Boise State Political Science students want a return to discourse, less partisanship

As a new generation heads to the polls in 2024, two political science students at Boise State University say that among them and their peers, a return to respectful discourse and compromise is the only way forward.

“I think we are obligated to help those countries that can’t help themselves,” Donia Tolentino, a political science student at BSU said. “I do think it’s important for us to think about how the rest of the world is effected by what we do.”

Both students emphasized that the world they’ve grown up in has been filled with conflict, and though they may not agree on how, expressed a desire to see the United States continue to act as a leader on the world stage.

“The role of the U.S., as I see it, is to be a stabilizer in the world and it feels like that hasn’t been present in the past four years,” Ethan LaHague, a political science and psychology double-major at BSU told me. “The war in Ukraine, now there’s war in the Middle East. I think we need to take a step up in global leadership again.”

Alongside American leadership, both expressed a desire to rid the political process of the kind of partisanship currently present in the 2024 cycle.

“Both sides think there’s a problem, but neither side can agree on what it is. You have these people who are not in conversation with each other, even though they agree there is a problem,” LaHague said. “We have to solve that problem so we’re not on the edge of our seats every election, so that we can stop saying ‘this is the most important election in your lifetime,’ or ‘unless you vote, the country is going to fall apart.'”

In the place of controversy and partisanship, both students said they, and many of their peers, want to see a return to a marketplace of ideas, where things can be discussed across partisan lines, and compromises can be met.

“People need to get back to just talking to each other,” Tolentino said. “I think because those party labels are so set up, we already have those assumptions, and you have that list that pops up in your head whenever you meet someone. This is probably what they believe, and this is probably what they choose. We shouldn’t jump to these conclusions about who the person is. I think its important we set aside differences and have a conversation.”

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