The primary effect

THE primary effect is a long-established problem in American politics. Candidates must tack to the extremes in order to win the support of the committed enthusiasts who vote in primaries, only to shift back to the centre in the Presidential election. One adviser to Mitt Romney called this the "Etch-a-Sketch" strategy under which you

kind of shake it up and start all over again

The problem with this approach is twofold. First it increases voter cynicism and adds to the temptation for them to support extreme candidates who seem less likely to retreat. A second problem is that politicians are stuck with their promises and feel unable to abandon them. The elder Bush, a more pragmatic figure than most, dropped his "Read my lips, no new taxes" pledge. But modern Republicans feel they have to sign up to Grover Norquist's  pledge against tax increases. On the other side, Democrats struggle to agree to cost reforms of Social Security or Medicare. All this makes it more difficult for Congress to reach compromises on economic issues. And important subjects, like the slowdown in US productivity growth, get unexamined amid all the...Continue reading

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