PROBLEM
Congress has become dysfunctional due to the warring of its two parties resulting in great damage to its ability to solve America’s domestic and foreign problems.
WHAT TO DO?
For sure, tackle the root causes rather than the symptoms. More to follow.
HISTORY
President Adams spoke “a division of the republic into two great parties…is to be dreaded as the great political evil.” #congress #discord
“ Political parties are essential to democratic governance…America’s system was designed to operate in an environment where most factions would be ephemeral, developing over issues and then dissolving when those issues faded or were somehow resolved.”
Adapted from The Role of Political Parties in Preventing Congress from Functioning, Dennis R. Bullock, Real Clear Policy.
Political parties have existed in America almost since its inception. They are basic to the operation of a democratic government and are by definition about the art and science of governing. Politics is fundamentally a way to sort out differences of opinion, so there will be disagreements – about policy at least. That being said, there are choices about which electoral systems are used to select and organize governments, and these can have important influences on how well the system works.
Two effective parties have existed for the most part since our country was formed. Up until roughly the latter part of the twentieth century, the two-party system worked better than it has in the past two or three decades. Why might this have been? Members of congress used to socialize more, developing relationships with each other including members of the other party. The advances in aviation and communications have made it easier for them to travel home often – spending less social time together. Regular order including the reliance on committees to lead members to work with one another well has almost disappeared as senior leaders choose issues and craft the legislation, often behind closed doors.
For the most part of the second half of the twentieth century, our country effectively had four parties. Two branches of each the Democrats and the Republicans existed because each party had a conservative leaning and a liberal leaning wing. These four groups with various viewpoints had to cooperate to enact legislation; they required and enabled the necessary different viewpoints, negotiations, and civility to govern. Congress functioned, passing considerable major legislation with real bipartisan voting.
Around the mid-1990s, this four-party situation began dissolving into a more rigid two-party state of affairs as some members left and new ones were elected. Leaders in congress amassed much more power for themselves, thereby leaving the other members with much less meaningful roles. Bills began to be created by the elite and put before the membership in a hurried and non-transparent manner, further frustrating the bulk of the members. Politics in congress was becoming a zero-sum game where every win for one party was a loss for the other. Bipartisan legislation of significance was almost a thing of the past. By around 2010, the two parties had hardened their stances to the point of basically being against whatever the other party stood for. The wild swings in ideological philosophy and legislative focus each time one party displaced the other in power stimulated efforts for the incoming party to undo what the previous party had done. Doesn’t all this sound very familiar? And, it is continuing to worsen.
The United States has not always had single-member districts with their Gerrymandering and Safe Seat issues; prior to 1967, the House moved back and forth between having multi-member and single-member districts. Then in that year, congress passed a law requiring single-member districts, and it is sadly still in place. Congress had the power to move to single-member districts, so obviously it has the power to legislate multi-member districts per Article I, Section 4 of the constitution that says “…but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Choosing Senators.” This action coupled with Ranked Choice Voting would provide candidates elected by more proportional voting and lead to our having more than two parties – like other democratic countries.
Our founders had anticipated many issues, protecting against their growing to more serious ones with checks and balances among the three branches of government. But, they did not include in the constitution anything that specifically dealt with the present two-party standoff that has occurred within the legislative branch. Our present two-party system fosters two diametrically opposed points of view – and dysfunction!
RESULTS
Two warring parties
Many massive laws of major consequence are being enacted by the very slimmest of majorities, a recipe for continued dissention.
Massive laws cover many topics as a tool to suppress dissenting points of view and pass partisan and weakly supported ideas.
Strong party influence in electoral methods has led to common use of many other non-proportional electoral methods in selecting our candidates including first-past-the-post/winner-take-all primaries and elections, runoffs that are usually very poorly attended, and the lack of ways for voters to indicate choices other than their first preference.
Gerrymandering of the single-member districts leading to around 90% “safe seats”.
A high proportion of voters who do not have anyone in congress for whom they have voted.
“…in the 115th Congress, every member of the U.S. House belonged to one of the two major parties, leaving minor-party voters and those dissatisfied with major-party policy positions with the unenviable choice of voting their conscience – and in all likelihood, wasting their vote – or holding their noses and voting for one of the two major parties.” And “...the composition of Congress lags behind the growing diversity of the American electorate.” Both from 2020 William and Mary Law Review.
Virtually no chance of another party arising.
Dramatic and disruptive swings in policies and legislation when power shifts from one party to the other, making it almost impossible for citizens and businesses to plan their lives.
Decline in international respect.
Disenfranchisement, distrust, and disgust among voters. A feeling of helplessness.
ROOT CAUSES
Being locked into having only two effective (large enough to have influence over policy) parties, and the causes of this highly unfortunate situation are:
o Single-member districts for the House as mandated by a statute of Congress
dated 1967.
o Other non-proportional voting methods used for both Representatives and
Senators
WHAT TO DO
Make following Pivotal Changes - Soon
o Institute the use of multi-member districts for the House of Representatives
o Institute the use of multi-winner and ranked choice electoral systems for the House
o Institute the use of single-winner ranked choice electoral system for the Senate
o Eliminate primary elections for both the House and Senate
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is “doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.”
The point is that the solution is at hand, and it is up to us to take action.
REFERENCES (including details for multi-member districts and ranked choice voting)
Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop, The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America, by Lee Drutman
Beyond Two Parties, Why America Needs a Miltiparty System and How We Can Have It, by Dan Eckam
Tom Mast
Founder, Solve American Gridlock
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