Admit it. Republicans have broken politics.

Vox
29 Oct 201809:59
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThis video script discusses the concept of asymmetrical polarization in American politics, highlighting how both parties have moved away from the center over the past decades, with Republicans shifting further to the right. It features political scientist Norm Ornstein, who has observed this transformation and criticizes the modern GOP for its extreme goals and obstructive methods. The script also addresses the challenges this poses for journalists striving for neutrality, as the traditional 'both sides' approach fails to capture the reality of one party's departure from norms and the impact on effective governance.

Takeaways
  • 📊 The ideology of both parties in Congress has shifted over the past 40 years, with Republicans moving much further away from the center than Democrats.
  • 🔍 Researchers have scored politicians based on their voting records to measure how extreme or moderate they are, indicating a significant ideological shift.
  • 🏛 The trend of increasing polarization, termed 'asymmetrical polarization,' poses a challenge for journalists aiming to remain neutral while covering increasingly divergent political parties.
  • 📚 Noted political scientist Norm Ornstein has observed a transformation in American politics, particularly within the Republican Party, through his extensive research and writings.
  • 📉 The Republican Party's goals have become more extreme, as evidenced by contrasting stances on immigration, environmental regulation, and tax policy over the decades.
  • 🚫 The methods of the Republican Party have also changed, with a decreased willingness to cooperate with Democrats, leading to increased obstructionism in Congress.
  • 🤝 The spirit of compromise has diminished within the Republican Party, which is a departure from the traditional adversarial but collaborative nature of American political parties.
  • 📈 The use of the filibuster has increased, particularly by Republicans when not in power, as a means to prevent the opposing party from achieving legislative success.
  • 🔴 There have been instances of extreme obstructionism by the Republican Party, such as the debt ceiling crisis, government shutdowns, and refusal to consider a Supreme Court nominee.
  • 📉 The media's tendency to apply a 'both sides' frame to political disputes can obscure the reality of asymmetrical polarization and hinder understanding of the true sources of political dysfunction.
  • 📝 For democracy to function effectively, it is crucial for journalists and neutral observers to clearly identify and call out norm-breaking behavior and the parties responsible for it.
Q & A

  • What does the chart in the video represent?

    -The chart represents the ideological shift of both American political parties in Congress over the past few decades, showing a move away from the center with Republicans moving further than Democrats.

  • What term do political scientists use to describe the trend of parties moving away from the center?

    -Political scientists refer to this trend as 'asymmetrical polarization'.

  • How has the Republican Party's stance on immigration changed over the years, according to the script?

    -The script indicates that the Republican Party has shifted from seeking a middle ground on immigration during George Bush's time to advocating for a deportation force under Donald Trump.

  • What significant action did a Republican president take in 1970 regarding the environment?

    -In 1970, a Republican president established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate pollution.

  • How has the Republican Party's approach to tax policy evolved?

    -The script suggests that while Reagan is now seen as a tax hawk, he raised taxes 11 times during his presidency, indicating a shift towards a more aggressive tax-cutting stance in recent years.

  • What is the significance of the filibuster chart mentioned in the script?

    -The filibuster chart illustrates the increasing frequency with which the filibuster has been used to block votes in the Senate, particularly by Republicans when not in power.

  • What was Mitch McConnell's stated priority for the Republican Party after Obama's win in 2008?

    -Mitch McConnell's stated priority was to deny President Obama a second term.

  • How did the Republican Party's actions during Obama's presidency differ from traditional political behavior?

    -The script suggests that instead of accepting defeat and focusing on the next election, the Republicans chose to obstruct Democratic initiatives at every turn, including holding the debt ceiling hostage and shutting down the government.

  • What was the Democrats' response to the Republicans' obstruction of Obama's judicial appointees?

    -In response to the obstruction, Democrats changed the rules by lowering the threshold to break a filibuster from 60 votes to 51 votes.

