I found Stewart Alsop's essay "The Drama of Conflict" in Katharine Graham's Washington reflected how little Washington has changed over the years since 1968. Washington is still a place of great drama for those interested in politics, yet that drama still holds little meaning to the average American.
I am not surprised that conflict has remained so important inside the Beltway; because those involved in Congress, lobbying organizations, and think tanks have so much power to influence policy, the results of conflicts continue to have "life-and-death importance" (58). In fact, since the scope and size of the federal government has increased since the 1960s, it is unsurprising that conflicts have become more acrimonious and partisanship has expanded. When a government has enough money to even allow a 800 billion dollar stimulus bill to be debated, the stakes for conflict about the use of that power are tremendously high.
Similarly, I am not surprised that outsiders continue to decry the messy political process inside the Beltway (Frank Rich of the New York Times pointed out only this morning how the American public's view of the stimulus differed from the Washington "echo chamber"). While I would not go so far as Alsop in suggesting the American public are "ill-informed louts" (59), I think that most Americans are uninterested in politics (and easily frustrated by the process) simply because they are outside the Washington milieu. People outside D.C. are not constantly exposed to slick ads from lobbyists on the subways, do not rub elbows with their political rivals, and do not have the close connections with decisionmakers that give them a chance to influence policy on a day-to-day basis. It is easy for outsiders to praise bipartisanship when they do not have the temptation of getting their way, and it is easy for them to rant against corrupt politicians when they do not face the constant pressures of limited information, the chance to do tremendous good, and the fact that everyone is trying to sway their opinion.
Thus, I see conflict remaining an important part of the Washington scene for years to come. As Alsop points out, it ensures things will never become dull.
I am not surprised that conflict has remained so important inside the Beltway; because those involved in Congress, lobbying organizations, and think tanks have so much power to influence policy, the results of conflicts continue to have "life-and-death importance" (58). In fact, since the scope and size of the federal government has increased since the 1960s, it is unsurprising that conflicts have become more acrimonious and partisanship has expanded. When a government has enough money to even allow a 800 billion dollar stimulus bill to be debated, the stakes for conflict about the use of that power are tremendously high.
Similarly, I am not surprised that outsiders continue to decry the messy political process inside the Beltway (Frank Rich of the New York Times pointed out only this morning how the American public's view of the stimulus differed from the Washington "echo chamber"). While I would not go so far as Alsop in suggesting the American public are "ill-informed louts" (59), I think that most Americans are uninterested in politics (and easily frustrated by the process) simply because they are outside the Washington milieu. People outside D.C. are not constantly exposed to slick ads from lobbyists on the subways, do not rub elbows with their political rivals, and do not have the close connections with decisionmakers that give them a chance to influence policy on a day-to-day basis. It is easy for outsiders to praise bipartisanship when they do not have the temptation of getting their way, and it is easy for them to rant against corrupt politicians when they do not face the constant pressures of limited information, the chance to do tremendous good, and the fact that everyone is trying to sway their opinion.
Thus, I see conflict remaining an important part of the Washington scene for years to come. As Alsop points out, it ensures things will never become dull.
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