Published: July 16, 2008 02:23 pm            

Constructing consensus is tough, but it’s vital

As you’ve probably noticed, we’re in the midst of an election year, so talking about building consensus may be somewhat out of place.

However, I’ve been a consensus advocate for a long time, and something that seems to be emerging in this election season is that I’m not alone in the end zone.

While these are challenging and divisive times, and the country seems evenly split ideologically, I also sense a growing attitude that Americans want results from Washington on the important issues before the country. Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, because hardcore ideologists on both sides of the conversation still dominate the public and media forums.

Still, the number of voters who peg themselves “independents” is rising, as are third party memberships. There are growing signs the public is figuring out that little will get done until our leaders break free from partisan mindsets and engage in the process of consensus-building.

If Americans are to tackle the daunting challenges we face, it will be because politicians manage to overcome the forces that divide us and them. As we should have learned in the past 20 years, narrow legislative majorities don’t create sustainable policies that enjoy support among the populace at large.

Consensus-building is a tough task, though — and it may be the most thankless job in the political realm.

To begin with, the sheer number and complexity of the issues we face means that it’s hard for a single politician to devote the time and attention it takes to gather facts and opinions about a problem, listen to concerns of various interests involved, spend time in constructive debate, work with those who have opposing views to find areas of agreement, bring in other politicians and interest groups to form a coalition, and then build majority support in Congress.

This is how consensus is constructed, but it’s a labor-intensive, long-term process, which in some ways conflicts with an era of “immediate results.” Plus, the problems we face are myriad, which doesn’t bode well for a time-consuming process.

Oh, it may not appear politicians are pressed for time. Many Americans have an image of politicians being on recess more than they’re on the job; of lawmakers jetting off to exotic climes on “junkets” that are nothing more than vacations at the public’s expense.

But the reality is: Most of the people we put in office are multi-tasking at a furious pace.

Think about it a moment. On any given day, our congressional leaders are pelted with the Iraq war, missile testing in Iran, concerns about the readiness of the U.S. military, skyrocketing gas prices, seeking alternative fuels, constituents losing their homes, a crisis in financial-industry regulation, failing national infrastructure, global climate change, a world-wide food crisis, an unsustainable health-care system and a plethora of other issues.

It’s the highest form of multi-tasking and information overload, and lawmakers barely manage to keep abreast of it all, let alone find the time to create a consensus needed for board-based solutions.

When they do focus on a particular problem, the politics quickly becomes tangled. Because our country is so diverse in so many different ways, it’s rare to find solid majorities in favor of a given approach, either nationally or among a legislator’s constituents.

For instance, public opinion may support the notion that man-made climate change is real and that governments need to address it, but that’s where the agreement ends — and where lawmakers’ work begins. Building majority support for an approach to this problem is tough work.

In addition, public opinion is hardly the only thing a politician needs to keep in mind. Washington is full of skilled and well-funded lobbyists, whose job is to make sure their points of view are well-represented at all stages of the legislative process.

Because the stakes are so high and so much money is at risk on most issues, legislators often find themselves pulled in a half-dozen different directions, which makes creation of consensus that much more difficult.

Consensus-building takes time, care, thoughtful deliberation and a fundamental willingness on the part of legislative leaders and their followers to achieve it.

All those factors are in short supply right now. But it’s vital we and our lawmakers find a way to make consensus happen, so this nation can stop spinning its wheels.

        

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