The Failing Discourse of the US Government

In the United States, perpetual conflict is most noticeable in the political system. The cause of the conflict is not that we have a two party system but rather that the parties are divided not by ideology, but by identifying themselves as the antithesis of the other party. This kind of mentality hinders the progression of ideas and prevents social and cultural growth. This is not a violent conflict over land or over religion; it is a conflict over the very soul of the United States.

By identifying themselves as antitheses, they leave no room for growth in compromise or collaboration. Palliating this dilemma is extremely difficult and differs greatly from the typical conflict because they are already supposedly representatives of the American people. However, much of what occurs in government seems to arise from issues of special interest groups or from the loudest groups, not necessarily the majority. Furthermore the rhetoric politicians use to stay in power is full of pandering to their party. Moreover, the economic, social, and international complexity of the current world forces this rhetoric on politicians, as talking about certain issues requires complex theory, especially in economics which has many complicated or counterintuitive ideas. In order for democracy to work, its citizens must be educated so that they can make a decision. A representative democracy is used to create a system that accounts for people who can’t make an educated decision. For instance, a politician should spend his or her time studying an issue carefully, and make a decision that will benefit his or her constituents. Compromise is a great asset to democracy, but some deals can hinder the progression of good ideas. This is extremely prevalent i...

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