Beyond Ideology

Frances Lee says there are many issues liberals, conservatives and the government agree upon. Even over these matters, however, Democrats and Republicans generally argue with each other. What explains this discord? Beyond Ideology argues it's because most partisan fights are actually rooted in competition for power. For example, presidential leadership inherently polarizes legislators who can influence public opinion of the president and his party by how they handle his agenda. Senators also exploit good government measures and floor debate to embarrass opponents and burnish their own party’s image—even when the issues involved are broad or low-stakes.