  • How does the script describe the media's role in covering political disputes?

    -The script criticizes the media for often adopting a 'both sides' frame, which can obscure the reality of asymmetrical polarization and make it difficult to identify who is responsible for political dysfunction.

  • What does the script suggest is necessary for journalists to effectively cover the current state of American politics?

    -The script suggests that journalists need to be brutally honest about the changes within the Republican Party, call out norm violations, and avoid the knee-jerk neutrality that leads to false equivalence.

Outlines
00:00
📊 Asymmetrical Polarization in American Politics

This paragraph discusses the shift in political ideology within the US Congress over the past 40 years. Researchers have analyzed voting records to score politicians on a spectrum from extreme to moderate. The findings indicate that both parties have moved away from the center, but Republicans have shifted more significantly. The paragraph also contrasts this with the relative consistency of Democratic presidents. The concept of 'asymmetrical polarization' is introduced as a key trend in American politics, which poses challenges for journalists aiming to maintain neutrality. The speaker acknowledges their own liberal background and introduces Norm Ornstein, a respected political scientist, to provide a non-partisan perspective. Ornstein's work has focused on maintaining a functional Congress, and his evolving book titles reflect a growing concern about the state of American politics. His critique of the Republican Party is twofold: their increasingly extreme goals and their unwillingness to compromise. Examples are given, such as changes in stance on immigration, environmental regulation, and tax policy. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of the Republican Party's methods, particularly their obstructionist tactics when not in power.

05:01
😤 Obstructionism and the Decline of Political Norms

The second paragraph delves into the tactics of obstruction employed by the Republican Party, which have escalated in recent years. It highlights the increased use of the filibuster to block votes in the Senate, especially when Republicans are not in power. The paragraph describes several instances of this behavior, including the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, the 2013 government shutdown, and the refusal to consider Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court. The speaker criticizes this approach as detrimental to democracy and discusses the challenge it poses to journalists who must remain neutral. The paragraph also addresses the backlash faced by those who criticize the Republican Party's behavior, accusing them of liberal bias. It points out the media's tendency to frame political conflicts as disputes between equally intransigent parties, which obscures the reality of asymmetrical polarization. The speaker calls for journalists to be honest about the source of political dysfunction and to hold accountable those who break norms and behave corruptly, without becoming partisan advocates themselves.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ideology
Ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or principles that form the basis of a political party's or individual's policies and actions. In the video, the ideology of both parties in Congress is discussed to illustrate how both have moved away from the center over the past few decades, with Republicans moving further, indicating a significant shift in political stance.
💡Asymmetrical Polarization
Asymmetrical polarization is a term used by political scientists to describe a situation where one political party moves significantly further in one direction on the ideological spectrum compared to the other party. The video emphasizes this concept as a key trend in American politics, highlighting that the Republican party has moved much further to the right than the Democrats, leading to a significant ideological gap between the two parties.
💡Voting Record
A voting record is a historical account of how a politician has voted on various issues. In the context of the video, researchers analyzed the voting records of politicians to score them based on their ideological extremism or moderation, providing a quantitative measure of the shift in political ideologies over time.
💡Partisan
Partisan refers to someone who is strongly committed to a particular political party or cause. The script mentions a careful approach to not being partisan, meaning maintaining an unbiased or neutral stance, which is crucial for the credibility of political analysis and journalism.
💡Filibuster
A filibuster is a tactic used in the legislative process, particularly in the Senate, where a senator extends debate in an attempt to delay or block a vote. The video script discusses the increased use of filibusters by Republicans to obstruct Democratic initiatives, illustrating a shift in political tactics to prevent cooperation.
💡Legitimacy
Legitimacy in a political context refers to the recognition of a government or political body as being rightful and lawful. The video mentions that the Republican Party has become dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition, which undermines the democratic process by questioning the validity of opposing viewpoints.
💡Extremism
Extremism denotes the holding of extreme political or religious views, often advocating for radical change or action. The script describes the Republican Party as becoming ideologically extreme, suggesting that their policies and positions have moved far from the center, which can contribute to political polarization.
💡Compromise
Compromise is the ability to settle differences by mutual concessions or by finding a middle ground. The video argues that the Republican Party has become scornful of compromise, which is problematic for effective governance as it prevents parties from reaching agreements and making progress.
💡Norms
Norms are the unwritten rules or standards that guide behavior in a society or institution. The script discusses how certain norms in American politics have been broken, particularly by the Republican Party, leading to a decline in the functioning of democratic institutions and processes.
💡Judicial Appointees
Judicial appointees are individuals nominated and confirmed to serve as judges in the judicial branch of government. The video mentions the obstruction of Obama's judicial appointees by Republicans, which led to a change in Senate rules by Democrats, illustrating the escalation of political tactics in response to perceived injustices.
💡Media Framing
Media framing refers to the way media outlets present or package news stories, which can influence public perception. The video criticizes the media's tendency to frame political disputes as 'both sides' issues, which can obscure the truth and prevent the public from understanding who is responsible for political dysfunction.
Highlights

