The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans - Softcover

Edwards, Mickey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300198213 ISBN 13: 9780300198218

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2013

Synopsis

A penetrating analysis of American democracy’s most urgent threat: a political system so paralyzed by partisanship it is almost incapable of placing national interest ahead of the blind pursuit of political advantage

America's political system is dysfunctional. While this is a widely held view, it is a problem that—so far—has proved intractable. After every election, voters discover yet again that political "leaders" are simply quarreling in a never-ending battle between the two warring tribes, the Republicans and Democrats. In this critically important book, a distinguished statesman and thinker identifies exactly how our political and governing systems reward intransigence, discourage compromise, and undermine our democracy. He then describes exactly what must be done to banish the negative effects of partisan warfare from our political system.

As a former congressman, Mickey Edwards witnessed firsthand how important legislative battles can devolve into struggles not over principle but over party advantage. He offers graphic examples of how this problem has intensified and reveals how political battles have become nothing more than conflicts between party machines. Edwards's solutions—specific, practical, fair, and original—show the way to break the stranglehold of the political party system. The Parties Versus the People offers hope for a fundamental renewal of American democracy.

About this title

From the Author:

A conversation with Mickey Edwards

Q: Why this book?

A: Americans have become all too familiar with a government that seems perpetually deadlocked over partisan differences. Democracy depends on competition between alternative visions and energetic debate over proposed policies, but in the end, the sides have to be able to make the compromises that will enable the government to meet its constitutional responsibilities. Instead we have a constant battle between private clubs for advantage in the next election.

After sixteen years as a member of Congress and twenty years of studying government from the outside, I came to realize that we've been wrong about the root of the problem: it's not that we elect the wrong people, we expect them to govern, in a political system that rewards intransigence and considers compromise a sellout. The problem is systemic—closed primaries that narrow voter choices, partisan redistricting, and a Congress of competing teams—and there's no way to fix it except by changing the system itself.

Q: What can we do about it?

A: Ultimately, the people decide. Large numbers of voters no longer feel loyalty to a political party. They have it in their hands to force change through referenda and citizen initiatives, and through direct confrontation with elected officials. We can demand that our government officials serve us not primarily as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans.

Q: Is that realistic?

A: Absolutely: Washington State and California have already changed their systems. Hundreds of thousands of citizens support reform organizations that are working to break down partisan control. More than four in ten voters have rejected the party system. The revolution is already under way.

About the Author:

Mickey Edwards, a congressman for sixteen years and a faculty member at Harvard and Princeton for the subsequent sixteen years, is a vice president of the Aspen Institute.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0300198213
• ISBN 13: 9780300198218
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240