> It doesn't really matter whether 30% of the population supports these things or 60%.
In two-party democracies, 30% and 60% are exactly the percentages that do matter.
At 30% support you can expect no change - even human rights violations will scarcely be considered a relevant political issue with such a level of support.
Once you hit 60% support, you can expect reform that won't be rolled back.
Exactly as we have seen with gay marriage in the USA.
Support for gay marriage reached 40% around 2005 - I can't establish when it hit 30%, as it was rarely polled in the decade before this.
Support reached 60% for the first time in 2015 - the year when the Supreme Court ruled it a constitutional right.
It’s true that these numbers do matter when it comes to _implementing_ these laws, my argument is that it isn’t a useful barometer for the quality of the ideas.
In your example, 60% of people didn’t support gay marriage in 2005. I would argue that gay marriage didn’t become a “better” idea between 2005 and 2015. It was always a good idea that provided tangible benefits to gay people, public opinion didn’t just reflect this.
This is sort of aimed at other comments in this discussion, which seemed to be lamenting that the “polarizing” ideas were being pushed in people. I don’t really care if something like, say, a “bathroom bill” is considered a polarizing culture war issue or how many people support it. It has an effect on me and the other trans people in my life, and I don’t feel any inclination to compromise on my position
In two-party democracies, 30% and 60% are exactly the percentages that do matter.
At 30% support you can expect no change - even human rights violations will scarcely be considered a relevant political issue with such a level of support.
Once you hit 60% support, you can expect reform that won't be rolled back.
Exactly as we have seen with gay marriage in the USA. Support for gay marriage reached 40% around 2005 - I can't establish when it hit 30%, as it was rarely polled in the decade before this. Support reached 60% for the first time in 2015 - the year when the Supreme Court ruled it a constitutional right.