election results

I have been watching the election returns tonight with some interest. What I have been rooting for is not a landslide, but a close split. It is my opinion that government operates the best when no one party holds control, either symbolically or in reality. This is because there is not enough motivation to come up with compromise except in situations where the government is evenly split.

If the government is truly controlled by one party, then that party has little motivation to work with the minority party or parties because they don't appear needed. If the government is not controlled by one party but one has the appearance of much more control than the other, then the minority party has little motivation to work with the party in the most power because more political points can be scored by disruption. We saw examples of the Democrats refusing to work with the Republicans in 2009 as an example of the first problem and with the Republicans refusing to work with the Democrats in 2010 as an example of the second problem. Watching both major parties play those games was disturbing.

Even though many of the newly elected lawmakers are being brought in on combative platforms, it is my hope that compromises will finally be struck as enough people realize it is in their best interest to find solutions that pluralities of both major parties can accept. If they cannot do that, then a lot more politicians will be getting the boot in 2012.