Partisans and Partners

Has there been a fundamental shift in American political culture? Among old-timers across America, politics and public conflict are a natural part of life; bitter division between parties, between Democrats" (blue-collar, pro-union, against the rich and the powerful) and Republicans" (noblesse oblige of service clubs and charities for lower-income people, business interests coming first for the well-off) is taken for granted. What Josh Pacewicz has found in this strategically researched study of two Iowa cities (one Democratic, the other Republican) upends the old-timers' settled assumptions. Younger voters, it turns out, tend to be apolitical" if not downright anti-political; they see politics as a world apart and in opposition to daily life in their communities. They reject the logic of taking sides, of rigidly defined identities, joking that politicians live on planet politics" where herd-mentality reigns supreme. It's like a football game," a young professional tells him, you cheer for your side no matter how badly they are sucking." A paradox emerges here: as the conflict between America's political parties has intensified, Americans are at the same time growing distrustful of party politics in general, and partisan conflict in particular. This book argues that this puzzle has little to do with politicians or voters. Pacewicz sees the change in politicians and voters as a byproduct of a more fundamental reorganization of the community institution in which political parties are rooted. He documents an economic shift in which a younger class of business and municipal leaders focus on nonpartisan development partnerships, due in part to neoliberal economic reforms. Local nonpartisan partnership" style moves decision-making backstage but supports the rise of partisan extremism at the national level. Local leaders devalue politics, pushing partisans outside of local influence, but taking over national political institutions. Complex, but beautifully written, this is a timely and path-breaking book, made especially saleable by its grounding in vivid fieldwork.