The Case for Governing from the Center: A Pragmatic Approach to Restoring American Leadership
There was a time when leadership in America meant more than just winning elections. It meant putting the country first—above party, above personal ambition. It meant forging compromise instead of fueling division, treating governance as a duty rather than a performance. But today, those who embody that kind of leadership are either absent or drowned out by the relentless noise of partisanship. Has real leadership vanished, or are their voices being drowned out by the extremes?
The reality is American politics has always been messy. That’s nothing new. Disagreement and debate are supposed to be part of a functioning democracy. But something fundamental has shifted. Governing no longer seems to be the goal. Instead, we seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of outrage. Scoring points against the other side matters more than solving problems.
What do we get in return? Paralysis. Congress spent months locked in a budget standoff last year, narrowly avoiding a shutdown that could have crippled essential services. Meanwhile, global rivals—China, Russia, and an increasingly assertive European Union—are moving forward, strengthening their positions while America remains bogged down in dysfunction.
And this isn’t just a U.S. problem. The decline of pragmatic leadership is happening across the West. An article in The Economist titled "How Europe must respond as Trump and Putin smash the post-war order" recently warned that the post-war global order is fraying, not just because of external threats, but due to internal weaknesses within democratic governments. Europe now faces an uncertain future. They must navigate an increasingly unstable world while at the same time wondering whether it can still rely on America’s leadership. With war in Ukraine, NATO under strain, and China expanding its influence, indecision is a luxury the West can no longer afford.
According to a 2023 Pew Research study, 81% of Americans believe the political system is failing. This is backed by the fact that fewer than 10% of bills pass with bipartisan support. This is an alarming reality check. A government that can’t build consensus can’t govern effectively.
This frustration isn’t just reflected in statistics—it’s deeply felt by the public. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey asked Americans to describe today’s political landscape in a single word. Their responses paint a grim picture.
Source: Pew Research Center, 'Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics,' September 19, 2023. Survey conducted July 10-16, 2023. View full study.
Yet history tells a different story. Some of the greatest moments in leadership weren’t about one side crushing the other. They were about tough negotiations, unlikely alliances, and leaders who understood that progress requires compromise. Lincoln brought his fiercest rivals into his cabinet. Roosevelt reached across the aisle to push through the New Deal. Churchill, Reagan, and Gorbachev all made decisions that put solutions ahead of political purity. They weren’t perfect—but they got things done.
Lincoln’s Pragmatism: Leadership That United a Nation
Abraham Lincoln took office at a time when America was tearing itself apart. He understood something that too many leaders today seem to have forgotten: unity isn’t something that can be forced. It has to be built.
In one of the most remarkable decisions in political history, Lincoln invited his fiercest rivals into his cabinet. He didn’t do it to silence them—he did it because he valued their perspectives. As Doris Kearns Goodwin details in Team of Rivals, Lincoln knew that strong leadership meant engaging with those who disagreed with him, not shutting them out. During World War II, Winston Churchill took a similar approach, pulling political opponents into his wartime government because he knew Britain’s survival depended on unity, not division.
Lincoln faced an even greater challenge, though. He had to hold together a nation that was literally at war with itself. He didn’t just lead the North to victory. He built a government that included differing viewpoints. It was his desire that his administration would reflect the needs of the whole country, not just his supporters. His ability to listen, compromise, and lead with humility helped preserve the Union when it could have easily collapsed.
Compare that to today’s politics, where compromise is treated as weakness and leaders surround themselves only with those who reinforce their views. Lincoln’s leadership teaches a different lesson: real strength isn’t about silencing opposition—it’s about finding a way forward, even when voices disagree.
Roosevelt’s Coalitions: Governing Through Crisis
When Franklin D. Roosevelt stepped into office, the country was in crisis. The Great Depression had left millions unemployed of people unemployed. Businesses were shuttered, and families were struggling to survive. People weren’t looking for partisan battles. Those desperate times demanded real solutions. Instead of digging into ideological trenches, Roosevelt built bridges. He reached across party lines, forging coalitions that helped push through sweeping reforms and reshape the American economy.
He didn’t just push policies that satisfied his base. He reached across the aisle to work with Republicans like George Norris, who championed the Tennessee Valley Authority, and James Wadsworth, who helped pass key labor reforms. Roosevelt understood that America’s problems were too big for one party to solve alone.
The New Deal wasn’t a partisan victory—it was a national one. His willingness to collaborate allowed him to enact policies that helped millions of Americans, policies that continue to shape the country today.
Now consider today’s political climate. Instead of working together to solve real problems, lawmakers are more focused on blocking each other’s agendas. Cooperation has become a dirty word. But Roosevelt’s example reminds us that real progress doesn’t come from ideological purity—it comes from pragmatic, results-driven leadership.
And this lesson isn’t just for America. Europe, too, is at a crossroads. Economic instability, security concerns, and the rise of nationalist movements threaten to divide the continent at a time when unity is critical. Just as Roosevelt understood that national crises required broad coalitions, European leaders must recognize that their strength lies in cooperation, not fragmentation.
The Founders’ Vision: Compromise as the Foundation of Democracy
America’s Founders knew that governing a diverse nation would require compromise. In Federalist No. 10, James Madison didn’t call for eliminating factions—he accepted them as inevitable. The challenge, he argued, was creating a system that balanced competing interests through debate and negotiation.
That system worked for generations. When President Ronald Reagan and House Speaker Tip O’Neill worked together on Social Security reform in 1983, they proved that bipartisanship wasn’t dead. The 1986 Tax Reform Act, another bipartisan effort, simplified the tax code and closed loopholes, benefiting the economy for years. These weren’t acts of weakness. They were acts of responsible governance.
And yet, today, compromise is treated as surrender. Governance has become a battle of absolutes and that’s why nothing gets done.
The Path Forward: A Return to Leadership That Works
Frustration with failed leadership isn’t just about politics—it has real consequences.
A government that can’t function doesn’t just stall policies; it weakens the economy, deepens divisions, and erodes public trust. Our continued division is creating openings that our global adversaries will exploit. While Washington is stuck in partisan battles, China is expanding its influence. At the same time, we see Europe struggling to coordinate a unified defense strategy, while Russia is testing NATO’s limits. The world isn’t waiting for the West to get its act together.
So where do we go from here?
It starts with demanding something better of our leaders.They must understand that governing isn’t about party. Governing is about solving real problems. We need leaders who recognize that working across the aisle isn’t a sign of weakness but a necessity for progress.
We don’t need more politicians treating government like a reality show. We need statesmen who prioritize results over rhetoric, service over self-interest.
History has given us the blueprint. The real question is: Do we have the courage to follow it?
Source: Pew Research Center, 'Americans’ Dismal Views of the Nation’s Politics,' September 19, 2023. Survey conducted July 10-16, 2023. View full study.