More Competitive Districts Could Restore Political Civility

FF Symposium: As long as Congressional incumbents are protected by partisan gerrymandering which gives most Democrats and Republicans safe seats, there is little incentive for politicians and their journalistic allies to appeal to swing voters.

American public opinion in almost every way we can measure bunches up toward the moderate middle. Yet increasingly the tone of politics seems to invite and reward extremism. FrumForum examines whether it has to be so. We have asked a range of individuals who identify themselves as centrists (or are so identified by others) some questions about their politics.

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1) Would it be possible or desirable to create a broad consensus on the basics of public policy, either domestic or international?

Consensus based on the public interest, in domestic policy, and the national interest, in foreign policy, is desirable.  Consensus defined as arbitrarily splitting the difference between arbitrary partisan positions is not.

2) On which domestic issues and international issues do people with whom you generally agree take positions that trouble you?

In the words of FDR, I consider myself "slightly left of center."  The positions of American progressives that trouble me the most are the center-left's attraction to paternalistic social engineering and its sometimes unreasonable rejection of the use of military force.

3) On which domestic issues and international issues do people with whom you generally disagree take positions that you welcome?

While I disagree emphatically with the market fundamentalism of most of the right, I think that conservatives and libertarians make a convincing case against the pessimistic neo-Malthusianism that shapes much thinking about the environment.

4) Which issues are so important to you that you cannot envision compromising on them?

Issues involving citizenship in a democratic republic should be non-negotiable.  These include not only equality before the law in political and civil rights, but also maintenance of a labor market in which employers cannot play citizen-workers against indentured servants, sharecroppers, prison labor, illegal immigrants and guest-workers dependent on their employers (as distinguished from legal immigrants with full economic rights).

5) Conversely have your political adversaries ever made arguments so compelling that they made you reconsider or revise long-held positions?

Yes.  Conservatives who argue that a federal consumption tax--for example, a value-added tax (VAT)--would be more likely to promote economic growth than more progressive income or payroll taxes have persuaded me.

6) How can civility be brought back to political discourse?

As long as Congressional incumbents are protected by partisan gerrymandering which gives most Democrats and Republicans safe seats, there is little incentive for politicians and their journalistic allies to appeal to swing voters.  Removing redistricting from partisan state legislatures, by increasing the number of competitive districts, might encourage more civility because more politicians would be forced to compete for voters in the rival party.

Click here to read other contributions to this symposium.