New surveys show 80 percent of Americans say politicians do not care

It is no news that Americans simply do not feel well represented by their politicians. For years, many have not felt like politicians actually care what they think, feel, or go through on a daily basis. But the number who feel that way is higher than you might think. New Pew Research Center surveys show that around 80 percent of Americans feel that politicians do not care what they think.

That is not just a representation of Republicans or Democrats, either. That is sentiment felt across all walks of life, and demographics. In all reality, the number is probably even higher than that, as these surveys tend to focus on just a few thousand people.

Political analyst Anthony Russo says when you delve into the study, it is apparent that this is not a skewed study.

"You break apart the demographics...this is not just one group feeling this way...not Republicans or Democrats, it is all of America," he says. "That is important to look at...there has to be change...and in order to change it, you have to recognize the problem."

In the study, white Americans had the lowest faith in their politicians, almost six percent lower than African Americans in the same poll. That is a bit of a surprise, considering black voters tend to lean Democrat, and trust their government.

There has been barking for term limits for years now, as people like Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and California Congresswoman Maxine Waters sit in power into their late 80s and early 90s. The now-President Biden was in Congress for four decades before venturing into the Oval Office with Barack Obama.

While 'career politicians' might seem like a great choice, it is actually what is wearing away public trust.

"These people run for office do not have the right intentions because it is clear you will be financially better off leaving office or staying for extended periods...you are not getting people who want change," he says. "You get families who have held power in the area for years...and it is a corrupt system."

There are plenty of good politicians around, but they have grown fewer and father in between. Once they get into power, they tend to see the benefits of staying there, and never leaving. That creates a sense of complacency, in which they do not get much done for their constituents or play politics with major votes.

But upsetting your constituents has not affected many career politicians much. People in Maxine Waters' district do not like her, yet she wins every election. Same goes for Houston area Congresswoman Shelia Jackson-Lee. They manage to upset people at every turn, yet still win.

Maybe you can blame a bit of gerrymandering, but a lot of it has to do with the sheer backing of their donor base.

"There is no such thing really anymore as a grass roots winner...the donors and financing behind these campaigns are a problem...it is not even people voting who are in control...it is 100 percent the donor class," he says. "They somehow pull strings...there needs to be a level playing field."

Russo adds that this problem is not just on the national scale, it has filtered into local elections as well.