Why are so many people over our globe thinking their government is failing?

The phenomen impacting many, if not most, incumbents

Excerpt: Incumbency was once a powerful electoral advantage: A sitting leader could cement bonds with constituents and donors that translated into support at the ballot box. But last year, wielding power was evidently a drag on leaders’ popularity, for reasons apparently not rooted in the specifics of the politics of their countries. In 2024, incumbent parties and their candidates lost ground virtually everywhere, whether they were right-wing or left-wing, moderate or radical, competent or incompetent, rich or poor.

Voters all over the world felt that their ruling parties weren’t delivering for them in 2024. How could they all be wrong? But if their governments span the gamut of policies and values, how could they all be right?

The phenomenon seemingly coincided with the global rise of what I’ve elsewhere called the “three Ps”: populism, polarization, and post-truth.

These trends offer a clue, but whether they are the cause or the effect of the turn on incumbents is not a simple question.