Without balance (and gravity), in a physical sense, people would simply topple over, unable to right themselves. Although this may seem foolish, the sad truth is that physical balance seems to be the only prevalent one in the United States.

Today, millions of citizens will go to the polls and cast their vote in this midterm election. I am reminded of the last major election in this country: the 2008 presidential election. Nearly two years ago, this nation was in a frenzy, calling for change and lifting up the man that promised it to them: Barack Obama.

That nation was ready for President Obama and the Democrats to take over and begin shaking the foundation of America, repairing and recreating a system that people saw as broken and outdated.

Today, we see a much different political climate. Democrats are under fire and President Obama’s approval rating has dropped significantly since he first entered office. Yet again, people are calling for a changing of the guard.

The question I have is a simple one: why? Why must the pendulum swing so far, so often?

In my lifetime alone, I have seen immense shifts of power within our government happen within a matter of years.  It seems that there is no balance in the political system and that nobody truly wants to achieve it.

This concept may seem naïve or simplistic in nature, but balance seems like it should be the ultimate goal in our political system. Balance to provide fair and intelligent debate that, hopefully, ends in the best result for the American people. Balance to provide adequate climate for business as well as important public goods. Balance to provide the best solutions for the majority, while still respecting the minority.

Unfortunately, this idea of balance, the one that seems so simplistic, appears to be one with which this nation struggles greatly.

Working to attain balance should not be a practice reserved for toddlers learning to walk, or gymnasts performing in competitions; it should be a part of how our country is run.

Balance is not reserved for the conservatives and liberals, but can be employed in people’s work, their recreation, their diet, their family and, truly, their entire lives.

No longer should we furiously and relentlessly push the pendulum side to side hoping to achieve balance by averaging two extremes. Rather, we must let the pendulum slow and stop, eventually reaching that golden point of equilibrium that would usher this nation into a harmonious state of balance.

The United States has long stood on the edge of greatness, with inordinate amounts of untapped potential waiting to be used. We simply need to take that single step off the extreme edge and onto the flat and balanced ground of said greatness. As one great country, the United States of America, let us restore balance to the land.