THE GREAT AMERICAN DILEMMA: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Although he has never been adequately recognized for his wise perception of American government, the nation's first president, George Washington, played a vital role in steering the second constitutional convention around some of the popularly supported pitfalls that face any important law-writing assembly.

It was Washington, along with a small handful of delegates capable of recognizing the remarkable talents of America's first commanding general, who effectively squashed rapidly growing efforts to assign certain powers to the political parties that were organizing throughout the new nation.

Washington's determination to stem the partisan tide came for his pre-presidential tenure when his efforts to secure adequate resources to fight the British were more often effectively squashed by some members of the Continental Congress who worked surreptitiously to weaken rather than strengthen the cause of liberty. Their motives were determined more by British pounds than America's hope for independence, and they made little effort to hide their strong support, even their allegiance, for King George III.

It was this experience which led the man who was the choice throughout most of the colonies to resist with all his power the efforts to assign political parties major roles in governing the new country. Four years as president did nothing to allay Washington's concerns over the ill effects of political parties. In his most famous speech, his farewell presidential address, delivered Sept. 19, 1796, President Washington spoke these words:

"The spirit of party serves always to distract the public councils, and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasional riot and insurrection."

Don't take Washington's word for it.

Read what his immediate successor, John Adams, had to say on the same subject:

"Neither party will ever be able to pursue the true interest, honor and dignity of the nation. I lament the narrow, selfish spirit of the leaders of both parties, but can do no good to either. They are incorrigible." The two parties at the time were Federalist and Republican.

Don't accept the opposition of Washington and Adams to be the only views among the giants of America's founding years. Although he played no direct role in the 1787 convention, after having earlier written the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was equally suspect of assigning power to partisan powers. Here's what he wrote in 1824,

"I am no believer in the amalgamation of parties, nor do I consider it as either desirable or useful for the public: but only that, like religious differences, a difference in politics should never be permitted to enter into social intercourse, or to disturb its friendship, its charities or justice."

Jumping past other leaders who held similar views, here's what President Woodrow Wilson asked in a speech delivered 1919 in Richmond, Ind.:

"What difference does party make when mankind is involved?"

Within a very brief time, the country's major political parties will engage in a contest to elect nominees for the most important job in the United States, and this effort will be centered on one principal object: to win the support of a sufficient number of voters to allow their candidates to defeat the nominees of the opposition party.

This effort will involve the expenditure of more money than is produced in one year by a majority of the world's nations. It will intrude into every avenue of communication with messages that are distracting or false. And sometimes it will do both.

This year's political contests will be so persistent, virulent and intrusive that close to a majority of voters will refuse to participate and will willingly, even eagerly, assign their franchise to unknown others. The result of this disassociation is clear: At least one-half of the governed are unwilling to provide interest, devotion or responsibility to a freedom that will not be repeated for another four years.

These are exactly the results foreseen by the first three presidents of our nation and by one of its most intellectually brilliant leaders 85 years ago. Can you imagine the wonder of Washington and Adams if they viewed such willful abdication of an essential component of the government they helped found and formulate? Can anyone conceive of Wilson's disdainful disappointment over the intellectual garbage a presidential election campaign will produce later this year?

Rather than being dissuaded, today's political parties exercise far greater control over public policy than any other segment of our society, while at the same representing a declining degree of support from an increasingly disillusioned number of American citizens.

Political parties pursue an agenda that is not always identical to the broader, national interest. The protection of a party's constituents, including those who provide its principal funding, is its primary concern and motivation. Partisan opposition to all kinds of essential federal programs, from Social Security to welfare reform, has been the dark legacy of both parties over the past half-century.

Parties are not held responsible for policy failures.

Governments are.

Political organizations are concerned with the electoral dominance of its members.

Governments are charged with the economic, social and cultural success of all citizens, those who belong to one of the two parties and the majority who refuse to belong to either.

It's time our government assumed its duties and responsibilities to govern, as envisioned by Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Wilson as well as the 51 percent of all Americans who didn't vote in the last presidential election because they have had it up to here with partisan excesses.

~Jack Stapleton of Kennett is the editor of Missouri News and Editorial Service.