I wouldn't say it's a cause of the legitimacy crisis but probably a result of it, but a huge problem is the parties are increasingly being sorted into a party of institutions/expertise (Dems) and a party of those critical of institutions/expertise (Reps). The big problem is that this leaves the Republicans totally unmoored and unable to implement their goals, and Dems elites don't face scrutiny that they consider legitimate.
I completely agree! What this says to me is that 1) we have a serious issue with our institutions we have to examine and fix, and 2) our next political era needs to be organized in a way that's not around whether or not the problem exists (it does!) but instead how we can best fix it.
Well written. The thing about the 1930s and 1940s New Deal Era is that it was still a decentralized and semi-populist republic, There were more veto proof majorities to go against the president in the 1930s than any other decade despite FDR's party having string control over both houses, the party was still diverse and small "d" democratic, the country didn't start centralizing until the 1950s and the process was slow, we didn't become a very centralized system until a large leap towards centralization was taken between the latter 1970s and mid 1980s, I'd say we're on our sixth party since lets Cart, and since then the Democratic Party hasnt been a democratic party but rather a technocracy party in disguise, although its been more open about itself lately I guess
I wouldn't say it's a cause of the legitimacy crisis but probably a result of it, but a huge problem is the parties are increasingly being sorted into a party of institutions/expertise (Dems) and a party of those critical of institutions/expertise (Reps). The big problem is that this leaves the Republicans totally unmoored and unable to implement their goals, and Dems elites don't face scrutiny that they consider legitimate.
I completely agree! What this says to me is that 1) we have a serious issue with our institutions we have to examine and fix, and 2) our next political era needs to be organized in a way that's not around whether or not the problem exists (it does!) but instead how we can best fix it.
Well written. The thing about the 1930s and 1940s New Deal Era is that it was still a decentralized and semi-populist republic, There were more veto proof majorities to go against the president in the 1930s than any other decade despite FDR's party having string control over both houses, the party was still diverse and small "d" democratic, the country didn't start centralizing until the 1950s and the process was slow, we didn't become a very centralized system until a large leap towards centralization was taken between the latter 1970s and mid 1980s, I'd say we're on our sixth party since lets Cart, and since then the Democratic Party hasnt been a democratic party but rather a technocracy party in disguise, although its been more open about itself lately I guess
Great article getting to the crux of today’s problems.