There is an interesting phenomenon in the field of political science 鈥撯�� everyone seems to think they know your expertise just as well, if not better, than you. I will be the first to say that paying $100 thousand for a fancy piece of paper doesn鈥檛 make you smarter than everyone else, and there are plenty of amateur social scientists who prove just that. Degree or not, having spent a substantial amount of time on the study of political science surely makes one better equipped than the average American. Right?
I don鈥檛 pretend to know anything when my STEM friends are talking about their latest organic chemistry assignment. I don鈥檛 know jack squat about the economy, even though I probably should, but when my econ friends start talking, I shut up and listen. Sure, I might know a little bit about space and a lot about Ancient Greece and Rome, but you won鈥檛 see me standing up on a soapbox preaching as if I were a rocket scientist or historian. Even with hours and hours of study on the subject of political science, I still struggle to consider myself a 鈥減olitical scientist.鈥�
If the general public recognizes that they know next to nothing about chemistry, meteorology, supply chains and electrical engineering, why do so many people confidently proclaim to know lots about politics?
One could make the argument that it is because politics affects our day-to-day lives or that it is more accessible in a way that other fields are not. Unlike all these other subjects, where expertise is earned through years of study, politics is everywhere. It is on TV, social media and in casual conversations. Everyone has opinions, and with enough confidence, opinions can start to feel like expertise.
But that kind of confidence can be dangerous.
The entirety of last year, people far and wide were shouting from the rooftops to 鈥渄o your own research鈥� and 鈥渄on鈥檛 just listen to Fox News/CNN!鈥� And while I hope that a good many people actually took said advice and tried to string together their own opinions prior to the general election, it is getting more and more difficult to parse through information and know what is legitimate. Even worse are people proclaiming to be experts who are outright spreading mis- or disinformation when many are none the wiser.聽
Look here! We are WeLoveGreenHouseGases.com telling you first and foremost 鈥� definitely with no ulterior motive 鈥� that climate change isn鈥檛 real. You found us on the first page of Google, so we are definitely, totally legitimate.
See how ridiculous that sounds? It is the perfect example of how misinformation spreads and echo chambers are born.
If I won鈥檛 pretend to be a mechanical engineer or a classical musician, why would you pretend to know about politics or how to pick through political information?
When looking for informants to place your bets on, trust experts.聽
Experts are people who study and devote their lives to understanding their subject and are actively pursuing and seeking more knowledge. Experts don鈥檛 necessarily need a degree, or an advanced one at that, but are just generally someone who knows a lot and actively wants to uncover more.
Most economists said that Trump鈥檚 our trade allies is going to be terrible for the US economy. Nobody listened. Most political scientists said that and attacks on democratic institutions lead to. Nobody listened. Most historians say that the rise of authoritarian rhetoric, spreading disinformation and efforts to undermine fair elections mirror early . Nobody is listening.
Because nobody listened to the experts prior to the 2024 election 鈥� the people who actually know what you all thought you did 鈥� the people who have devoted their lives to their field and the pursuit of new, substantiated knowledge now lost their place in governance. And somehow even worse, the Trump administration is actively undermining the pursuit of education through their on the National Health Institute, from the World Health Organization and now the from the UN Human Rights Council.
We are left with a bunch of idiots at the helm of the world鈥檚 wealthiest nation, a nation that is on a perilous descent toward science denial and the discreditation of human rights. A vaccine denier is about to become the, not a doctor of medicine or scientist. A Fox News host is our, not a military or foreign affairs expert. Many of Trump鈥檚 other picks to lead agencies and cabinet positions are deemed by the masses.
Not only that, but we also have at the right side of the president. Not politicians or policy experts, scientists or public relations professionals. Three of the richest men in the world who made their wealth off the exploitation of their employees, who had a far greater head start than any one person reading this column now.聽
Having businessmen, nurses and engineers in politics isn鈥檛 the negative here. Those professions and people can, and should, represent the American people in governance. The problem lies when expertise is dismissed altogether and leadership is handed to those who neither understand governance nor respect the Constitution. When nepotism trumps knowledge, we don鈥檛 get better policies 鈥� we get avoidable disasters.
When the ultra-wealthy, whose only real expertise is hoarding capital, become the loudest voices in the ear of the head of state, democracy becomes a playground for the powerful, where the rules are rewritten to benefit the few at the expense of the many. The implications of this are chilling 鈥� a society where policy is crafted not for the common good but for the preservation of wealth and the consolidation of power. The erosion of trust in science, the discreditation of human rights and the dismantling of democratic institutions all serve as a blueprint for democratic backsliding.
It is an age of anti-intellectualism and unchecked greed. I shouldn鈥檛 be surprised that people do not want experts in positions of power when over refused to vote for a career-long prosecutor, attorney general, senator and vice president over a businessman and with to his name.
When it comes time to appeal for our mistakes, hopefully we choose to make up for the damage the next four years are bound to cause and defer to experts. Look to them for guidance. Trust those who have dedicated their lives to understanding the complexities of governance, law, economics and human rights 鈥� not those who simply have enough money to buy a seat at the table.
Livia LaMarca is the assistant editor of the opinions desk who misses using the Oxford comma. She mostly writes about American political discourse, US pop culture and social movements. Write to her at [email protected] to share your own opinions!
