A Nation of Process, A Nation of Action

 

 

A central point of the controversial book, “Abundance,” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, is that the modern Democratic Party has become the party of process rather than the party of action. As avowed left-leaning thought leaders, Klein and Thompson lament that Democrats are the ones who want government to do things for people and communities, and yet when Democrats are in power too often they block rather than stoke progress. 

I don’t agree with everything in their book, but I do see this dynamic play out at a national level with the actions of the occupant of the White House and the media response to those actions. Donald Trump is a divisive figure in many ways, of course, from his bombastic image to his reckless comments to his vindictive ways. But one way he is engendering both applause and condemnation is by flouting process and taking action. For example. the East Wing renovation project and the military capture of the president of Venezuela come to mind as recent events that provoked both horror and celebration that process was subordinated to action.

Some of this must come from his being uncontrollably impulsive and massively egotistical. But I suspect some of this comes from the fact that the majority of America prefers action over process. I can’t quite say if this has always been the case or if it is a more recent phenomenon borne of Democratic inaction at all levels. Either way, I find it utterly predictable and potentially catastrophic. 

We are absolutely, as a young nation that is now about to turn 250, a nation of action. Restless, churning, ambitious action has characterized our country since its inception. We announced our independence from and then fought a war against the then greatest nation in the world, led the planet through both an industrial revolution and then a technological one, and for better or worse have thrown our military weight around in every corner of the globe. It is not surprising that the citizens of such a republic would want their elected leaders to “get sh*t done,” not debate policies and hold committee meetings. 

However, and this is a big “however.” We are also a nation of process. “Checks and balances” is a cheat code for reining in man’s worst impulses and fostering political stability. There are many instances throughout history in which power has been vested in one person and that person is able to make war and seize property and subjugate entire communities. Americans hate that kind of political form. Process is a dear value deeply embedded in our DNA. 

“Process” and “action” can go together but often come in conflict. China is responsible for massive human rights violations AND its centralized form of government allows it to build out infrastructure to link and power a vast country. California is a leader in progressive policies designed to protect equality and the environment, but it has not been able to build a single mile of high-speed rail in over a generation. 

I am as horrified at a government that is all process, no action as one that is all action, no process. But I am not surprised when we have the former type and some are happy and others aren’t, nor am I surprised when we have the latter type and some are happy and others aren’t. What I wonder about is if we can find it in our republic to hold our leaders to account to run a government that respects process and compels action. That is, I think, what we truly want. It is when we are not offered it, and instead only offered one extreme or the other, that we differ in what we prefer. Right now, Donald Trump is deeply unpopular with some and quite popular with others, and I think that is the reason for that.