Is the America Headed in the Wrong Direction?

Acting on Values or Compromising Them: What is the Right Thing to Do?

A recent poll from the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) clearly indicates the polarization in America. According to the latest?GU Politics Battleground Civility Poll, voters are expressing a higher level of concern over the level of polarization in the country. When asked about political division on a scale of 0 to 100 (with 0 being no division at all and 100 being the edge of civil war), respondents gave a mean score of 71.74, a slight increase to feelings in the previous battleground poll with a mean score of 70.36.

Finding a Common Ground

There was a decrease in voters who agree with the statement “I am optimistic about the future because young people are committed to making this country a better place to live for everyone,” with a net decrease of 23%. However, while there was a notable decline in agreement on this statement, there was majority agreement (55%) among voters aged 18-34, signaling that the younger generation still views themselves as agents of change.

The poll also highlighted the extent to which voters have separated themselves from others who are not like them, surrounding themselves with close friends and family that are remarkably similar to themselves. The results include the following findings.

• A majority say that all or most of their friends (60%) “share the same political beliefs” as they do, while only 38% say some or none do.
• A majority of voters say that most of their close friends and family “vote for the same candidates” (55% all/most, 37% some/none) and “are in the same political party” (57% all/most, 40% some/none) as they are.?
• The trend holds when looking at other key measures, with voters offering that most of their close friends and family “share the same religious beliefs” (53% all/most, 45% some/none), “are in the same ethnic group” (67% all/most, 32% some/none), and “are in the same economic class” (51% all/most, 47% some/none).
• Except for sharing their economic class, Republicans and Democrats are both more likely than independents to have “a lot” or “some” of their friends fit all these criteria than independents.

The Art of Compromise

It appears that voters are looking for someone who can compromise to get things done even if they must compromise their values. Two-thirds of respondents say they were more likely to vote for a candidate willing to compromise with other politicians as opposed to a candidate who consistently fights for values. This answer has remained consistent over more than two years of polling, with at least 65% of respondents selecting the candidate willing to compromise to create change in each poll.

As an ethicist, I find this result somewhat concerning. I know the old saying about the art of politics: Politics is frequently called the “art of compromise,” where those elected by a demographically diverse population meet to develop policies that all constituencies can accept. This requires a give and take to achieve a majority vote and accepting that no one gets everything they want in the final product. Economist Donald Wittman observed, “That is what good politicians do; create coalitions and find acceptable compromises.” Political philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain wrote, “But compromise is not a mediocre way to do politics; it is an adventure, the only way to do democratic politics."

Once we compromise our values, then ethical relativism kicks in and individuals are more likely to deviate away from their values to get things done. I would be OK with this accept that different people have different values so that actions might be reflective of values that are not in the best interests of the country. The values of the minority that do represent a more ethical environment may be set aside in the name of compromise.

Compromising one’s values can corrupt the ethical value of integrity, which is the basis of ethics in many ways. Ethical people should stand up for what is right regardless of the consequences. It takes courage to act in accordance with your convictions even if it creates problems down the line.

I believe a case in point is Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). He blocked passage of the Build Back Better Bill last year when he declared that he couldn’t support the Bill, and that meant Democrats in the Senate didn’t have a majority to get it done. Manchin attributed his lack of support to concerns about rising inflation, the national debt, and the need to fight COVID. He clearly acted on his values, which are that inflation must be fought at all levels.

Fast forward to July 2022, and Manchin supported the Bill even though those same concerns exist. The reason for his support seems to be the climate change provisions in the Bill. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) recently passed provides $369 billion for climate and energy projects, including a tax credit up to $7,500 for electric vehicles (EVs).

The IRA was a surprise to many. After all, on December 19, 2021, Manchin had withdrawn support for IRA’s previous incarnation, Build Back Better (BBB) Act, citing concerns about inflation. On July 14, 2022, he went further, announcing an end to negotiations on even a slimmed-down BBB.

Manchin has been critical of EV subsidies, an important climate priority in both the BBB and the IRA. On April 27, 2022, he said: “There’s a waiting list for E.V.s right now with a fuel price at $4, but they still want us to throw $5,000 or $7,000 or a $12,000 credit to buy an electric vehicle…It makes no sense to me whatsoever…. It’s absolutely ludicrous.”

Manchin’s about face is due to the political realities of compromise. For now, the U.S. Senate (basically Manchin) decides the fate of climate legislation. But after November, the House may not pass such legislation. This means that Manchin may not have climate legislations to work with.

Finding a Common Set of Values

I’m not saying politicians shouldn’t compromise. Nothing would get done unless this happens. However, I am saddened that there is such a diversity of values in the country that politicians no longer seem to be able to make decisions based on a commonly accepted set of accepted core values, such as integrity, and honesty for that matter.?

We should be electing Senators and Representatives based on their representing our core values, but with such a divergence in the country this is less likely to happen today than ever before. It is a major problem and a challenge to our democracy, especially in today's politically charged environment where values are set aside in the name of compromise. We don't always see it because politicians are very adept at hiding their true beliefs--their values--in the name of joining forces with others in the party to retain power.?

Sissela Bok writes in?Common Values that we should combine moral theory with practical ethics, demonstrating how moral values apply to all facets of life—personal, professional, domestic, and international. I think it is time that Americans discuss these issues and find common ground so that our political system reverts to the notion of a common good as existed many years ago.

Blog posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, The Ethics Sage, on August 25, 2022. You can sign up for Steve’s newsletter and learn more about his activities on his website?(https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/) and by following him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/StevenMintzEthics and on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/ethicssage.