The Disintegrating Nature of American Politics

Abstract

The American political system is unique in the world, and its political process, in particular, is clearly distinguished from that of most other democratic countries. Although this distinguishing feature of the American political process has been described in many different ways, it can be characterized most succinctly as the “politics of disintegration,” or “politics of fragmentation.”

In this paper, we examine this disintegrating nature of American politics, first by pointing out several institutional factors responsible for the fragmentation of interests, and then by looking at its empirical manifestation in the policy making process. After examining two negative consequences of the disintegration, we also discuss whether and how the problem of disintegration can be cured.