General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Can YOU Stand Another 4 To 8 Years Of A Progressive Sounding Democrat... Governing... [View all]Agnosticsherbet
(11,619 posts)That is the way it was designed.
In Parliamentary systems, often a party wins a majority, and the majority rules. Compromise happens when no party wins a solid majority and they must form a government.
In the US, having a solid, Veto proof majority by one party has been quite rare. There are only two parties that can win in almost all cases. This wasn't in the original plan, but developed overtime and has been legislated into existence so that having a third party with real power has been rare and transitory. (Check out the history of the grange party. Also look at the breakup of the Whigs and the birth of the Republican party.) Historically and culturally we have two parties one that holds the right and one that holds the left.
When a party shifts to the right, the one on the left follows in order to gain the support of voters who were left behind. They maintain their distance around a dynamic center.
Our government does not compromise because Republicans moved right, it compromises because the way it is set up, that is the only thing that keeps it functioning.
One other historical comment. In the 60's and 70's, The Civil Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and Title IX were passed with Republicans and Democrats. The parties were not as partisan as they are now, especially the Republicans. In the 60's, Southern Democrats would never vote for the Civil Rights act. Republicans were crucial in allowing Johnson and Nixon (Title IX was under Nixon) to pass those liberal bills.
Beginning with Nixon's Southern Strategy, continuing with the "Reagan Democrats, and ending with Gingrich in the 90's, the South changed its allegiance from the Democratic to Republican. The socially liberal - fiscally conservative crowd became Democrats because the social liberal part had become unwelcome in Republican circles. Since Gingrich, social liberal Republicans were primaried and forced out of the Republican Party, leaving the highly partisan party that remains.
Centrists who are socially liberal and fiscally conservative (read third way new democrats neo-liberals) that range from center-left to center-right have achieved great prominence in the party. Where once Republicans and Democrats used to compromise to run the government, Democrats fight to compromise between fiscal liberal and fiscal conservatives, and Republicans do no compromise about anything.