Bridget Everson Source 1

What is partisanship and what kind of an impact does it have on our government?

LEVITT, JUSTIN. "The Partisanship Spectrum." William & Mary Law Review 55.5 (2014): 1787-1868. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.

In Justin Levitt's "The Partisanship Spectrum", he describes the different types of partisanship and to what degree they impact daily work in D.C. Before he breaks up partisanship into types, he defines the Partisan Effect. He states that "it is a measure of differential policy output: one party's supporters gain more than the supporters of a different party". Levitt emphasizes that partisanship isn't simply a mode of action but rather a measurement tool of how much party affiliation influences policymakers action. According to Levitt, there are four different types of partisanship that stretch from non-impactful to game-changers.  The four include: Coincidental, Ideological, Responsive, and Tribal. He begins with Coincidental, in which he defines partisanship as non purposeful. He says that policymakers value the "commonwealth" before toting party lines making any relationship in political action simply a coincidence. The next element of the spectrum, he defines as Ideological. He compares Coincidental Partisanship to a coin flip, which likens Ideological to a little less random. Although, they still want to improve the "commonwealth" any political benefit is an added bonus. The following dimension is called Responsive. This one is similar to comparative. If a policymaker has the choice between a party-approved policy and a separate policy, they are more likely to choose one that will benefit their political party and their party constituents. The most extreme element of partisanship is known as Tribal. Whether they advocate for a policy or not, if the party backs it, they will support it for the benefit of their party-affiliated coworkers and voters. Justin Levitt uses the spectrum to eradicate misunderstandings about partisanship.

This article poses a lot of questions but the main one is: how often does tribal partisanship occur in our government? Half of the spectrum is a natural part of decision making, political or not. If Coincidental and Ideological are the main partisan happenings occurring, then other factors need to be investigated to explain legislative gridlock. This article teaches that partisanship isn't always so black and white and evil. It is known that partisanship is inevitable and natural in the political process but Levitt makes a good point when he says that not all partisanship is bad. The next logical question is who is to blame for Responsive and Tribal partisanship.

Looking ahead I will focus on if the different players in the polarized state of our policymakers. How much do parties work to gain policymakers in order to influence the happenings in legislature. Along with other politicians, I will look at the history of parties and if this kind of gridlock has occurred in the past and how frequently it happened. But overall, I will examine the voters' roll in electing these party-toters and if our say is being considered and not just our party affiliation. After all, when you enter a voting booth and you see a pair of unfamiliar names, you are more likely to pick the name that is affiliated with your preferred party. 

Bridget,

Very nice work here.  You're critical thinking/questioning is excellent.  Could you give me a little more detail on your critical thoughts, though?  Sometimes it's a bit hard to follow.  It would be useful for me (and probably for you too) if you took some time to explain what you mean by those critical ideas and what they tell you about your exploration.  Self reflection is an excellent tool and it will help when you get to the paper-writing stage (by creating early on a narrative of your thought process).

Jim