Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

15 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

15 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

16 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

16 hours ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

19 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

20 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

20 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

20 hours ago
Voters Beware of Our Populist Threat From Right and Left
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 5 years ago on
January 22, 2020

Share

We stand at the precipice of a significant tectonic shift in our political system.
Similar to the profound disruptions the newspaper, music and transportation industries underwent some years ago, our democratic system, which is designed to be a lagging social indicator, is struggling to find a working model for a more complex age.


Mike Madrid
Special to CalMatters
The speedy rise of populism in both parties marks the end of bilateral political discourse. The two-party system is no longer equipped to address the complexity of our social, economic and political institutions.
There is a very real possibility that in 2020, for the first time in our country’s history, the nominees for both major U.S. political parties will be populists.
On the American right, Donald Trump has consumed the Republican Party and modern conservative principles with it. Trump has raised taxes, imposed tariffs, opposed free markets, saddled the country with historic levels of debt, upended the American-led international order and resurrected a right-wing populism steeped in white-identity politics.
His rallying cry of “I alone can fix it” galvanized an unprecedented level of support amongst a rapidly-shrinking Republican Party.
On the American left, Bernie Sanders embodies a new populist uprising as well. Notable for his calls for “revolution” of the economic system, the self-described Democratic Socialist, who has spent most of his career as an Independent, has coalesced a younger, more diverse, Democratic base disillusioned and disenfranchised by the party elites’ failures to address the painful transformation to a new economy.

Populist Politicians Could Be Agents for ‘Revolutionary’ Change

Sanders, like Trump, is angered by what he sees as not only a political system rigged to benefit establishment figures, but also by the complicity of his own party in that system. Betrayal has become the fuel for the populist insurrection engulfing both parties.
Some might argue that populism is perhaps better suited for our fractured age.
Populist politicians could be agents for “revolutionary” change and could redefine the entire system since it is “rigged” to restrict, control and oppress under its current configuration. These revolutions would be similar to what we see from the change agents in Silicon Valley that are redefining outmoded systems.
However, democratically-elected politicians, unlike high tech titans, must recognize that in government, disruption for disruption’s sake is not a virtue. For good reason, there has always been a certain stability built in to the status quo. Our system of checks and balances was established to curb the pace of change to protect against sudden populist upheavals — specifically of the variety we are witnessing today.
The digital economic revolution is well underway and we are finding that the institutions of representative government that have served us for two-and-a-half centuries may no longer be sufficiently equipped to fulfill our democratic expectations.
The rise of hyper-partisanship (during the fastest growth of No Party Preference voters), identity politics (among white and minority communities) and cults of personality signify a new chapter in our democracy. This new chapter will be characterized more by clan loyalty than ideological conviction.

When We Lose the Ability to Live With Compromise, Our Elections and Policymaking Devolve Into Mob Rule

Populist politicians foment the idea that one’s faction maintains the moral high ground. The righteousness of their cause justifies the tearing down of institutions they see as standing in their way.
Populism is problematic precisely because it despises compromise under the guise of standing on principle, suggesting that those who collaborate for the greater good lack morality. Our democratic system was designed to allow for change as long as people are willing to work together, but more importantly with the understanding that collaboration was an essential ingredient to a successful republic. Compromise itself is the basic virtue of a democratic republic.

Trump and Sanders both preach an uncompromising agenda that, if implemented, would force itself upon those who disagree. To many of their supporters, that is often the appeal of their candidacy. It is also entirely un-democratic. 
Trump and Sanders both preach an uncompromising agenda that, if implemented, would force itself upon those who disagree. To many of their supporters, that is often the appeal of their candidacy. It is also entirely un-democratic.
In the Federalist papers, James Madison posited that elected leaders who promote compromise also promote stability. In that system, everyone wins and loses at the same time, making it so that we can live with the results, or at least a vast majority of us can. In our age of immediate gratification, hyper-specialization, and individual entitlement, we might no longer be a society capable of such compromise.
When we lose the ability to live with compromise, our elections and policymaking devolve into mob rule. Political parties regress into little more than gangs led by strong leaders who fight for their tribe.
Platforms and policy positions disappear and personalities dominate. The founders themselves suggested that if we were not careful, we would live in a constant state of struggle, zero-sum politics and turmoil—precisely where we’re at right now.
About the Author 
Mike Madrid is a Sacramento-based Republican political consultant and adviser to The Lincoln Project, madridassociates@gmail.com, @madrid_mike. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.
[activecampaign form=31]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

DON'T MISS

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

DON'T MISS

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

DON'T MISS

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

DON'T MISS

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

DON'T MISS

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

DON'T MISS

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

DON'T MISS

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

UP NEXT

From Victims to Perpetrators: Israeli Soldiers’ Nazi Comparisons and the Unfolding War Crimes in Gaza

UP NEXT

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

UP NEXT

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

UP NEXT

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

UP NEXT

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

UP NEXT

Trump’s Courageous and Correct Decision to Bomb Iran

UP NEXT

How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

13 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

13 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

13 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

13 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

14 hours ago

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

14 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

15 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

15 hours ago

Fresno Police Recover Some of the $40,000 in Fireworks Stolen From Bullard High Team

15 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

16 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

A two-vehicle collision sent a woman driving one of the vehicles to the hospital with a head injury Thursday afternoon in Fresno. Fresno pol...

11 hours ago

A crash causes a traffic jam in northwest Fresno on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)
11 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned 52,593 acres with 5% containment, prompting evacuation orders in several San Luis Obispo County zones as of Thursday, July 3, 2025, afternoon. (CalFire)
12 hours ago

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

12 hours ago

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

13 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

An ICE agent talks with migrants about their scheduled appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Father’s Day, to learn about their immigration status, in Chicago, Illinois., U.S., June 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

Boeing logo and miniature satellite model are seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
13 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

13 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

Clovis Police are searching for Pathmani Goonawardena, 82, who went missing nearly three weeks ago and was last seen driving a white Volvo near Copper and Auberry, possibly en route to Coarsegold. (CHP)
14 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend