Rules of the Game: Democracy & Partisanship

Democracy is an extraordinary successful form of government. More than half of the world's population lives in a democracy, and many authoritarian regimes use the trappings of democracy to provide a veneer of legitimacy to their governments. Yet democracy is often said to be fragile. The spread of democratic governance can not be taken granted. Its long term success depends on the culture of the country and the political engagement of its citizens.

We often think about democracy in terms of institutions such as parliaments, presidents and elections. Healthy institutions are essential to a free democracy, but they're not sufficient. There is more to democracy than just institutions. Saudi Arabia is the only country not to have a legislature. North Korea holds elections. Instead, democracy is very much a process that extends the act of governing to all of society.

Authoritarian Consent

In doing so, democracy relies on consent. It exists because the people believe in representative government, and are willing to engage in the democratic process. In the west, we often assume that everyone wants to live in a democracy. However, this isn't actually the case. The Divine Right of Kings was used by absolute monarchs for centuries, and still is in a dwindling number of Islamic states. Confucianism, with its emphasis on harmony, is used as a governing philosophy for authoritarian regimes in Asia, notably in officially communist China. Pure communism still exists in North Korea and Cuba. On the other end of the political spectrum, nationalism is used to justify an authoritarian regime in Russia that is frequently described as fascist. These governing philosophies and the leaders they produce all enjoy significant support among large sections of their populations.

There is now concern that this could happen in the west. We have seen democracies turn to authoritarianism plenty of times before. It occurs most commonly in countries that are new to the democratic process, but established democracies are not immune either. In many of these cases, there was public support for the change, generally because of a desire to fix deep seated economic or institutional issues. James Carville, a strategist for Bill Clinton, famously quipped in 1992 that elections were ultimately determined by the state of the economy and people's personal finances. When faced by long-term decline or national instability, that can turn into a complete rejection of the democratic process. Weimar Germany is the most famous example of this toxic combination.

Unfair Comparisons

Inevitably, the recent attack on the US Capitol has led to many comparisons between Weimar Germany and the 21st century United States. The full timeline of events leading up to the attack is still unclear, but the event shocked the world and led to fears about the future of American democracy. These are wide of the mark. Only 10% of Americans support the attack according to a recent poll, but it is clear that a significant minority of Americans have become radicalised by QAnon in a way that is unhealthy for political debate. The existence of factions on both sides of the partisan divide who reject bipartisan co-operation is hardly new, but it has become dangerous.

In Weimar Germany, political instability and the great depression caused a flight to the extremes. Nazis and Communists clashed in the street. Hitler was allowed to take over because many feared the alternative was a communist revolution. America is not at that point. The economy is strong and political violence is rare. Partisanship may be historically high, but bipartisan resolutions are still common at all levels. Tensions may be at boiling point in the House right now, but time and a conclusion to the investigation into the Capitol attack will bring lawmakers back together.

The Dirty Word

Compromise has become a dirty word in American politics, but without it, democracy cannot endure. Political parties are not going to reach an agreement all the time but in a First Past the Post electoral systems that doesn't matter. They alternate in power instead. Each party represents different sections of the population, so priorities will change between governments. New governments undo some of what the old one did but leave much more intact. For this process to work, the opposition must accept the legitimacy of the system and the fairness of elections.

The US is unusual in that it allows political parties to pass voting laws and organise elections on a partisan basis. Gerrymandering is the most visible sign of this, but it affects the entire system. In 2020, the limitations of this approach were sharply revealed. Democracy requires parties and voters to believe that elections accurately reflect the will of the people. In the last two presidential elections that's been called into question. For now, that loss of confidence does not extend down the ballot. Politicians need to work together to prevent that happening at both federal and state level.

Historic Opportunity

Democracy cannot endure if parties cannot agree on the rules of the game. There has been concern for some time that US political institutions were under threat. The US Capitol attack would appear to indicate that this was the case. It doesn't have to be. American democracy remains strong. The rule of law has not been weakened, and a vibrant political culture endures.

Recent events have exposed flaws in the existing system, which need to be fixed. Everyone recognises this. Eventually, lawmakers in both houses will come together to consider the future of the institutions they serve. When that happens, partisanship needs to be put to one side. The democratic process depends on rules and procedures that are accepted by all parties. A historic opportunity has been presented to strengthen these processes and reconnect political parties with their voters. Politicians need to take it.