{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Yes","color":"#624960","stance":"yes"},{"text":"Maybe","color":"#edb723","stance":"maybe"},{"text":"No","color":"#4ac6ec","stance":"no"}],"id":21650,"title":"If I Believe in Cross-Partisanship, am I a Communist, Socialist or Enemy of Liberty?","html_content":"

by The Cross-Partisan Action Network | 2.13.19

In Rob Stein's recent conversation on the American ideals of E Pluribus Unum and cross-partisanship you—the readers—shared provocative questions and opinions. Now, we're continuing the conversation with some of the top themes that emerged. Check out the original piece here, and click above to take action!

If I Believe in Cross-Partisanship, am I a Communist, Socialist or Enemy of Liberty?

By Rob Stein

The short answers are no, no and no.

I grew up in West Virginia loving my country and believing that the representative republic form of government could best balance the inherent tensions of liberty and justice, and thereby inspire the limitless potential of human creativity.

James Madison’s brilliantly written Federalist Paper No. 10 summarizes three alternative forms of government – the despot (a king or a tyrant of any sort), the raw passions of the people (anarchy, direct democracy), or a representative republic – and concludes that the latter is the most nurturing, and least detrimental, to lifting the human spirit and advancing human happiness.

While all three forms of governance have their weaknesses, and are capable of governing abuse and conflicts of interest, a representative republic has the greatest potential for accountability and reform, checks and balances, rule of law, respect for differences, and the recognition of majorities and protection of minority rights.

While these governing principles and protections are threatened by growing hyper-partisanship, cross-partisanship assures a meaningful voice for the primary defenders of democratic ideals, institutions and norms. In valuing country over party, ideology and special interests, open-minded Republicans, Democrats and Independents who find common purpose are steadfast advocates of evidence-based solutions to community, national and international problems.

Cross-partisanship not only ameliorates the growing dangers of hyper-partisanship and protects the ideals of our representative form of government, but is a guardian against authoritarianism and its incursion on liberty and justice for all.

A word about liberty and justice.

The Preamble to the US Constitution inextricably weaves both words into the fabric of our national soul (emphasis added):

\nWe, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.\n

Freedom and justice are the eternal struggle of every human being in every land in every corner of our globe. These fundamental human aspirations may co-exist, but never in perfect balance. Absolute freedom – the ability of each of us to do whatever we please regardless of consequences – would deny justice to the many. And, absolute justice for each of us – the ability to claim limitless personal rights vis a vis every free man and woman – would deny liberty to the many.

The American experiment, at its core, is a never-ending, imperfect attempt to balance these delicate human aspirations in order to achieve optimal freedom and justice for all. In these times, cross-partisanship provides the ballast that our republic requires to secure our lives, liberties and pursuit of happiness, and avoid the ravishes of tyranny.

Rob Stein is a former Senior Strategist, Democratic National Committee (1989-1992); Founder, Democracy Alliance (2005); Co-founder, Committee On States (2007); and currently committed to building an enduring cross-partisan constituency to chart the track back to the ideals of E Pluribus Unum.

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