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⚡️Civics tidbit for the day:⚡️Highly divisive partisanship was a major concern for George Washington. ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=…
Washington worried parties could divide the country if they tried to win by misrepresent[ing] the opinions and aims of other districts/2
Washington worried that highly divisive partisanship "agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms.../3
...kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection"/4
Washington worried parties could hurt administration of the laws: /5
"make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted ... projects of faction, rather than.../6
the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests."/7
Washington warned that partisanship could lead to despotism: /8
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge... has perpetrated the most horrid enormities/9
And Washington worried that parties could open the door to foreign influence and domination/10
"It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself... /11
through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."/12
Washington, on the way out the door, warned about Civil War (presciently) and foreign interference in our politics thru partisan ambition/13
Now, most experts agree political parties are on balance GOOD for democracy. (More soon!) Farewell Address still a great read for today./end