The ideology of both parties in Congress has significantly shifted over the past few decades, with both parties moving away from the center.

Republicans in Congress have moved much further from the center compared to Democrats, as evidenced by their voting records and scores.

The trend of parties moving away from the center is termed 'asymmetrical polarization', a key trend in recent American politics.

The transformation of the Republican Party has been dramatic, with a shift towards more conservative ideologies over the past few decades.

Political scientist Norm Ornstein discusses the challenges of maintaining neutrality while covering a party that is increasingly deviating from traditional norms.

Ornstein's work has focused on ensuring the functionality of Congress, with a transformation evident in the titles of his books.

The book 'It's Even Worse Than It Looks' by Ornstein and Thomas Mann critiques the Republican Party for its ideological extremism and lack of compromise.

The Republican Party's goals have become more extreme, as illustrated by contrasting statements on immigration from George Bush and Donald Trump.

The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency by a Republican president in 1970 contrasts with current Republican campaigns to abolish the agency.

The Republican Party's focus on tax cuts is a relatively new phenomenon, with Reagan raising taxes 11 times during his presidency.

Ornstein criticizes the Republican Party's methods, particularly their unwillingness to work with Democrats on policy goals.

The use of the filibuster to block votes in the Senate has escalated, especially when Republicans are not in power.

Mitch McConnell's statement to make denying President Obama a second term a top priority reflects the Republican Party's obstructionist tactics.

Republicans have used extreme measures such as holding the debt ceiling hostage and shutting down the government to achieve their goals.

The refusal to meet with Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland exemplifies the Republican Party's strategy to divide Americans and hold power.

The 'both sides' frame used by the media often fails to accurately represent the reality of asymmetrical polarization and the actions of one party.

Asymmetrical polarization forces the other party to respond in kind, leading to a cycle of increased obstructionism.

The decision by Democrats to lower the filibuster threshold from 60 to 51 votes was a response to Republican obstructionism.

Journalists must be brutally honest about the changes within the Republican Party and call out norm-breaking behavior to discourage it.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

Why didn't Spain join World War One? (Short Animated Documentary)

Ex-NFL WR Andrew Hawkins Confirms Mike McDaniel’s Football Genius…& Hygiene Habits | Rich Eisen Show

How American conservatives turned against the vaccine

Francis Fukuyama: Liberalism and Its Discontents

APUSH Review: Period 4: (1800 - 1844) In 10 Minutes!

What They Didn't Teach You at School about Planet Mercury | NASA's MESSENGER Discoveries

Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

Thanks for rating:

Related Tags
American PoliticsPartisan ShiftCongress IdeologyAsymmetric PolarizationGOP StrategyPolitical ExtremismNorm OrnsteinLegislative ObstructionDemocratic ResponseMedia Neutrality