Whether one believes in big government or small government, America needs a functional government. The unwillingness of our politicians to compromise [https://www.youtube.com/dancingdots],‎ as has been the case for much of the last several decades, is doing this nation serious harm. Sure, we are muddling through, but it is wearing us down and making us weaker and poorer.

Families, businesses, sports teams and congregations whose members constantly fight with one another are weaker than ones that can put their differences aside and work towards common goals. Most of us know this from experience. So it is with governments.

Where will a continuation of the current dysfunction lead? Assume for a moment that if our current nasty political battles continue there is (i) a one in three chance that really conservative folks will be able to recast America in their image; (ii) a one in three chance that really progressive, social democratic folks are able to recast America in their image; and (iii) a one in three chance that America is pulled apart in the battle. With those odds, why would anyone who really loves America risk insisting on a “my way or the highway” choice, especially recognizing that there are huge numbers of people on each side of this ideological divide who would be unhappy living under one or the other vision? We need to find a way to bridge our political differences back to pragmatic, consensus-oriented politics. [Chapter 1]