8/20/21 - Uncivil Agreement, Liliana Mason - Chapter 3 discussion, Class Notes PDF

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Chapter summary on Uncivil Agreement by Lilianna Mason. Discussed how partisanship affects contemporary politics, the history of this and how this affects the future of political parties....

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Aug 30, 2021 - Chapter 3 discussion, Class Notes ● Masson is discussing the social markers in identity and how that relates to the differences in political identity. ○ Republicans and democrats aren’t as far away from each other on policy as they are on identity. ● Republican’s Choice ○ Maintain electoral position with structural bias ■ Structural bias is the fact that the system favors republicans based on money, but also the fact that there is an outsized favor of republicans. ● Called Minoritarian rule in the senate and house. ● Because the senate is two per state, regardless of population, some states that have less people usually if not always have republicans leading them. ● Due to the house’s proportional representation in the house, they are allowed to do partisan gerrymandering, where the republican lead legislature is allowed to decide who is in what district. ● The electoral college plays a factor where they are able to decide who gets to be president regardless of who the public votes for. ○ They maintain this bias by appeasing their very loyal base (40-43 percent) ■ Their base is not the majority, but the politicians are banking on the structural bias, which will help them win. ■ They don’t have to have a coalition ● A group of people that have different ideas, but decide to work together based on their differences. Brings different groups together. ● Because the party is not a coalition, they all have the same thinking, the same idea.

○ The warhawks, social conservatives, capitalists, etc., believe that their ideas are imbued into society itself. ■ Anti-LGBT, pro-life, anti-welfare, pro-war, libertarians, etc. ■ These people do not like each other, but decide that because they want power, they end up working with one another instead. ● But, these types of ideas DO NOT EXIST. The group of people that put themselves together to win elections has literally disappeared. They are now one in and of the type of person. ○ Everything is based on ONE identity. (they share the same brain cell) ● There's no more need for negotiation and talking because it does not exist, literally. ■ The One Identity: ● White, religious, hate govt, loyalty to Trump, anti-covid vaccine ● Democratic coalition ○ People of Color, race ○ LGBT ○ Big government Socialist ■ Welfare, health care, social security ○ Poor people ○ Immigrations/Immigrants ○ Climate Change ○ Peace group ○ Equal voting/rights ● In order to become more powerful and win elections ○ you have to expand the coalition ○ Correct the structural bias ○ Shrink your opponents’ group/coalition (republican strategy) ■ Don’t let your opponents vote....