Terrible title.

The most obvious example of second-order politics in the American system is the judiciary, and especially the Supreme Court. Until the Obergefell decision in 2015, for example, the American people were engaging in a free-flowing debate about same-sex marriage, with some people in favor of allowing it and others opposed, and public opinion shifting rapidly in the "pro" direction. That was politics conducted on the first level. But then the Supreme Court stepped in to declare gay marriage a constitutional right. That was second-order politics in action: Suddenly the rules were changed, with the "pro" side summarily declared the winner throughout the nation and the "anti" side driven — and permanently excluded — from the political battlefield going forward.

Liberals need to focus on formulating ideas and arguments that will prevail in first-order politics instead of trying to preemptively expel from the debate those defending contrary ideas and arguments. Excommunication may appear to succeed in the short term. But in the end, it will often backfire, empowering the excluded opponents in the bargain.

I'm a middle school teacher, and I've seen some of my colleagues try and work the same strategies with troubled students, without success, time and again. Kid causes problems, kid is suspended from school. Kid returns to school. Kid causes more problems, is suspended again... and repeat.

It takes time and immense patience, but the only way to break the cycle is dialogue and an exchange of ideas. Otherwise, we exist in a state of working to excommunicate, or be excommunicated.

posted 2714 days ago