Across the U.S., people are grumpy. In poll after poll, we think our economy is failing us, our government is incompetent, our moral compass is adrift and we are being taken over by immigrants who have swamped our borders. That all of these statements are false is why I remain confused and worried.

Our economy grew 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023, more than under any recent administration, while unemployment remains low, wages are high, and last month inflation fell below 3% for the first time in years. America stands alone in world economies that have managed to maintain strong post-pandemic growth while taming inflation. And the stock market is at an all-time high.

So why are we grumpy? Could it be the “we-they” problem?

Our middle and lower-level earners are just beginning to notice that times are not only better, but continue to improve for their benefit. The massive amount of money that the last tax cut poured into the pockets of the already rich did nothing for most of us, but it did widen that income disparity gap. The rich were not seriously impacted by the pandemic, but ordinary Americans were. It’s no fun watching wealthy folks buying whatever they want while we cannot find affordable housing or childcare. That would make anyone grumpy.

As to our government being incompetent, you can certainly get depressed when other state governors claim powers that they don’t have and send desperate people on buses north to states that are willing to give them food and housing and jobs. We in New York take these people in rather than sending them back, something to be proud of. God knows we need workers and thanks to the negotiations that our state led, these new arrivals can now work and help our economy. But the battle over “states rights” harks back to the Civil War, a battle that was won on the battlefield, ended slavery, and forever said that states could not make national laws or policies. Try telling that to a few of our southern governors.

And immigration, an admitted problem (worldwide), needs to be addressed, we all agree. But one party, in order to create an election issue, is preventing us from implementing generally agreed-to border policies. Because U.S. law allows those who enter illegally seeking asylum to have their eligibility assessed before they are turned back, thousands are released with instructions to show up for immigration court hearings scheduled years later. We could fix this quickly, but political tribalism is standing in the way. You cannot blame the party in power, whether Democrat or Republican, but you can blame the elected officials who think that politics is a blood sport where our wellbeing and safety take a back seat to “winning.” No wonder that we are depressed and grumpy.

Then there is the minor issue of our position in the world. We may not think that what happens in Europe, the Middle East or Asia affects us, but we are beginning to notice the erratic worldwide weather, the impact a breakdown in international trade can have on the price of everything, not to mention the possibility of a third World War. If Russia wins in Ukraine, a broader European war, that we are obligated by treaty to join, is sure to follow. China’s designs on Taiwan are only slowed or thwarted by our commitments to help defend the island. Thanks to us pulling out of the Iran enrichment accords Iran is now weeks or months, not years, away from having fissionable nuclear material. Current events in the Middle East could rapidly escalate into a war with Iran, Hezbollah, Syria and Hamas on one side and us, Israel and possibly Saudi Arabia on the other. If you think the gas lines of the ’70s were long, you haven’t seen anything yet. Fortress America is a concept from past centuries. Our oceans no longer protect us, our diplomacy, economic and military power do. The possibility of us abandoning Taiwan, the Ukraine, NATO, or Israel should make us scared, not just grumpy.

Last but not least is our Supreme Court. Its radicalization, something most of us thought could not happen, has resulted in time-tested precedents being overturned, against the wishes of most Americans. Money in politics, freedom to manage our own healthcare, the federal government’s power to regulate our environmental protections, and the aforementioned state’s rights have all been altered by this court. That change was the direct result of who we elected.

Elections matter. We have a dysfunctional Congress, a divided Senate, and two old men running for president. We cannot solve the age problem, but we can assess the mental competency of the contenders, their recent track records, and their programs. As for Congress, we can solve the tribalism issue by giving one party a majority for a while then by throwing it out if it cannot address the issues I listed. By putting the voters back in control.

So vote, it will make you less grumpy.

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Lee Keet lives in Saranac Lake.