A New Trend: The Unserious Senate
When designing the American Constitution, our Founding Fathers understood the importance of high-quality elected officials. As Alexander Hamilton explained in Federalist Paper No. 68, the success of the American experiment would depend on the election of “characters preeminent for ability and virtue.”
Our founders were so concerned about who would occupy offices of power that they designed our electoral systems to insulate the government against the election of malignant leaders. Distrusting the American people to popularly elect a president, the founders designed the Electoral College as a guard against the American people’s worst instincts. Similarly, the Constitution did not call for the popular election of senators, instead delegating that power to state legislatures.
Though the founders’ means of promoting capable candidates was, at best, insulting to the American people, and at worst anti-democratic, the founders were well intentioned. Indeed, regardless of one’s particular political outlook, all Americans should want smart, capable people in positions of power. A 2020 YouGov poll found that 77% of both Democrats and Republicans want a “competent” president, while over 70% of all Americans wanted leaders who were “honest” and “took responsibility.” It’s not a stretch to assume that the qualities that Americans look for in presidents extend to what they want in other elected leaders as well.
Thus, it’s clear that at least based on what they say, today’s Americans agree with their founders: They want leaders who are serious and capable of leading the country. Based on the actions of American voters, however, perhaps the Founders were right to be concerned. As America has become increasingly polarized, American primary voters in both parties have taken to nominating candidates who are increasingly extreme.
However, not only are these candidates more extreme in their beliefs, but perhaps more worrisome, they are seemingly not particularly interested in governing. Rather, candidates of this new type seem to be more interested in engaging in culture wars and building their personal political brands.
In this election cycle, Republican primary voters have nominated a series of candidates who fit this new mold. For example, in Georgia, just 33% of voters believe that Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker, most well-known for being a star football player, has “good leadership skills.” In Pennsylvania, Republican nominee Mehmet Oz is most well-known for hosting a television show and lived in New Jersey until less than two years ago. In addition to Walker and Oz, Republican Senate nominees in Ohio and Arizona have never held any government office. Don’t take my word for it: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell even cited “candidate quality” as a primary reason why Republicans may not regain Senate control in November.
If elected in November, these candidates would represent a sizable portion of the Senate Republican Conference — a portion not dedicated to doing the important work of governing. To be certain, these candidates would be reliable Republican votes on any legislation that comes to the Senate floor, and for some voters, this may be enough. However, the real work of legislating does not happen on the floor, but rather in committee hearings and negotiation sessions. Without serious legislators, not only does the work of the American people suffer, but polarization will only worsen.
Unfortunately, this trend is a self-fulfilling prophecy. As the country gets more polarized, primary voters will continue electing more partisan legislators. As more partisans are elected, the Senate will only grow increasingly dysfunctional. And, as recent trends show, the Senate becomes less capable of producing substantive results, the remaining serious legislators will go elsewhere.
Nebraska Republican Ben Sasse, who’s just 50 years old and could easily serve for another 30 years, is departing the Senate at the end of the year to become the President of the University of Florida. In announcing his departure, Sasse lamented “Washington partisanship,” and has previously complained about “jackassery” in the Senate. Meanwhile, Ohio Republican Rob Portman, a key negotiator in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, is retiring at 66, a spry age in Senate terms. Portman attributed his departure to the growing difficulty breaking “through the partisan gridlock” and making “progress on substantive policy.” Though retiring Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey said politics was not a factor in his decision to retire, he is just 60 years old.
Of course, most American primary voters are likely not concerned with “how the sausage is made” when they step into the voting booth. Indeed, most Americans are likely more aware of the political battles happening on their television screens and on their social media feeds than negotiating and legislating on Capitol Hill. Thus, while the actions of American primary voters are certainly understandable, they are nonetheless concerning. If Americans truly want their government to work for them, they must nominate and elect legislators who are serious about getting things done. Indeed, in this respect, we must heed our founders wisdom and elect “characters preeminent for ability.”
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