By H. Lee Cheek and Sean Busick
(This commentary is co-authored by H. Lee Cheek Jr., a
political science professor at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, and
Sean Busick, a professor of history at Athens State University in Alabama.
Cheek is a Tybee Island resident.)
America’s Founders did not agree on much. They were not a
monolithic group of men. Further, some of the things they did agree on make us
uncomfortable today. Those who are in the habit of citing what “The Founders”
thought as gospel would do well to keep this in mind.
Here is one thing most of the Founders did agree on:
political partisanship is unhealthy and a danger to the country. They believed
that republics were fragile and that civic virtue was necessary to prevent them
from collapsing into anarchy or despotism.
Partisanship thrived where civic virtue was lacking. Whereas
partisanship divides us and threatens effective governance, civic virtue unites
us as citizens with a common interest
According to a famous anecdote, upon encountering Ben
Franklin in Philadelphia in 1787, a woman asked him what the delegates in the
Constitutional Convention had been busy creating. “Have we got a republic or a
monarchy?” she asked. Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
A threat from the nation's beginning
The Constitution was designed to establish a republic which,
like all republics, depended upon civic virtue in order to survive. Citizens
and elected officials alike would have to behave responsibly; if we cared about
our republic we would have to place the good of the country above selfish
aggrandizement, above partisanship.
The degree to which we are disconnected from the Founders
can easily be measured in our political partisanship. They, being human, often
failed to live up to their own ideals.
Yes, they decried political parties, but they also split
into Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians and founded our first political parties.
However, they at least tried to temper their partisanship with civic-mindedness
and were capable of feeling shame about their shortcomings.
Early American politicians seldom campaigned for themselves,
leaving that bit of dirty work to their subordinates. For example, presidential
aspirants confidentially sought out supporters to endorse their candidacy and
write political biographies of themselves for public consumption.
Our politicians do not know how to stop campaigning and just
might feel shame if it appeared they took a break from self-promotion and
political warfare. Among the Founders it was an insult to be accused of
partisanship or factionalism. We proudly announce our partisanship on our
clothes, bumper stickers, and Facebook profiles.
In fact, some of our fellow citizens become so attached to a
new, more dangerous partisanship that they are willing to attempt to disrupt
our democratic way in pursuit of keeping their party in office.
Disagreement makes for good decisions
In terms of the “real world” of American politics, the
Founders believed civic virtue in a republic also required deliberation and
compromise.
These qualities allow leaders and citizens to listen to each
others’ ideas. The Founders believed disagreement was not only good, but the
interplay of ideas actually provided the basis for making the decisions that
were in the best interest of the country.
Our Constitutional Convention and the state ratifying
conventions that followed are the world’s best example of working through
complicated issues, and compromising, in the pursuit of a higher purpose than
self-interest.
George Washington warned us against partisanship in his
Farewell Address, which is read to the Senate every year on his birthday. “Let
me now . . . warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of
the spirit of party generally,” he wrote.
Partisanship is the “worst enemy” of popular government. “It
serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public
administration,” Washington cautioned. “It agitates the community with
ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part
against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door
to foreign influence and corruption.” If we want to keep our republic we need
to guard against our partisan impulses.
Successful governance is serious work and often requires
deliberation and compromise for the common good. It is not a sport, there
should not be teams. Our fellow citizens are not our enemies, nor should they
be. When politics becomes a game of winners and losers we all are the losers.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News and on Yahoo News.
