"Feel good politics"

By the early 2000's, everyone was following the Clintonian lead and was fully engaged in "feel good politics". Both parties were fully engaged in this practice. So we didn't like people who ran red lights in their cars. OK. Let's show that we care about the problem and put in cameras and charge $200 fines if you don't pay right away. Another example was beating up on wireless phone users while driving. Some small municipalities put in place laws that you were not allowed to talk on your phone in an active school zone. Was talking on our phones in a school zone actually a problem? It didn't matter, because they felt like they would be perceived as being tough on school zone safety. You get the idea. You don't solve problems that exist. You show that you care by putting in place a severe penalty all out of proportion to the offense.