In short, the government established by the U.S. Constitution, as well as the document itself, is “conservative.” Its default is the status quo, unless and until the advocates of change can secure a sufficient consensus to support their idea.
In a republic of vast space and an even vaster diversity of interest and opinion, in most instances this means that anyone who wants to get “something done” in Washington will have a tough row to hoe and must be prepared to compromise. Such compromise is the bane of ideologues and idealists alike. But that is how consensus is reached.
When the country is fundamentally divided over an important issue—such as health-care reform—the necessary consensus may not be achieved. Moreover, disputes about one issue may well pour over into another, making compromise and consensus even more difficult. But that is simply human nature.
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