Washington Needs to Put People Before Parties
American politics has become remarkably good at producing conflict and remarkably bad at producing confidence. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Americans are once again being asked to choose between political parties, candidates and competing visions for the country. Primary elections are taking place across the nation, congressional control is at stake, and Washington is once again wrestling with the basic responsibility of keeping the federal government funded. But beneath all of the campaign advertisements, partisan talking points and political strategy lies a much simpler question: Who is Washington actually working for? The answer should be the American people. Unfortunately, too much of our political system appears to operate according to a different principle: protect the party first, win the next election second, and govern somewhere after that. That needs to change. Politics Should Be a Means, Not the Mission Political parties are not inherently ...
