Populism and post-fact politics may define the political discourse of 2016, but the victories for Trump and Brexit signify a greater arc towards the failure of the two party political system.
It is traditionally difficult to convince people to step away from the status quo and make a leap into the unknown, but on both sides of the Atlantic the public voted for uncertain futures. Brexit was never clearly defined and Donald Trump is a completely unknown quantity, with political positions on both sides of most issues.
The social bubbles within which we have all surrounded ourselves has meant that the results came as a surprise to many, but the warning signs were there for all to see. The question now is how to adapt to the new world, with a new-found anchor in reality.
A wave of populism and charismatic leaders certainly helped push Trump and Brexit to victory, but the loud and widespread support both campaigns received signifies a deeper problem in the politics of the US and the UK – a feeling amongst many that they have been deserted by the establishment parties of both the left and right.
Those of us that live in successful international cities like London, New York, and Los Angeles have seen the benefits of globalisation and the wealth of opportunities and culture it brings. We hide away in our social bubbles, blissfully unaware that globalisation has also put a huge strain on other areas of the country, notably rural areas and old mining and factory towns.
People in these towns and cities have seen jobs move away to economic centres at home and abroad. For decades they have been slowly stripped of their opportunities, and no matter which party has been in power – the slow decay of their home towns has continued.
It may be that social media has allowed these disenfranchised groups to discover they are not alone in their frustration and to band together to become a political movement, but the problems have been growing for decades. Their quiet discontent was been allowed to fester because neither party was working to improve their situation, and this year they finally had the ability to cast a vote to show their displeasure.
The political establishment on all sides supported Remain in the EU referendum, and so Brexit offered disenfranchised Britons a chance to make clear that both Labour and the Conservatives had failed them. And Donald Trump, a political outsider that had openly fought against the Republican party machine to become their presidential nominee and then against establishment Democrat Hillary Clinton, offered disenfranchised Americans the same opportunity.
It is not that these groups necessarily supported Brexit or Trump in particular, their vague campaign promises makes it difficult to know here they stand on most issues, but that they would prefer to jump into the unknown than spend any more time on the sidelines watching their opportunities disappear.