Today we’re going to coin a new phrase – “totem politics.”
Totem politics describes symbolic but futile gestures made by politicians. These gestures are meant to satisfy the need for somebody to “do something,” yet without actually doing anything. Totem politics make politicians look good, and the rest of us feel good. But they accomplish nothing.
For example: Gov. Patrick plans to create a "cabinet-level education secretary, as part of an effort to make education a top issue for 2008," the Globe reported yesterday.
It’s hard to see how creating a new secretariat will make education a “top issue” in 2008 or any other year. Was it not a top issue in 2007? Does it take a new government agency to render something a “top issue”? That's "totem politics."
Christopher Anderson, who currently serves on the Board of Education, questions the usefulness of new layers of bureaucracy:
"Absent any clear and substantive challenge that is being presented by the size of [the Board of Education] I don't see any justification at this point in time for adding to its size…
“I'm not quite sure you need to change the underlying statutory authority among any of these three [existing education] boards to a single individual who now is completely politically appointed."
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