5 Demands Middle Class Voters Should Have for Politicians in 2012

This troubles Robert S. Kaplan, author of the new business leadership book What to Ask the Person in the Mirror. "[The middle class] is the engine of a country's prosperity. Show me an economy with an eroding middle class and you will see broader socioeconomic problems," he says. "Show me a growing middle class, and you will have growth and a healthier country."


1. Ask the critical questions. "How do we deleverage and foster economic growth?" is a better question than simply "How do we cut?" argues Kaplan. He advocates for entitlement reform as well as new spending on infrastructure and small business credit support as economic ways to lift middle-income earners. In the coming election cycle, voters should ask two questions: What are these candidates' visions for the middle class of the United States? What do they see as the top three ways to build it? Candidates who cannot answer with real analysis and fact-based plans are probably not strong chief executive candidates, he says.
2. Start with a clean slate. "Try to move beyond the way we used to do things," he says, "and think about how to address our current challenges. ... People do an incredible job of adapting once they face reality." Focus on key priorities such as education, health care and retirement savings.
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3. Demand leadership rather than clever tactics. Kaplan argues that the "coy" tactics of some political leaders have created a vacuum for essential explanations and plans. This has left the middle class with a feeling of powerlessness. "Leaders need to explain the current situation and articulate a plan -- at least present a straw man for debate." He says questions such as How is globalization affecting middle class jobs? What invisible forces are putting pressure on the economy? should be framed and explained to the country.4. Say "no" to pledges. "In private business, if you took a pledge to not face reality, you would be out of business pretty quickly," says Kaplan. "In this case, Washington needs to take a cue from business. ... If you want to be successful, you don't start with tactics. You start with a vision for how to add value. If you do those things, you will make money."
The risk of pledge-taking politicians, he says, is that they close the door on analysis and new ideas. Compromise is an essential part of leadership; he argues that for the middle class to thrive, it needs "leaders who are willing to be open to debate and argue issues on the merits based on analysis of current problems" rather than relying on election cycle pledges.
5. Insist on a road map. CEOs who don't have a vision and a plan are quickly shown the door by shareholders. Why should it be any different in Washington, asks Kaplan. His definition of leadership -- "searching for what you believe, then having the courage to act on it" -- means that political leaders need to stick their necks out and worry less about re-election. "Put out your plan," he says. Will you get beat up? Yes, but it will also be a starting point for debate and progress toward solutions."
Catherine New is a staff writer with DailyFinance. You can reach her at catherine.new@huffingtonpost.com.