I was in Congress. Now I’m worried about America’s survival
Party politics has become a fundamentalist religious identity
Americans fear the partisan divide in the country. A Marist poll in December – echoing a multitude of polls over the past decade – found that 73% believe our division will lead to the end of our democracy.
Many Americans also fear that a partisan divide could split the country in two — and they have good reason to fear it. A shocking number – one in five according to a March 2023 Ipsos poll – favor a “national divorce” of red states from blue states.
I have spent my entire life in, around, studying, and teaching American politics.
I learned party machine politics at the kitchen table from my father, who served 30 years in elected office, including 22 in the House of Representatives. I worked in government and on political campaigns at just about every level before earning a doctorate and becoming a professor of political science.
I was elected to Congress in 2004, and served until 2021.
I have seen a lot in politics, but never anything like what we have now. I, too, am concerned about the survival of our republic.