Welcome to the Silent Centrist
Today's political landscape can seem an inescapable pit of polarization. Like many people, I have become exhausted with the hateful or inflammatory rhetoric used by most politicians. It seems as though any good person can't make it in politics and as such, there aren't any left. This can be depressing, as the problems our country faces don't stop just because political parties can't agree on a solution. This leads to a political gridlock where parties think no solution is better than a solution given by the other party.
Now I know that polarization is an issue that can quickly snowball into bigger problems. It can make people more likely to use personal insults and attacks over productive speech. It lessens the ability to see common ground and reach compromises. But polarization doesn't have to be bad. Polarization is, in some ways, a form of diversity. Stark as the contrast might be between two sets of ideas, polarization is just that - two sets of ideas. I strongly believe that a diverse set of ideas is what makes this country strong, and that we need to stop demonizing those who hold political beliefs different from our own.
That is what brings us to what I believe is the true issue that our country faces today. It doesn't take a political scientist to see the problems that polarization has caused. But I believe that the way to end the negative effects of polarization isn't to try and silence other views, but rather elevate the voice of the voiceless. By diversifying the voices we hear, the power the polar opposites hold on our attention diminishes, and with it we can see that there are many more things that unite us than divide us.
That is my dream with the Silent Centrist. I may not have the influence or the pervasiveness of others, but what I do have is my voice. And, even if only for my own sanity, I will raise it against the powers that divide us. I will remain silent no longer, but rather use my voice to unify in whatever small way I can.
We can go farther, together.
Let's go forward, together.
Let's go forward, together.
Why We Need a Refresher on Government
Jan 7, 2026
The divided times in which we live make it difficult to find compromise and common ground. In our current "us vs. them" mentality, compromise has been redefined as capitulation—the idea that the other side must come entirely to us. This leads to impasses rather than progress, a reality that, at least to me, feels truly uninspiring. I’ve heard many people say, politicians and citizens alike, that democracy is at stake—that we are slipping into autocracy. Others dismiss this as alarmist, arguing that the system simply grants the President the powers he is currently using. The strange thing is that both of these arguments have been wielded by both major political parties over the past 30 years. Analysts fear that we, as a people, simply don’t want democracy anymore.
This hit me hard recently while listening to a podcast I enjoy. The hosts argued that the younger generation doesn’t seem to grasp the importance of democracy, and they ridiculed the idea that this generation would even consider other forms of government. While I share their love of democracy and believe it to be the safest form of government, I was disappointed by their analysis. Instead of ridicule, we need understanding. Why are people looking elsewhere? To answer that, I would like to propose a simple metric for understanding what the government is, how it works, and what role it plays.
First, what is government? I would simply describe government as the power to influence or control another. If we break the word down, to govern is to exercise power. The suffix -ment means “the act of” or “the process of.” So, in this case, the act of governing. On a small scale, you could consider each family a government. On a large scale, we have state governments like the United States or China. The only way to control or influence someone is by the use of power. That power might be physical force or coercion. It might be diplomatic force or persuasion. But government can also be understood as the use of power and who holds it. On one extreme, everyone holds power. On the other, one person holds power. And then there are plenty of options in between where many, or few, people hold power.
Second, how does government work? The mechanics depend on the transfer of power. In a republic, the people hold the power initially but cede it to a smaller group of representatives, usually through an election. In a dictatorship, the leader holds power and delegates it downward to others to execute his decisions.
Finally, what role does government play? In my opinion, this is the question we must ask ourselves continually in a democracy. In what aspects of our lives are we willing to cede power to influence? This touches on the balance of freedom, liberty, justice, and order. What should the government prioritize in its exertion of power?
When you can answer all these questions, you can define what government you have. You can also understand the strengths and weaknesses of said government. Growing up in the United States, the words of the Preamble to the Constitution help us understand these questions.
- “We the People” means the power resides with everyone.
- “Do ordain and establish this Constitution” means that we cede our power to the Constitution.
- “In Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty...” shows the general ideas of what the government should be doing.
But over time, things change. With evolving culture and advancing technology, the government must adapt to these changes. As the government adapts, we readdress those three aspects of government: what the government is, how it works, and what role it plays. Or put in other words, who holds the power, how it is exercised, and over what aspects of life it affects.
Over the next few posts, I’ll be unpacking these concepts one by one. I hope you’ll follow along as we attempt to cut through the noise, refine our definitions, and get back to the basics of how we govern ourselves—so that, just maybe, we can work together once more.