The Art of the Compromise: Returning American Democracy to Better Days

Our American democracy is not broken. Our two-party political system and constitutional government are working, though perhaps not at their best. In recent years, we have experienced the storming of the Capitol, the rise of demagogues (such as Donald Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ), and the polarization into Red and Blue States. Unfortunately, we seem to be at a low point, a possible breaking point. However, we should not fear this moment. We should embrace it and learn from it. We have been here before as a nation. Shays's Rebellion. The Civil War. The turbulent Sixties. Each moment was perilous, yet we survived each one and became stronger. Our Founders designed our Constitution to bend and not break. The turmoil we see today in America is not new. Yet, we have lost something. We have forgotten the art form of compromise. Like Trump, we have lost our way, and we see government as a business where the Art of the...