Jonathan V. Last argues voters, not just politicians, are the problem
The Bulwark editor blames Western democracies' "followership problem" for the unpopularity of leaders across the political spectrum.
What to know
- Last argues Western democracies have a "followership problem"—voters reject necessary reforms that require personal sacrifice, regardless of objective need.
- The unpopularity of leaders is not due to declining leader quality but to structural voter behavior, leaving politicians with impossible choices between political survival and fiscal responsibility.
- Last is organizing a fundraising event for the Haitian community in Springfield while promoting the essay's message about political dysfunction.
Jonathan V. Last Editor, The BulwarkJanan Ganesh Financial Times columnist
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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The Bulwark promotes essay on social media
The Bulwark shared the essay across platforms, highlighting Last's central claim about voter behavior in democracies.
“It is self-evidently true, at least in America, that voters are not serious adults.”
— Jonathan V. Last -
Thankfully, I think the winds are changing from the era Carlin had observed. If only. Age-Based Voter Turnout Statistics in 2024 The correlation between age and voter participation in 2024 demonstrates a consistent pattern across all 50 states. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, Americans aged 65 and older maintained…
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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"Some day people will look at online gambling the way we look at Big Tobacco today: an industry that dishonestly profiteered on addiction and human misery."
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It won’t be that the voters will forget how bad the gop is after the Dems when some elections, it’s that the Dems will fail to bring anything tangibly good for the voters after those wins. The republicans won’t let us they’ll say
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Last announces fundraising event for Haitian community in Springfield
Last announced he is traveling to Ohio to host a live show raising money for the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, with all proceeds going to the organization. He also thanked Bulwark supporters and community members for their engagement and described the experience as a privilege.
“I want to thank you for something else, too, but I'm not really sure how to say it correctly. It may take me a minute to get there.”
— Jonathan V. Last -
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Jonathan V. Last publishes essay on Western democracies' "followership problem"
The Bulwark published Last's essay arguing that Western democracies face a voter problem rather than a leader problem. The piece cites Janan Ganesh's Financial Times column observing that leaders across ideologies have been historically unpopular, suggesting the issue lies with citizens rejecting any costly policies.
What people are saying 3 voices from 2 sites · best of 7 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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Unreadable. Sorry op, but this is an elitist screed full of subsumation and condescension. It's gross, and out of touch.
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Do we now? Because I’ve yet to find a single politicians that agrees with me on my ballot and I’m stuck voting for the lesser of two clowns over and over
- Sep 24
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"It is self-evidently true, at least in America, that voters are not serious adults." Much more on that from JVL in today's Triad: