Politics has become a complicated, overwhelming and corruption-ridden power chain that excludes the average American.

Too harsh? Perhaps. Nonetheless, in my lifetime (all 38 years of it), this seems to be the picture that has been painted and reinforced with every election cycle.

While there are touches of integrity that break through the corruption, it seems that the line graph depicting earnest efforts for unity are trending downward. As I watched the 2016 presidential election, I reached my breaking point. The decision was no longer about what was first-rate for America but rather, about who could get your party the most power (while always citing that your candidate was not as bad as the one for the other party).

Party platforms have become long, overly specific documents that are meant to entice more voters into the fold but could not possibly match any single individual. Candidates are forced to accept and repeat principles that are not core to who they are, but rather, engender them to the voters who have been conditioned to believe that these principles are the most important things we can look for in our representatives. Meanwhile, words like "compromise" and "accord" have become synonymous with "sellout" and "unholy."

But what does the research show? While polarization is taking hold of more people today than it did 20 years ago, the largest group of Americans still remain in the middle. And it is this majority that is leaving politics behind.

Why learn about how the political process works? The process is just going to work against me.

Why take the time to research candidates? What they say is not representative of what they are going to do.

Why take the time to vote? The candidate for the party du jour in the state is going to win regardless.

The middle American feels disenfranchised with no incentive to change course.

If this is true throughout all of America, why do I expect Utah to take the lead on finding a solution? The answer simply lies in the people.

I believe that Utah has a high concentration of people who still love their neighbors. Every poll that is done shows Utah leading the pack in service hours given and money donated. While I recognize that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plays into those statistics, I think it goes deeper. People live in Utah because they see the good in the world and want to be a part of it through exploring, interacting and growing together.

The question I would ask of each person who feels this hope is what the current state of politics in Utah lends to those endeavors. I have spent the last year and a half trying to change the Utah Republican Party from the inside out. But after all of that time, I find myself looking at the face of a factioned party that is continually fighting against itself while perpetuating the cycle of exclusion. The ideas of integrity, love, compassion and accountability seem to have abandoned the vocal leaders of the factions. This is not the group that I want representing me.

I feel the wind knocked out of my sails as I type. It is a sad reality to face. But I believe that I have something to offer up by way of solution: The United Utah Party. Have you heard of it? I know that many people are not aware that there is a new party for people who believe that reform and compromise are needed in order to change the face of Utah politics. I will be honest in saying that the marketing has not been as good as it could be. Moderate individuals are not generally the most outspoken leaders. But change is needed, and I believe change is possible if enough of the group in the middle decide to tune back in and try to make a difference.