An open letter to the County Councillors of Tipperary

One-upmanship, local politics and the political party first mentality are all interconnected aspects of modern politics that often shape the landscape of what is termed participatory democratic systems.

Sound bite democracy, on the other hand, refers to the trend of political discourse being condensed into catchy, attention-grabbing statements rather than substantive discussions.

One-upmanship is a competitive behaviour in which individuals’ political parties and groupings try to outdo or surpass one another. In politics, this manifests as politicians or political parties engaging in a constant game of trying to appear superior to their opponents.

They may do this by making grandiose promises, criticising their opponents, or highlighting their own accomplishments. One-upmanship is driven by the desire for power, popularity, or electoral success, as opposed to actual political leadership or intervention on an issue.

Local politics refers to the political dynamics and decision-making processes that occur at the grassroots level, typically within smaller geographic areas such as cities, towns, or municipal districts. Local politics often involve issues that directly affect residents' daily lives, such as education, infrastructure, planning regulations, or public services.

These issues can be fiercely contested, as different groups or individuals vie for influence and control over local resources and policies and the publicity or perceived goodwill and potential votes.

The 'political party first' mentality refers to a political culture where party interests and loyalty take precedence over the greater good or the interests of constituents. In such a system, party leaders and members prioritise their party's success, maintaining party discipline, and furthering their party's agenda even if it conflicts with individual or public interests.

This mentality hinders cooperation and compromise between different parties, impeding effective governance and decision-making, and is an anathema to actual participatory democracy.

Sound bite democracy describes a situation where political discourse and communication are reduced to short, easily digestible sound bites or slogans. In an age of media saturation and shorter attention spans, politicians often face pressure from their respective parties to condense their messages into brief, attention-grabbing statements that can be quickly understood and shared.

This leads to the oversimplification of complex issues, shallow analysis, and a focus on emotional appeal rather than substantive policy discussions.

These concepts are interrelated and can have both positive and negative consequences for democratic systems. While competition in politics can foster innovation and accountability, excessive one-upmanship may result in a lack of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Similarly, while political parties are essential for representing diverse interests, an overemphasis on party loyalty hinders the ability to address pressing societal issues objectively. Sound bite democracy can help capture public attention but may also oversimplify complex problems and discourage in-depth understanding. Striking a balance between these dynamics is crucial for healthy and effective democratic governance.

This is never more on view than the ongoing housing crisis, which is caused by Government policy, restrictive and non-existent house building, and constant sound bites by politicians over the last 15 years instead of actual political leadership or intervention means we have 13,000+ homeless, 45,000+ in hotels as emergency accommodation with 160,00 empty properties that could and should be upgraded and or renovated to bring them back into use, yet Government policy despite all the bluster and hand wringing still does not intervene, the for-profit model or as some politicians often say “let the market decide, or rents are at a level that the market can bare” tell that to those in precarious housing situations, those using 50% of their income just for rent, or the children of families storing up future mental and physical health issues by having to live in one room sharing a bathroom with so many, all to be faced by an already ailing health service in the future.

So, let us look to the future, the needs of society, and not just the potential for votes, if you truly worked for the people for our communities as a whole and intervened on their behalf sound bites and one-upmanship would not be needed!

Mike Edwards
Roscrea Community Hub