Don't Believe the Hype: The Ahistorical Trope of a Newly Partisan America
- Michael Jackson
- Oct 17, 2018
- 3 min read
In Progress...
The media narrative, both mainstream and ‘new media’, of the irreconcilably divided America has become so conventional in its wisdom that no one even questions its veracity or historical context. Here’s the gist of this ahistorical trope. Americans and/or Washington politicians are bitterly divided into tribal political camps, forever fighting the so-called ‘Culture War’. Most writers trace this to the late 1980’s (i.e. Pat Buchanan’s RNC speech) or the 1990’s (i.e. ‘The Clinton Wars’ with the 94th Congress). Many write with chagrin about how Americans have never been so divided, pine for the halcyon days of bipartisan amity and statesmanship, and fear our partisan divide is ripping the country apart at its seams.
Point 1: What about the Civil War?
The argument forgets entirely the partisan divide that created the Civil War and killed over half a million Americans. Not to mention various riots and political witch hunts and assassinations strewn throughout American history.
Research Question: Document at least 3 partisan clashes/assassinations in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Century
Point 2: Assuming the post-WWII consensus politics was the norm in American politics rather than the exception
Nearly all of American history has been rife huge partisan and regional divides beginning with the Declaration of Independence. The brief exception to this was the post World War II period occurring basically from President Truman to President Kennedy. This brief bipartisan consensus was mainly a result of unusually strong domestic economic growth and both parties refusal to take a clear stand against racial discrimination. As soon as the Democratic Party came out squarely on the side of the Civil Rights Movement, American partisan politics reverted to its contentious norm of racial, regional, and class divides. This bipartisan moderate era also benefited from a booming American economy. An economy that was only possible because European and Japanese cities were in ruins, many its working age men were dead or disabled. The rest of the world, struggling to escape the crushing boot of colonialism, still had economies focused on resource extraction rather than growth or sustainability.
Point 3: Pre-1972 data is skewed and therefore unreliable
Racism against Blacks, Asians, Hispanics prevented from expressing their will at the ballot box. Pollsters used phones which skewed opinion toward middle- and upper-class Whites
Research:
What percent of the population were non-White males + white males between 18-21 pre-1972?
What percent of non-whites were registered to vote?
What percent of non-whites had phones and/or surveyed?
Historical racial and ethnic demographics of the United States
Point 4: What about policy agreements among the electorate which are stymied by entrenched special interests and made to seem contentious by the media.
Increase in minimum wage, Gun control, campaign finance reform, immigration reform, criminal justice reform, decriminalization of marijuana and others are all policies with a broad consensus among the left and the right. Each one stays stymied be entrenched special interests and wealthy elites rather than policy disagreements.
Research: list policy approval percentages of laws not passed minimum wage, gun control, criminal justice reform,
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