This Minnpost commentary by Steven Dornfield answers the question, “Why has the quality of the state legislature declined?” Where are the statesmen and stateswomen? Why is compromise more difficult than ever? Why are bright, talented people avoiding runs for office, or leaving after a term or two?
To summarize, the answer is because it is often an awful, low-paying job, unforgiving to families or people with careers. It demands year-round political work. It’s politically impossible to raise the pay. It seems impossible to make it not be awful. Therefore we get a lot of people who like or are abnormally tolerant to that sort of thing. So … partisan ballot initiatives and weird fishing regulations and blogger sex romps, here we go.
I don’t think this applies to every member of the legislature. There are DFLers and Republicans both who have reputations for bright ideas and collegial behavior. But they are either a minority or they are silenced by the nature of the beast. The sad thing about the legislature (and probably all of politics these days) is that it takes well-intentioned people and turns them into partisan gladiators incapable of seeing themselves change for the worse. Has this always been true?
I expect it will get better someday, but only after a serious event or groundswell movement demands as much.
“it takes well-intentioned people and turns them into partisan gladiators incapable of seeing themselves change for the worse. Has this always been true?”
After being around politicians for most of my life, I think the answer is yes. I think people are elected as individuals who want to make a difference and then discover their ability to make a difference is largely determined by which party “controls” the legislature.
I think the problem has become worse largely because the partisan divide among the public has a much harder edge. And the partisan divide in the legislature only reinforces the political division in the public.
It used to be that legislators represented people who had many conflicting and shared interests. With suburbanization, people have segregated themselves by income and lifestyle. People are now often elected to represent people who all share many more of the same interests. While society is more diverse, the segment represented by each legislator is less diverse. Its a formula for more intense partisan conflict.