Wingnuts vs. Factions The two theories of American government—one fantasy, one reality

By Michael Lind May 22, 2022

If the Republicans retake Congress in the midterm elections of 2022, as many expect, a lament will be heard in 2023 and 2024 from the right wing of the GOP: “Once again, we have been betrayed!” It will echo the ululating threnody that emanates from the left wing of the Democratic Party today, now that the Democrats control both houses of Congress and the presidency: “They have failed to do any of the things they promised us they would do when they ran for office!”

In advance of that, here’s a helpful tip: If your movement spends much of its time complaining that the party it seeks to influence has betrayed or ignored it, maybe you should rethink your theory of politics.

Many Americans believe in a fantasy that might be called the wingnut theory of politics. On left and right, the wingnut theory holds that making public policy is a three-step process: First, you and your ideological allies take over a wing of one of America’s two major parties and draft a comprehensive platform with positions on all issues, foreign and domestic. Second, your wing of the party takes over the party as a whole. Third, your triumphant one-wing party defeats the other party, takes over the entire government, and imposes its comprehensive platform on America in a burst of supermajority legislation. Utopia ensues.............To Read More...