Democracy or Democratic Institutions in Peril?

Post by Eric Kaufmann, Chair of the Legislative Action Committee, SGA

This week I had the opportunity to see former Republican Congressman Eric Cantor present to members of the JMU community as part of the JMU series, “Democracy in Peril?” Cantor, the former House Majority Leader from 2010 to 2014 and the Representative from Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, served in public office during at the start of the Tea Party movement, the Occupy Wall Street movement and the beginning of possibly the most politically polarized era this country has seen since the Civil War. During his presentation, Cantor talked about a wide array of topics, including but not limited to: political polarization, compromise, the media, class divide, and the very safety and security of America’s political institutions.

It is Cantor’s belief that the current way our government is functioning is not emblematic of a democracy in peril, but rather that democratic institutions are at risk. Various agencies and aspects our government that have for years been off-limits to partisanship are now under attack from both sides of the political spectrum. That, according to Cantor, is the problem with our American democracy. While this is certainly a valid perspective, I would argue that our institutions inherently are what keep our democracy alive, and that if they are being undermined then our whole way of life is as well.

Cantor also argued that class is the key divide in our politics and that class divisions are predicated on a political divide. As evidence, he argued that following the 2008 financial collapse and the start of the Great Recession, Americans overwhelmingly elected new representation with the country’s first African American president, and many new Senators and Representatives. Cantor asserted that the new and strong political stances typical of the newly elected politicians were the cause of the new partisan divide. As a result of this representational replacement, there was a complete lack of bipartisan support for legislation from either of the two parties. Furthermore, it initiated the rise of extreme polarization not just among politicians, but also among ordinary citizens.

Anti-elitist attitudes and dislike of Washington insiders does seem to permeate across both parties. Furthermore, there is sense of helplessness on both sides. Those in the minority are aggrieved by actions taken by those in the majority, and those in the majority are aggrieved by reactions of those in the minority.

Cantor’s talk was a sobering reminder of how deeply divided we are as a country. There has rarely been such levels distrust and dislike among politically engaged individuals, perhaps not since the Civil War. While Cantor cannot be excluded from being a part of the problem, he did offer some strategies for how Americans might cooperate more.