Pragmatism at the center — is it enough?

Abstract

Both the Congress and the President come across after a few months as extreme pragmatists. Earlier fears of a “veto‐proof” Congress are dissolving. Huge mandates last November plus the decline of party discipline make independents of new congressmen and congresswomen despite Democratic party caucuses. Meanwhile, a basically conservative President struggles mightily with the stubborn growth of the federal government — now 22 percent of the economy — and loses. With only 18 percent of voters calling themselves Republican, how can he cut programs paying dollars to individuals while unemployment mounts and inflation only creeps downward?