Niccolò Machiavelli held a strong belief in republicanism, a system that Americans consider effective and take pride in. In the current republican government of the United States, partisanship plays a large role in the legislature as well as the accompanying branches of government. Many people believe that this partisanship corrupts government by limiting ideas, while the counter argument is that partisanship simplifies the process and makes government more effective. The purpose of this analysis is to display the complexity of the issue by claiming that each side of the argument has substantial merits, as well as drawbacks, that Machiavelli could either support or reject.
In The Discourses, Machiavelli defines that the best kind of republic …show more content…
Because members of Congress run on a party platform and vote in line with the party, there are only a select number of ideas that can be included in the debate. This leads to the claim that citizens are not being represented or at least not fully. Since parties operate on a particular set of beliefs, during election time voters are forced to accept either all of the party’s beliefs or none of them. Voters are driven to abandon certain beliefs to align themselves with a party with power or join a party separate from the partisan system with little to no real power. Consequently, voters are forced into not being represented since they have to choose between groups of ideas that parties present instead of having their individual beliefs represented. Further analysis of the effects that partisanship has on the public leads to the conclusion that it breeds prejudice and anger in communities. Most Americans are introduced to a specific interpretation of issues from an early age, often holding on to those beliefs for the rest of their lives. This political socialization causes the person to associate one party with ‘good’ and the other with ‘bad.’ A virtuous polity features citizens that think critically about issues and challenge ideas that they disagree with. This political near-sightedness limits debate and undermines citizens’ public …show more content…
One of the most important arguments that can be made by advocates is that partisanship conflict has positive consequences. They could make reference to Machiavelli’s statement that Rome achieved perfection because of conflict (Machiavelli 92). The idea here is that conflict engages legislators and allows for open debate that can lead to compromise. The Italian theorist later makes an even more in-depth point when he writes, “for good individuals cannot exist without good education, and good education cannot exist without good laws, and good laws were the result of those very conflicts many people unthinkingly criticize” (Machiavelli 94). While Machiavelli is again referencing Rome, he is implying that the political progression and cooperation produced from conflict can be found in any state.
Perhaps the most obvious advantage of partisanship is that it creates a system of government with order. Having a wide array of ideas being expressed during debate can be disorderly and confusing. The system can be simplified by having a predetermined set of beliefs that can candidates and later voters can voluntarily affiliate themselves with. A related argument suggests that having established collection of ideals to choose from facilitates civil engagements. By simplifying the political debate, citizens will be more encouraged
In The Discourses, Machiavelli defines that the best kind of republic …show more content…
Because members of Congress run on a party platform and vote in line with the party, there are only a select number of ideas that can be included in the debate. This leads to the claim that citizens are not being represented or at least not fully. Since parties operate on a particular set of beliefs, during election time voters are forced to accept either all of the party’s beliefs or none of them. Voters are driven to abandon certain beliefs to align themselves with a party with power or join a party separate from the partisan system with little to no real power. Consequently, voters are forced into not being represented since they have to choose between groups of ideas that parties present instead of having their individual beliefs represented. Further analysis of the effects that partisanship has on the public leads to the conclusion that it breeds prejudice and anger in communities. Most Americans are introduced to a specific interpretation of issues from an early age, often holding on to those beliefs for the rest of their lives. This political socialization causes the person to associate one party with ‘good’ and the other with ‘bad.’ A virtuous polity features citizens that think critically about issues and challenge ideas that they disagree with. This political near-sightedness limits debate and undermines citizens’ public …show more content…
One of the most important arguments that can be made by advocates is that partisanship conflict has positive consequences. They could make reference to Machiavelli’s statement that Rome achieved perfection because of conflict (Machiavelli 92). The idea here is that conflict engages legislators and allows for open debate that can lead to compromise. The Italian theorist later makes an even more in-depth point when he writes, “for good individuals cannot exist without good education, and good education cannot exist without good laws, and good laws were the result of those very conflicts many people unthinkingly criticize” (Machiavelli 94). While Machiavelli is again referencing Rome, he is implying that the political progression and cooperation produced from conflict can be found in any state.
Perhaps the most obvious advantage of partisanship is that it creates a system of government with order. Having a wide array of ideas being expressed during debate can be disorderly and confusing. The system can be simplified by having a predetermined set of beliefs that can candidates and later voters can voluntarily affiliate themselves with. A related argument suggests that having established collection of ideals to choose from facilitates civil engagements. By simplifying the political debate, citizens will be more encouraged