What's Wrong with American Politics? | Jon Schaff

Few people would disagree that American politics are broken. Our politics today seem to be defined by constant negativity, petty partisanship, the excessive influence of interest groups, and the incapacity of Congress to govern. According to Jon D. Schaff, strangely, the reason why our politics are partisan is not that our parties are too powerful, but rather that they are too weak. Our politics are corrupted by money, not because there are too few restrictions on political donations, but rather because there are too many. He makes the case that giving political parties a bigger role and making it simpler to raise money would help our politics get back to being more rational in his overview of the history of party politics and political reform in the United States. Professor of Political Science Jon D. Schaff teaches at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Among other subjects, he teaches classes on American Political Thought, Politics and Film, and the American Presidency. He is frequently cited in the media while discussing presidential and South Dakota politics. He has written articles on the "first hundred days" of a president, Abraham Lincoln's presidency, and Alexis de Tocqueville's political philosophy. He has also contributed to edited books on South Dakota politics and George McGovern. He is the co-author of Age of Anxiety: Meaning, Identity, and Politics in 21st Century Film and Literature and the author of Lincoln and the Limits of Liberal Democracy: Statesmanship and Presidential Power (forthcoming, Southern Illinois University Press) (forthcoming, Lexington Books). This lecture was delivered at a TEDx event that was freely organized by a local community and followed the TED conference style.