It’s not surprising that the public has a dim view of Congress — two-thirds called the body “ridiculous” in a recent survey. Criticism is warranted, but it’s worth remembering that Congress is sharply divided because our country also is divided.
In the midst of the debate over the debt ceiling, when reasonable — and obvious — solutions were jettisoned in favor of political point scoring and finger wagging, The Washington Post and Pew Research Center asked people to use one word to describe Congress.
Ridiculous topped the list, followed by disgust and stupid. Fourteen percent of respondents said Congress was crazy, 12 percent said idiotic and 4 percent went with asinine.
It is convenient to say members of Congress are out of touch and don’t understand what it’s like to live in the real world. But, there is more to Congress’ poor performance than this.
Like it or not, Congress reflects the voters who elected its members. And, those voters don’t agree on what course America should take.
In broad terms, we all want the same things: good schools for our children, affordable health care, help for the needy and jobs that pay decent wages. From there, things get tricky.
Should government spend more money on public schools or fund vouchers so parents can decide where to send their children? Is more teacher accountability needed to improve test scores or is the emphasis on testing all wrong?
Should government be involved in lowering health care costs or should it be left to the market? Who takes care of the uninsured?
Answers to these and other questions are as varied as America is diverse. Expecting people with such differing views to compromise is unrealistic.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t all try to get along, but getting someone who believes that abortion is murder to agree to condoning the practice if it is limited is unrealistic. Just as someone who believes abortion is a fundamental right won’t go along with banning the practice except in rare circumstances.
People who believe that marriage is a right guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution aren’t likely to accept limits on marriage. But, those who believe homosexuality is a sin can’t simply walk away from their deep religious beliefs.
This is not to say that compromise isn’t necessary — or possible — for government to function, but that compromises are harder to come by when the country is so divided.
The differences have also become more stark as congressional districts have been redrawn in recent years to ensure that districts are solidly Republican or Democratic.
Calling Congress stupid and childish may be accurate, but we must consider why there is so often political paralysis in Washington before we can hope to move beyond it.