| Popis: |
This chapter looks at the new era of toxic politics, when a fully-nationalized, fully-sorted two-party system emerged, divided over increasingly existential questions over the fate of American national identity. American national politics is so dysfunctional because it has two disciplined, non-overlapping parties, each constantly seeking to win a narrow majority. The institutions are set up to require compromise and coalition-building. However, electoral politics now push against compromise and coalition-building. Parties have no incentive to work together. And voters, increasingly convinced the fate of the nation is at stake with every election, now actively punish compromise. The result is toxic politics and political disaster. Though these trends have been building for decades, it was only in the 2010s that they reached their full expression. It was in the 2010s that political opposition fully became political obstructionism, and that political opponents became political enemies. Finally, the 2010s marked the completion of the half-century partisan realignment that began with the civil rights revolution, with one party (the Democrats) fully becoming the party of diversity and cosmopolitan values, and one party (the Republicans) fully becoming the party of white, Christian America and traditionalist America. This is the kind of political conflict that can destroy democracy. |
