Governing Is Difficult

But America keeps making it a lot more difficult than it needs to be

Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash

I was born in the United States. Therefore, I’m an American citizen. I have a passport and vote in every major election.

But I’m not a proud American. My votes are cast via absentee ballot from my home in Canada where my wife and I enjoy the universal (and very affordable) healthcare coverage that is still denied to my fellow citizens, Obamacare notwithstanding.

I live secure in the knowledge that the Canadian government, like every other government in the world save one, will not shut down unless it collapses completely. If parliament can’t reach an agreement on a budget, parliament shuts down and an election is called while national parks and government offices remain open.

America is the only nation I know of that seems capable of pulling off the heretofore impossible task of regularly halting most government operations without actually meeting (so far) the technical definition of a failed state. Now that’s what I call exceptionalism.

Likewise, the United States is just about the only country on the planet that doesn’t consider a vote by its legislature to spend money in excess of tax revenues a vote to authorize borrowing. I say “just about the only country” because Denmark too has a…