Dec 17, 2017 3 min read

Last week, I explored the need for more civil discourse and responsible governance in our political system. I pointed out that true believers on both sides of the political spectrum have been guilty of incivility, and looked closely at liberals and Democrats. Conservatives have, alas, offered no better track record in encouraging rational discourse.

The Republican Party has welcomed tea party ideologues into their ranks, who, by definition, refuse to compromise on social issues, taxes or spending. Moreover, the Republican goal of staying in power has resulted in their embrace of a populism that appeals to some of the worst instincts of their constituents.

This tendency has included the support of candidates and elected officials who are guilty of exploitation, dehumanization, cruelty and the abuse of power in order to achieve political goals. There are few elected Republicans who are willing to seek bipartisan solutions on a level playing field.

There is no willingness to use rational discourse in order to achieve responsible governance.

There are also libertarians, who are perhaps the most ideological of all voters. In their worldview, individual liberty trumps equality, the need for regulations and government involvement in many areas of social and economic life. Libertarians, once the forgotten sister of American politics, received a huge boost when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. Now, political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, and corporations have the same rights as individuals in providing unlimited political contributions. Much of the funding contributed by billionaires and corporations has been earmarked for libertarian and conservative causes. The resulting media-driven political propaganda is most often inflammatory and does nothing to encourage rational discourse.

Libertarians generally believe that all forms of property rights should be beyond the reach of the state, and that state functions should be limited to such matters as national defense, law enforcement, curbing infringements on property rights and operating a judicial system. Less state involvement changes the rules of rational discourse by seeking to eliminate many issues that other voters care about from the political arena.

Democracy by itself can never guarantee rational discourse and reasonable governance. Citizens must demand such conduct from their political leaders. The world is full of absolute majorities that appear democratic, but impose their will on minorities without any sense of respectful tolerance. The Unites States has avoided this outcome only because our Founding Fathers had the foresight to insist on The Bill of Rights and such institutions as judicial review, separation of powers, supermajority voting rules, and federalism. These checks and balances have greatly reduced the danger of a majority espousing a single ideology from turning the nation into a kind of totalitarian state.

Even with these safeguards, we need rational discourse and responsible governance to weed out morally unacceptable lawmakers, avoid stagnation, and to minimize partisan lawmaking. Ideologues may not like the rules of open rational discourse, but they do need to follow them if we are to return to governance that encourages all views to be shared, considered and voted on. After all, the ideology in the majority today will someday be in the minority and be thankful the referee is overseeing the playing field.

In the end, a good, just and fair society depends on well thought insights into our ever-changing culture and the world around us. Open discussion, delivered by elected officials with competence and clarity, not driven solely to ideology, will guarantee rational results and the survival of our constitutional, democratic republic.