A young congressional staffer, when questioned about the speed with which a law was passed, responded with confusion, showing a clear generational difference in the perception of what is normal in politics. This perception contrasts with previous experiences, where legislative processes were slower and more deliberative. The passage of the law, which combined health, tax, immigration, and energy issues, was done without hearings or amendments, a process that previously required months of committee work and public debate. This new normal, where efficiency takes precedence over deliberation, marks a significant change in how governance is exercised.

The term 'shifting baselines', originally used in ecology, describes how each generation considers the state of the environment they knew in their youth as normal, regardless of its deterioration. In politics, this translates into the acceptance of practices that would previously be considered unacceptable. A clear example is government shutdowns, which were once exceptional events and are now perceived as routine incidents. This normalization of dysfunction lowers the threshold for future crises, eroding society's ability to recognize and correct the deterioration of governance.

Young Americans, growing up in the 2020s, have witnessed significant events such as the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, massive protests, clashes on college campuses, and ICE raids. These experiences, which spread rapidly on social media, have normalized political instability. This constant exposure to tension creates a burden for the current generation, which perceives conflict as a norm, rather than an exception. The frequency and intensity of these events represent a fundamental change, a 'shifting baseline', that affects the perception of governance.

The lack of knowledge of how democracy operated in the past makes it difficult for new generations to recognize the need for change. By accepting a more eroded version of governance, it becomes harder to justify the need for course correction. This dynamic is similar to fisheries management, where the lack of historical data on healthy populations led to overexploitation and the collapse of the fishing industry. The inability to remember the fundamental principles of democracy can lead to irreversible consequences.

Dr. Sheril Kirshenbaum, an expert in science policy and communication, warns that if 'shifting baselines' shift too far, the restoration of functional governance could become unimaginable. The young congressional staffer, by not understanding the concern about the accelerated passage of the law, reflected her generation's perception. The key question is whether future generations will be able to remember the principles on which American democracy was founded. The ecological answer suggests that, if baselines shift too far, restoration may be impossible.