Politics and economics

Do politics and economics mix?

The candidates we elect to public office will have to face economic problems and vice-versa. Economic problems will, sort of, stare at them in the face in course of their campaign.

Their rounds of campaigning will bring them to areas where most of the people can be categorized as falling below the poverty line or falling below the minimum income needed to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter (which is approximately P7,000 per family per month).

It is in these sorties where the candidates can devote time to talk about economic problems such as unemployment, low incomes, factors that impede production, and similar indicators of poverty. They can also talk about the “good things” in the communities and how these have helped their lives. In other words, instead of talking about political strategies, these sorties or “caucuses” as commonly called can be used as opportunities for discussing economic strategies.

They should look at the resources in these areas and propose solutions which, when elected, they should implement. If solutions have been tried, but were inadequate, a discussion of how to improve them can be made.

However, these candidates will realize as their campaign progresses that the funds and powers of the local government units they will be serving will not be sufficient to solve many of these problems. They will then have to think of funding sources other than local government units. Also, some solutions, if not properly analyzed could lead to problems perhaps even bigger than the initial problem.

It would do well for these candidates while campaigning, to consult “experts” or technicians such as agriculturists, engineers, and health workers so that appropriate solutions are arrived at.

A campaign that focuses on solving economic problems is ideal because the candidates will be ready to get to work on solving these problems immediately after they are sworn to office. To use an idiom – they should “hit the ground running”.

There are other issues that can be talked about in the campaign including those on the personality and character of the candidates and their ability to govern given their backgrounds.

These may be important but my view is that the economic issues must be given priority because these affect the daily lives of the people they will be serving.

It seems that the effect of politics on economics takes the back seat for the most part in local elections. It is time to change this practice. “Bring it to a higher level” as I have heard one prospective aspirant propose.

Do politics and economics mix?