The political obstructionism we hate reflects the society we've become
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By some estimates, American democracy seems particularly inept today. Amid a slow economic recovery and strained public budgets, legislatures around the country are frequently mired in gridlock. Washington stands on the brink of default.
The great temptation, time and again, is to blame the politicians ostensibly incapable of pointing the country out of the morass. But is it possible that we have put the cart before the horse? Could it be that the American community has changed and policy makers are simply struggling to adapt?
In fact, the social architecture of American neighborhoods has undergone a complete transformation over the past several decades. But to understand how, we need a new frame for analyzing community.
Imagine how you might map an individual's social universe onto a model of the planet Saturn. If the planet itself represents an individual (let's call her Nancy), the surrounding rings would order her acquaintances. The inner rings would represent Nancy's nuclear family and closest friends. The middle rings would comprise the people she counts as familiar, but not particularly intimate. And the outer rings would represent Nancy's more distant acquaintances.
Using that model, the last few decades reveal a sea change in American life. New developments have compelled us to invest more time and attention to the inner and the outer rings, to the detriment of those in the middle. This marks an unprecedented evolution in the social networks of American community and undermines the rhythms of American democracy.
Why have Americans like Nancy abandoned middle-ring relationships for those that are both more and less intimate?
In most cases, because they can. Why hang out with the random assortment that frequents the neighborhood pub when you can join a discussion group comprised exclusively of people who share your love of Mortal Combat? Why join the ladies down the street for lunch when you know your daughter is going to call from college between classes? Why endure the mixed membership of the local Kiwanis club when you can fund raise and kibitz online with activists who share precisely your vision of political change?
First Published July 17, 2011 12:00 am
