I would prefer to see the electorate give up some of its current fascination with the Supreme Court and the presidency and take a stronger interest in Congress. For one thing, a change of focus might encourage Congress to check the powers of the president when it comes to trade, foreign policy and immigration. More generally, as Congress is not dominated by a single person, a greater interest in Congress could bring about a greater interest in the substance of policy.

In contrast, an interest in the presidency so often leads to debates about personality and leadership styles. Former President Barack Obama recently complained that, during his tenure, the Democratic Party took too much interest in him and his political struggles and forgot about representation in Congress. He still views that as a major problem facing Democrats today.

A related negative trend is that American voters seem to be losing interest in issues of state and local government, treating them as extensions of national-level emotive and symbolic disputes between the two major parties.