American politics appears to be broken. Polarisation, excessive reliance on the judiciary to make laws, and gridlock in Washington, resulting in episodic fiscal cliffs, suggest a malaise. I've just read a piece in the American Interest by the ever-insightful Francis Fukuyama on what is wrong with American political institutions. He delves into the historical development of American politics and finds that the current problems are deep-seated. He highlights two particular problems - (a) the rise of lobbyists and special interest groups and (b) the usurpation by the judiciary of law making. Fukuyama is pessimistic about the future of American politics. According to him, the last time the US found itself with such a malaise, it took the Civil War to change the political trajectory of the country.
