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The two-party system discourages collaborative policy-making.
1. The primary goal of each party is to destroy the other
2. Parties focus on posturing, rather than fixing problems
4. Primary voters prefer partisans over cooperators
5. Two-party politics focus on voting by negation
6. Campaigns focus on acrimony and divisions
7. Bipartisanship is politically dangerous
8. Take-turns totalitarianism pervades Washington
9. The minority party aims to obstruct, instead of participate
10. Ideological purity kills objective policy-making
The primary goal of each party is to destroy the other
Republicans would rather see the country fail than see it become Woke, and Democrats would rather see the country fail than see it become MAGA. In this sense, the only outcome both parties find acceptable is the destruction of the country, and that attitude is what many of us perceive through our government's dysfunction.
The stakes of every election feel so high, because each party campaigns on an existential crisis for the version of America that their base believes in. In this world, diverse perspectives stop talking to one another.
There is a temptation to dream that maybe enough people from the other side will realize the error of their ways, and we can finally work together to create policy we all agree on. However, it should be obvious that this is a fantasy. From a practical standpoint, our current system incentivizes policymakers to dig in their heels on their positions; not to be open to change. Furthermore, if we ever actually fulfilled this dream, it would be called single-party rule, or in other words, autocracy. The implicit goal of both parties--if you pause to consider it for a minute--is exchanging democracy for one-party authoritarianism. Honoring the ideals of the Constitutional Framers means embracing democratic pluralism.
The irony is that the average American has no interest in these destructive attitudes. Over and over again, the middle of America says that it would prefer politicians who listen and are willing to compromise. The heart of America is still good. The only outcomes from our current democratic dead end are descent into oblivion, authoritarianism, or democratic reform. I think democratic reform is clearly the best outcome.
Parties focus on posturing, rather than fixing problems
Think of crises that have occurred in recent memory. While critiquing government responses to challenges is nothing new, the vitriol unleashed against the party in power is worse than ever before. The rollout of the COVID vaccine during the Biden administration was as lambasted as the development of the vaccine during the Trump administration. Hurricanes, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Israel, and the list continues. The out-of-power party is nothing but gleeful to see the United States fail so they can rub it in the face of the in-power party. They're happy to team up with foreign actors to claim that the in-power party is incompetent. This is a disaster for democratic rule.
Other, more chronic problems are also exploited to drive voter turnout. Immigration, abortion, education, gun rights, inequality, inflation, taxation, and other problems are more valuable to parties when they're getting worse, rather than getting better. It is much riskier to allow the in-power party to possibly solve the problem than it is to keep the problem there as a lever to get back into power at the next election. Again, this is a disaster for democratic rule.
Primary voters prefer partisans over cooperators
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
With two parties, promoting hatred is effective campaigning
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
Opposing political campaigns rarely find common ground
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
Reaching across the aisle can be dangerous for political careers
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
Washington works on a take-turns totalitarianism scheme
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
Whoever is not in power works to obstruct policy, instead of help
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
Ideological purity disincentivizes data-driven policy making
In the last generation, the United States has been plauged by ineffective legislation, dizzying whiplash between different administrations, a worsening international image, ever-increasing debt, and loss of faith in our political system.
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