Chris
07-16-2013, 03:37 PM
First, the division...
Why the House doesn’t work — in 1 chart (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/07/15/how-the-house-works-or-doesnt-explained-in-1-chart/)
...First, let’s look at the ideological positioning of the two parties in the House over the past 60 years or so. (For a more detailed description of how Vital Stats developed these ideological ratings, check this out. (http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2013/07/vital%20statistics%20congress%20mann%20ornstein/Vital%20Statistics%20Chapter%208%20%20Political%20 Polarization%20in%20Congress%20and%20Changing%20Vo ting%20Alignments.pdf))
http://i.snag.gy/hDwj7.jpg
Second, the opposition...
What Is the Job of the Opposition? (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/newsletters/the_daily_debate/2013/07/10/)
What is the job of the political opposition?
Correct answer: to oppose.
That's from Churchill—not Winston Churchill, but his father, Randolph Churchill. And he put it a little more strongly: "It is the duty of the Opposition to oppose."
This is not merely cynical or amoral advice. It doesn't simply counsel blind opposition. Rather, it reminds us that the function of opposing political parties is to reflect opposing political ideologies. The job of a political party is to stand up for its ideology, which means opposing the policies and platforms of the other parties.
If this seems simple, a lot of people are inclined to forget it—when it serves their purpose to do so....
Why the House doesn’t work — in 1 chart (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/07/15/how-the-house-works-or-doesnt-explained-in-1-chart/)
...First, let’s look at the ideological positioning of the two parties in the House over the past 60 years or so. (For a more detailed description of how Vital Stats developed these ideological ratings, check this out. (http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2013/07/vital%20statistics%20congress%20mann%20ornstein/Vital%20Statistics%20Chapter%208%20%20Political%20 Polarization%20in%20Congress%20and%20Changing%20Vo ting%20Alignments.pdf))
http://i.snag.gy/hDwj7.jpg
Second, the opposition...
What Is the Job of the Opposition? (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/newsletters/the_daily_debate/2013/07/10/)
What is the job of the political opposition?
Correct answer: to oppose.
That's from Churchill—not Winston Churchill, but his father, Randolph Churchill. And he put it a little more strongly: "It is the duty of the Opposition to oppose."
This is not merely cynical or amoral advice. It doesn't simply counsel blind opposition. Rather, it reminds us that the function of opposing political parties is to reflect opposing political ideologies. The job of a political party is to stand up for its ideology, which means opposing the policies and platforms of the other parties.
If this seems simple, a lot of people are inclined to forget it—when it serves their purpose to do so....