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 bad. Parties help organize voters, develop policy platforms and give citizens choices at the ballot box. A functioning democracy needs political competition.

The problem begins when winning becomes more important than governing.

A senator should not reject a reasonable proposal simply because it came from the other party. A representative should not support a bad policy simply because party leadership demands it. And elected officials should not treat every disagreement as an existential battle between good and evil.

Democracy requires disagreement.

It does not require dysfunction.

Americans can disagree about taxes, healthcare, immigration, education, environmental policy, government spending, foreign policy and the proper size of government. Those disagreements are legitimate.

What should not be controversial is the expectation that elected officials will actually sit down, negotiate and attempt to solve problems.

The Government Shutdown Cycle Is a Perfect Example

Few things demonstrate Washington’s dysfunction better than the recurring threat of a government shutdown.

This month, the Senate advanced a short-term funding measure designed to keep the federal government operating as the midterm elections approach. The legislation still faces additional hurdles, but the fact that lawmakers repeatedly find themselves negotiating government funding under the pressure of an impending deadline illustrates a larger problem.

Government funding should not routinely become a political hostage situation.

Federal employees should not have to wonder whether their paychecks will be affected because Congress cannot reach an agreement. Military families should not have to worry about whether essential services will continue. Small businesses that depend upon federal contracts should not have to become collateral damage in a partisan dispute.

And taxpayers should not have to watch elected officials spend enormous amounts of time arguing about whether the government should remain open.

There is nothing inherently conservative or liberal about keeping the government functioning.

It is simply basic governance.

The Parties Are Not the Government

One of the most important distinctions Americans need to remember is that political parties are organizations. They are not the United States government.

Republicans do not own America.

Democrats do not own America.

Neither party has a permanent claim to the country, and neither party should be treated as though winning an election gives it unlimited authority to ignore everyone else.

The Constitution establishes a government designed around competing institutions and competing interests precisely because Americans will disagree.

That means compromise is not necessarily weakness.

Sometimes compromise is evidence that democracy is working.

Of course, compromise has limits. Elected officials should not compromise away constitutional rights, democratic elections or fundamental freedoms simply to claim that they reached a deal.

But there is a tremendous difference between compromising on how to accomplish something and abandoning one’s principles.

Washington needs to rediscover that distinction.

The Voter Is More Than a Party Label

As primary elections unfold, candidates are naturally appealing to their respective political bases. Minnesota voters, for example, are choosing among competing Democratic candidates with different ideological approaches, while Wisconsin voters are facing high-profile contests that could help define the political direction of the state.

That is democracy functioning as it should.

But voters should not allow political parties to reduce them to a colour on a map or a letter beside their name.

A Republican voter can support universal access to healthcare.

A Democratic voter can believe government spending needs greater discipline.

An independent voter can support stronger environmental protections while also supporting increased domestic energy production.

A conservative can believe in protecting individual liberties.

A progressive can believe in fiscal responsibility.

People are complicated.

Political parties are not.

That is precisely why citizens should never surrender their independent judgment to a party platform.

Ask Candidates What They Will Actually Accomplish

The 2026 election should not simply be a referendum on which political party voters like or dislike.

It should be an examination of what candidates actually intend to accomplish.

Instead of asking only:

“Are you a Republican or a Democrat?”

Voters should be asking:

“What will you do about the cost of living?”

“How will you make healthcare more affordable?”

“How will you address the national debt?”

“What will you do to protect Social Security and Medicare?”

“How will you improve public education?”

“What will you do about housing costs?”

“How will you protect constitutional rights?”

“How will you make government more accountable?”

And perhaps most importantly:

“What are you willing to work with the other side to accomplish?”

Those questions tell us considerably more about a candidate than a campaign slogan ever will.

Governing Requires More Than Winning

The temptation during an election year is to treat every political issue as a scoreboard.

Who won?

Who lost?

Which party gained seats?

Which candidate defeated the establishment?

Which faction gained power?

Those questions matter politically, but they are not the ultimate measure of success.

The ultimate measure is whether people’s lives improve.

If Congress passes hundreds of bills but families cannot afford their homes, something is wrong.

If politicians win every partisan battle but cannot keep the government functioning, something is wrong.

If elected officials spend more time fundraising and campaigning than solving problems, something is wrong.

If Americans increasingly believe their government is incapable of addressing ordinary problems because political parties are too busy fighting one another, something is profoundly wrong.

The purpose of government is not to provide politicians with careers.

The purpose of government is to serve the people.

Accountability Must Apply to Everyone

Putting people before parties also means applying the same standards regardless of political affiliation.

If a Republican abuses power, Republicans should condemn it.

If a Democrat abuses power, Democrats should condemn it.

If a Republican proposes a good idea, Democrats should be willing to acknowledge it.

If a Democrat proposes a good idea, Republicans should be willing to acknowledge it.

This should not be considered revolutionary.

It should be normal.

Partisan loyalty should never become so powerful that voters feel obligated to defend misconduct simply because the person committing it has the correct political label.

A democracy cannot function when political loyalty becomes more important than accountability.

We Need Representatives, Not Permanent Campaigners

America does not need politicians who spend every waking moment thinking about the next election.

We need representatives who understand that an election is the beginning of their responsibility, not the end.

Once elected, their responsibility is to everyone in their district or state—not merely the people who voted for them.

That includes Democrats representing Republicans.

That includes Republicans representing Democrats.

That includes representatives serving independents, third-party voters and people who did not vote at all.

The job description should be simple:

Represent the people.

Not:

Represent the party.

The 2026 Election Should Be a Reminder

The midterms will determine control of Congress, with every House seat and 35 Senate seats on the ballot.

That makes this election important.

But perhaps the most important thing voters can do is refuse to let political parties tell them what their priorities should be.

Look at the candidates.

Look at their records.

Look at their proposals.

Look at their character.

Look at whether they can explain how their policies will actually affect ordinary Americans.

Then vote accordingly.

Not because a party tells you to.

Not because a television commentator tells you to.

Not because social media tells you to.

And certainly not because you have been convinced that the other side is automatically evil.

Vote for the candidate you believe will best serve the public.

America Is Bigger Than Two Political Parties

The United States is not a Republican country.

It is not a Democratic country.

It belongs to its people.

Political parties are temporary coalitions. Presidents serve limited terms. Members of Congress come and go. Political movements rise and fall.

The country remains.

That should put everything into perspective.

We can disagree without becoming enemies.

We can debate without destroying one another.

We can compromise without abandoning our principles.

And we can demand better from Washington without demanding that everyone agree with us.

The challenge facing American democracy is not simply that Republicans and Democrats disagree.

The deeper problem is that too many politicians have learned that keeping Americans angry can be politically more useful than actually solving their problems.

We should reject that model.

Washington does not need more partisan theatre.

It needs responsible leadership.

It needs transparency.

It needs accountability.

It needs compromise when compromise is possible and courage when principles are genuinely at stake.

Most of all, it needs to remember who pays the bills, who serves in the military, who runs the businesses, who teaches the children, who works the jobs, who cares for aging parents and who ultimately casts the votes.

The American people are not here to serve Washington.

Washington is supposed to serve the American people.

That should not be a partisan idea.

It should be the starting point of American government.