Reframe policymaking dysfunction through bipartisan-inclusion leadership.

Area of Science:

• Political Science
• Public Policy Analysis
• American Politics

Background:

• Persistent policy failures are increasingly examined through the lens of political systems.
• Dysfunctional policymaking in the U.S. is characterized by partisan stalemate, extremism, and reversals.
• Negative partisanship has eroded public trust and damaged the social contract.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the growth of dysfunctional policymaking in the United States.
• To propose a countering approach centered on disruptive presidential leadership and bipartisan inclusion.
• To reframe partisan divides and improve governance and policy outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of persistent policy failures and their attribution to political systems.
• Examination of partisan dynamics, including negative partisanship and political stalemate.
• Proposal of a presidential leadership model to foster bipartisan cooperation.

Main Results:

• Extreme partisanship and negative partisanship are key drivers of policy failures and eroded public trust.
• Current policymaking dynamics resemble a self-reinforcing Prisoner's Dilemma, hindering cooperation.
• Historical policymaking exhibited greater cooperation, but bipartisan norms have eroded.

Conclusions:

• A disruptive presidential leadership approach emphasizing bipartisan inclusion is proposed to counter negative partisanship.
• Institutional changes should focus on reducing the cost-benefit ratio for cooperation.
• Renewing a productive social contract requires fostering "party blind" conditions in policy formulation.