A columnist observed recently that there are two ways to govern a society such as ours -- politics or some brand of authoritarianism. Governing through politics requires political parties, but one of ours faces an existential crisis.
Our two-party system has been envied throughout the world. In political science jargon, parties aggregate opinions to create policy. But a two-party system moderates public opinion, draws it away from the extremes toward a moderate middle.
Neither party can risk straying too far left or right, for fear of creating a vacuum along the political spectrum to be filled by the other party. A two-party system tames the potentially savage passions that can rend the fabric of political life.
Such moderate politics produce imperfect, ?compromised policies. They are not pure or perfect, but they tend to produce peace, precisely because there are no final, complete victories that might alienate the losing side.
The Republican Party is in danger of dissolution. If Trump wins the nomination, one wing of the party may rebel?. If Trump loses it, or if it is taken away, another group may rebel. The party could be torn asunder.
Both Democrats and Republicans ought to tremble at this prospect. We all need a healthy two-party system, and we all ought to exert every effort to maintain its stability.
I'm Bob Evans, and that's my perspective.
