| Photo by Engin Akyurt on Unsplash
Part I of the “Pocketbook Politics” Series
Several of this columnist’s peers in the Overseas-Filipino Fourth Estate encourage this writer to continue discussing politics. But many say that a new op-ed series on politics must address reforms, especially educating voters. Why? Because the Philippines has a coming congressional and local elections slated for May 12, 2025. And, of course, the United States will have its mid-term elections in 2026. There is a need to discuss what some readers say about the columnist’s earlier presentation on suffrage. Yes, with much hope that voters will eventually move for electoral reforms.
Perhaps we should introduce the “Pocketbook Politics.” This Filipino journalist reworded it from “a 2008 study of voters in Sweden during the 1990s found significant evidence for self-interested ‘pocketbook’ voting. The authors found that voters can and will respond to direct promises of personal economic benefits. However, it appears that citizens respond almost entirely to the prospective promises of politicians but not to the actual implementation of those policies.”
Perhaps people wanting to elect the next U.S. president in 2028 must persuade the candidates of all parties to adopt “Pocketbook Politics,” as it may be enhanced, modified, and/or improved.
Perhaps voters must begin a “Pocketbook Politics” Movement. Can community leaders start the movement in the United States and the Philippines? Maybe the movement can begin in July 2025 — after the Philippine elections and the beginning of the sixth month of the new administration in the United States.
Reformers can start in the United States by discussing the faults of “Crony Capitalism.” On February 1, 2023, this column said, “There is a need for American voters to begin discussing ‘Co-op Capitalism.’ The present economic system has not been able to solve economic problems like recession, poverty, homelessness, healthcare, and education (both inadequate and beyond the reach of many marginal segments of society). And other social cancers.” Read the entire article entitled It Is Time to Discuss “Co-op Capitalism” for the 2024 National Elections at this link.
Sadly, many political party leaders in the United States did not bother to discuss the issues raised in the February 1, 2023, article. Filipino politicians also reacted the same way. This is not due to the absence of ideas but the lack of willpower by the respective national policy and decision-makers to undertake reforms.
