Popularism in The State of the Union Adress

State of the Union Adress

Popularism is a political statement that appeals to the majority of the people who elect congress. Political parties and politicians often use the terms populist and populism as an insult against their opponents. Such a view sees populism as merely empathising with the public in order to increase appeal across the political spectrum.

On January 20, 2015, Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address. In this address, Obama used a new phrase, "Middle Class Economics." These "economics" include: free community college, free kindergarden, a new tax credit for families with both parents working, an expanded tax credit for child care, an expanded access to retirement savings accounts, equal pay for living, and an increased minimum wage.

Are any of these "free" things that Obama is offering actually free? Nothing is actually ever free. So who is actually paying for them? The government willingly throws the nation's money towards causes that "are for the greater good." He added all of these taxes on the upper class to pay for pther people's college experiences, or to pay for other's free kindergarden, ect. None of these things will, in the long run, be to the benefit of the majority. When all of the upper class begin to realize that since they work hard for their money and it is continually taken away, they will stop working hard for it. Eventually, who will be the upper class? The majority (the middle class) will be paying off the debts of our nation.