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George Washington cautioned against political parties. In his farewell address, he said, “It [political parties] serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.” That sounds about right.
People on the political right believe that people on the extreme left are the biggest problems in our nation. People on the political left think that people on the extreme right pose the biggest threat. This is one occasion when both sides are correct. While practically everything we hear and read about politics comes from the far right and far left, most people view themselves somewhere in the middle when asked. Extremism and an inability to compromise are our biggest problems, politically. I use the word inability because gerrymandering has made compromise a non-starter. In a congressional district that leans red, the only way an incumbent can lose reelection is by not being red enough and losing to someone from their own party. The same goes for blue districts. This dynamic, along with social media, is what is pulling us further and further apart. Compromise is political death to any candidate in our current environment. This is why our elected officials spend all their time demonizing their political rivals, and real political leadership is a thing of the past.
I am not optimistic about things changing anytime soon because it’s all about money. The primary purpose of political parties is to raise money. Candidates need money for their campaigns, and generally, the party that raises the most money wins the most elections. The greater the importance of money, the stronger the parties become.
Imagine what life in America would be like if we had heeded Washington’s advice and never started the party system. For one, our political persuasions would not define us as individuals. Of course, there would still be political differences, but they would be more issue-driven and less tribal. Voters would make their decisions based on something other than whether a candidate has an R or D next to their name. Elected officials could hold more complex ideologies. They could be pro-business AND pro-gun control or pro-life while supporting gay marriage. Most importantly, there would also be a lot less money in politics, which would dramatically limit the political influence of big companies and wealthy individuals.
Political parties aren’t going away anytime soon, but America is different, so I would never say never. Limiting money in politics would be the first step. Challenge yourself and your family to find something you disagree with in your party, and don’t be afraid to make that known. It’s refreshing, and people respect independent thinkers. In a democracy, we get exactly the politicians we deserve. We can create a better system.
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