I believe:

He frowns at his choices on the ballot before him. Despite having heard numerous speeches about the candidates’ platforms, he only feels disconnected from the issues presented and debated, which have nothing to do with his life. The inflammatory statements hurled from each party are merely white noise. He reluctantly checks the box next to the candidate who he has heard the most about online and through television. With a sigh of disappointment, he submits his ballot and walks away. Politics have become ___ in which millions of voters struggle to find their place within the changing narrative of identity politics.

Identity politics assume that groups who adhere to a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social or cultural identity are monoliths, large and powerful organizations whose members’ opinions are not easily changed and whose members do not consider the opinions of the people the organization affects. In other words, people are separated into groups based on their physical characteristics instead of their individual beliefs. Social organizations are formed based on factors such as religion, race, sex, disability and education, and have sparked political movements such as the feminist movement, the gay liberation movement and the hashtag BlackLivesMatter.

The exclusion of certain minorities under the umbrella of one overarching group often makes them feel like outsiders within their community. As an example, many believe that African Americans experience systematic racism; thus, certain politicians assume that all African Americans lack civil rights. To judge people on their immutable characteristics—skin color, sexuality, etc.—is actually the essence of what prejudice really is.

“I feel that [identity politics are] unnecessary because someone’s sexuality is private and doesn’t affect others,” said freshman Austin Tong. “Someone’s personal religious beliefs shouldn’t infringe upon another person’s rights as a citizen.”

By emphasizing these ideological differences between minorities, identity politics are inherently prejudiced in their tendency to categorize people based on their physical appearance rather than their personalized beliefs and experiences.

Instead of focusing on issues that affect everyone in the United States, such as taxes, social security and candidate transparency, the Democratic party continues to prioritize issues that polarize their voting base. While discussions about race and privilege may not appeal to everyone, many people are interested in voting for a politician who explains how they are reliable and what concrete economic policies they plan to implement.

“The Democrats,” said Steve Bannon, Trump’s former adviser, “the longer they talk about identity politics, I got ’em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.”

The Democratic party, however, has seen an increase in popularity when its politicians focus on quantifiable issues. On Jun. 20, democrat Jon Ossoff lost the special election by 4 points to republican Karen Handel in Georgia’s right-leaning Sixth District, but his actions inspired a change in the area. By refraining from using words such as “racist” and “xenophobic,” Ossoff avoided using identity politics and created an open atmosphere to talk the economy, immigration and safety. His new perspective caught the eyes of as many as 12,000 volunteers within the district, and many more from around the country.

More recently, democrat Conor Lamb won a special House election in the state’s 18th Congressional District, where he ran a campaign that focused on social security and union rights.

Lamb’s win signaled a change in the democratic party’s outreach strategy, since its support for a moderate candidate shows a gradual shift away from identity politics. Rather than funding a candidate whose platform centered around social issues, its support for an economic platform shows its successful attempt to appeal to a broader range of Americans. While this change in platform may not appeal to all democrats, it helps the party garner support from more people.

“The first step in adapting is to accept that fact that things will change and that we have no option, but to embrace the change,” said senior Anushka Srivastava. “The earlier you realize that, the better it is. Since I have relocated numerous times over my 17 years, I have gotten used to moving on. I have always tried to keep a positive outlook and that has really helped me adjust.”

Although identity politics allow certain minorities to have their voices heard on a national platform, the idea that people vote based on their race or gender simply distracts politicians from the main issues at hand.