The Electoral Capture of Mental Illness
When referring to people who suffer from a mental illness, the term encompasses anyone who is diagnosed with a disorder in which the symptoms negatively affect their everyday lives. Mental illness is a broad term for those who suffer from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and a number of other classifications. These disorders are brought on by factors outside of individual control, such as environment, physical health, and genetics. People who experience these issues seek help and guidance through our healthcare system from institutions that provide services like therapy, psychiatry, and in some cases, hospitalization. The implications of mental health have long been stigmatized through a negative light and today more than ever before, people are trying to break those connotations. Thus, people who suffer from a mental illness are looking to our government to better their treatment through access to services, medications, and help to reduce costs. People who suffer from a mental illness are inherently electorally captured by the Democratic party. Their concerns for bettering their ability to be active citizens are historically ignored by the Republican party, forcing them to look toward Democrats who support equality for all, reduced, or in some cases, free healthcare and are looking toward positive ways to cease the stigma.
People diagnosed with mental illness tend to migrate toward a Democratic vote. According to an ISideWith.com active poll, while both parties agree that the government should increase funding for mental health research and treatment, 73% of Republicans voted yes while 96% of Democrats voted yes. The poll displays how over 10 thousand (10,662) Republicans disagree compared to only about a tenth of that number (1,685) for Democrats who disagree; in terms of funding. Historically, people who vote Republican generally have better mental health than that of Democrats. According to a 2007 report, “Fifty-eight percent of Republicans report having excellent mental health, compared to 43% of independents and 38% of Democrats. This relationship between party identification and reports of excellent mental health persists even within categories of income, age, gender, church attendance, and education” (Newport, 2007). Thus, it makes sense as to why Democrats capture the vote of people who are suffering from a mental illness.
According to The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, “States have the authority to establish voting qualifications, as long as these qualifications are in line with federal regulations… In the past, states have used this power to prevent “undesirable” groups from voting by enacting laws that established additional barriers to casting ballots, which in reaction prompted the enactment of federal laws. These federal laws include the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Help America Vote Act” (Okwerekwu, et. al, 2018). These specific acts work together to see through that individuals with mental disabilities have equal opportunity as well as access to voting accompanied by necessary assistance. The first two acts were set in place under a Democratic president, leading the way for the rest of history to model the idea of ‘equal opportunity.’
With the current presidential election coming up, the Democratic party is addressing mental health and healthcare overall as one of its main concerns. The idea of free healthcare has come up quite a bit in the recent debates and it is expressed as a positive concept, however, is questioned by everyone on how that would realistically be carried out. The Republican party has made an effort in appealing to mental health, but they lag behind Democrats by consistently putting mental illness in a negative light. For example, treatment is often mentioned following a mass shooting, implicating that people with mental disorders are nothing but dangerous individuals who need to be put away and hidden from society.
Overall, people diagnosed with a mental disorder and even those undiagnosed that experience any symptoms, tend to lean toward the Democratic party. The party has supported them in the past and continues to do so by offering plans of help to access the specific care they need. The Republican party tries to make an effort, but seemingly categorizes mental disabilities in the same group as gun control, furthering the stigma surrounding mental health. The Democratic Party has posed ideas of free healthcare for all, yet only time can tell if that will actually be put in place as a helpful tool in bettering mental health access. Consequently, those who suffer from a mental illness are electorally captured by the Democratic party.
References:
“Mental Health Poll Results for Democrat Voters.” ISideWith, https://www.isidewith.com/poll/287142613/481256252.
Newport, Frank. Republicans Report Much Better Mental Health Than Others. Gallup, 30 Nov. 2007, https://news.gallup.com/poll/102943/republicans-report-much-better-mental-health-than-others.aspx.
Okwerekwu, Jennifer A., et al. “Voting by People with Mental Illness.” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 31 Oct. 2018, http://jaapl.org/content/early/2018/10/31/JAAPL.003780-18.
