Ever wonder why presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump sound so similar despite being from different political parties? Both rail against free trade, the establishment, and harken back to a mythical time in the country when there was a chicken in every pot and an American manufacturing every product we use.
In the video below, Utah State University Professor Diana Thomas explains this phenomenon using the “median voter theorem,” which states that politicians tailor their rhetoric to the general voter to get as many votes possible. Trump and Sanders are making a bet that the general voter – and not just the fringes – are fed up with Washington. With surveys showing that approval of Congress is in the single digits, who can blame them?
“In a two party system with majority rule,” concludes Professor Thomas, “the median voter is the prize they’re all fighting for.”