (8 percent), immigration (7 percent), and poverty (6 percent). 

Months into the Trump administration, Americans are still worried about the economy, and the outlook is getting worse. According to the Conference Board, consumer confidence is at its lowest level since 2021. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted last month found that the economy was the top answer to the question, “What’s the most urgent issue facing the country today?” and that the proportion of people for whom the economy was the top answer had increased since January. Currently, only 39 percent of adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy. And no wonder: the administration’s economic plan is floundering. Indiscriminate tariffs and tax cuts for the wealthy, two signature elements of President Trump’s economic policy agenda, are likely to slow growth, worsen income inequality, exacerbate inflation, and increase poverty. While he campaigned as a champion of American workers, Trump’s actions threaten to cripple unions at a time when public support for them is at its highest point since 1965. Rather than strengthening the economy for all, this administration is actively damaging economic security for low- and middle-income Americans. 

The Right Way to Build Prosperity and Trust

The lack of progress on bread-and-butter issues for everyday Americans is tightly linked to their perception of government. In last year’s survey, only about a quarter of respondents said they thought our democracy was working well. Furthermore, only 15 percent thought federal government leaders could relate to the challenges their communities face. Trust in local government was higher, but still concerningly low, with 33 percent agreeing that local leaders could relate to their challenges. Failure to make convincing progress on economic issues—underscored by affordability crises and growing inequality—is likely a key driver of distrust in our political system and leaders.

At the 100-day mark of the Trump administration, 45 percent of adults give the administration a failing grade (“F” on an A–F scale). Majorities lack confidence in Trump’s administration to bring the country closer or make good decisions on economic policy, tax policy, foreign policy, abortion policy, and health care policy, among other things. A poll of young people that was conducted by Harvard and in the field in March found that “Only 19% trust the federal government to do the right thing most or all the time. Fewer than one in three express trust in major institutions: Congress (18%), the President (23%), or the Supreme Court (29%).”

So what is to be done about the interrelated backsliding on economic security and trust in the government?

First, everyday people need to be at the center of the solutions to our problems. At Next100, we believe that real change in our policymaking process starts with paying attention to how and by whom policy is shaped and developed. Policymaking often happens among insiders who are neither representative of nor connected to the vast majority of Americans. At Next100, we center policy solutions that are built by the people and driven by people from communities that have typically been excluded. This type of policy development builds trust and leads to stronger solutions.

Second, the present moment calls for audacious economic policy that is not constrained by old paradigms. Although the Trump administration has demonstrated that it is willing to throw out traditional playbooks, it has done so in service of big business and of aggrandizing presidential power, rather than taking actions that will improve people’s lives. These are not the changes to the government that most Americans were seeking: The majority of Americans disapprove of the number of things the administration is doing by executive order and the Trump administration’s handling of the federal workforce. 

What are the types of changes that would address concerns about economic issues and begin to build trust in government? Some of the forward-thinking policies, rooted in the perspectives and experiences of directly impacted individuals, that our colleagues have argued for include protecting access to safe and affordable medical care with stronger oversight of for-profit actors, expanding early childhood education and enacting universal child care, putting money directly into the hands of youth experiencing housing instability, and universal paid family and medical leave. 

Bold visions must also be backed by credibility: a plan matters little if you can’t deliver. Given the turmoil at the federal level, opportunities to advance game-changing economic policies currently primarily exist at the state and local level, and where they exist, they should be seized upon. Successful state and local policies can become models for the nation in the aftermath of the present chaos, when Americans will clamor for common-sense policies that actually address their needs. In these settings, elected leaders and policy practitioners alike must work to ensure that these opportunities are defined and advanced in close collaboration with everyday people, especially those who have historically been marginalized or left out of decision-making.

We believe that Americans are eager for solutions like these that will truly make a difference to their pocketbooks and strengthen their ability to shape their individual and our collective future. In the meantime, we are forced to contend with a policy agenda that is sowing further distrust in government and creating greater economic insecurity for all of us.