A two-for-one deal

It is difficult not to blame the government shutdown on the two party system.

The United States is at a standstill because a conservative House cannot get along with the liberal Senate.

But this friction is not a new problem. The two party system has been a cause for conversation and debate for as long as we have had a government.

The past four presidents have alternated parties.

This is indicative of a pendulum effect. The American public elects a leader who is new, different and innovative. That desire to justify moving back in the other direction creates a feeling of opposition.

It is very hard to dwell in the middle because there is such a force pulling to one side or the other.

There are other countries that have chosen to widen the market, so to speak.
America’s close ally, Israel, uses a system that many Americans consider complicated because of its many, many parties. As many as 15 parties hold control of government positions, which leads to a leadership structure that is spread amongst many.

The political parties are also more specialized. There are parties specifically dealing with each of the individual issues that face Israeli culture. Some clash, others are totally mutually exclusive, yet they all work together in a way that, if not organized, at least continues to function at the end of the weekend.

Does that mean Americans should broaden their net? Does that mean more parties should be available? Not necessarily.

There is a strength in ideological integrity when an individual can look around and feel comforted by a larger collective.

But, when that individual becomes so constrained by his or her relationship to the party rather than the individual’s actual job to serve his or her country, the party system has failed us. Though being a Republican or Democrat determines who you sit with, it isn’t inherently who you must be or how you must vote.

Though some in the U.S. will argue they have the freedom to shut down our government to make their point, it is time for the two parties to be brave enough to sit down and do the work that is required of them, no matter the side of the aisle on which
they choose to sit.

­— azoot@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Austin Zoot on Twitter @austinzoot12.