Recentering Pragmatism: The Politics of Democracy

This blog piece was written by one of our students, Silas. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

The United States’ political landscape has become defined by extremes. Both leading parties, and the many candidates that fill their ranks, have embraced increasingly diverging positions and rhetoric, making the compromises and behind-the-scenes work that keep the many layers of our government running. As the U.S. prepares for another contentious and monumental election this fall, the parties, and our politics as a whole, must strive to move away from dividing dialogue and pursue pragmatic concession.

Across two weeks of programming, Civitas summer interns had the opportunity to hear from numerous local politicians ranging from county councilmembers and election officials to state representatives and congressional candidates. One such speaker was Ben Samuels, a native St. Louis Democrat running for Missouri’s second congressional district. Samuels was the leading democrat in the race and would have faced incumbent Ann Wagner in the general election until he withdrew after being drawn out of his own district by state legislators in Jefferson City. Now, Samuels is dedicating his time, and money, to helping Democrats in tight races around the country. The politics Samuels chose to pursue should serve as a model for politicians on either side of the aisle as the parties continue to pull away from each other.

During Samuels’ discussion with Civitas, he cited the divisiveness and vitriol that has become an ever greater part of our politics as the catalyzing event for his career. Samuels left St. Louis to work for, first, Rahm Emmanuel, then mayor of Chicago, and then Charlie Baker, Republican Governor of Massachusetts. Samuels pointed to working for Baker in particular as fostering his pragmatic approach to politics. Governor Baker is a Republican governor in a state that has been overwhelmingly won by Democrats and that is led by Democratic super-majoritys in both chambers of the legislature. 

Samuels returned to St. Louis to run for congress and positioned himself as a moderate Democrat in a district that Donald Trump won by just 160 votes in 2020. Samuels grounded himself in the issues of the district, reporting to Civitas that the most prevalent concerns were inflation and employment. While clearly a Democrat, Samuels separated himself from more high-profile progressives across the country, a decision reflective of the difference between the second district and one like the first, represented by the far more progressive and outspoken Cori Bush.

Samuels, in his admittedly brief candidacy, provides a model for what American politics must strive to become as our country continues to grapple with the division that has become a fixture of our political landscape. In moving to the extremes of the left and the right, national leaders have chosen to sacrifice governance and action in favor of rhetoric and performance. Samuels spoke to the issues, both in his meeting with Civitas and throughout his campaign, that affects people’s lives every day. Inflation, jobs, and infrastructure, while not the most exciting or attractive topics are those that have an outsized impact on our economy and on ordinary citizens’ lives. Not only must politicians choose compromise and moderation for the sake of governing, but also for electoral success. Most Americans do not identify with either the far right or the far left, meaning that the politicians who chose to embrace fringe strategies and causes at either extreme fail their constituents.

The extremes of our politics may capture the most attractive headlines and may garner the most attention, but these strategies fail to translate to effective governance and ignore the vast majority of voters. If the point of politics in a democratic society is to represent the people and better the world, then paths such as the one Ben Samuels chose to take are the most important, and imperative, for our country.