This seems related to Robin Hanson’s concept of “pulling sideways”,. Some questions (e.g. income tax levels or gay marriage) get privileged because the alternative answers align with pre-existing political coalitions, so they give people an opportunity to cheer for their side and against the Enemy, whereas other questions whose answers would involve “pulling sideways” are ignored.
Apparently there are indeed still issues that haven’t gotten stuck being aligned with one or the other major U.S. political parties—if what I read is correct, the bill before Congress that would make it easier for states to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases has both support and opposition from members of both parties.
I don’t think that’s a good example since it does align with political parties. A better example of an important issue that doesn’t align with political parties and thus gets mostly ignored by congress is copyright reform.
But a lot of the population is for it. So there are people in both parties that are for it (partially for the same reason a lot of the population is, partially in an attempt to get some of the pro-copyright reform vote).
This seems related to Robin Hanson’s concept of “pulling sideways”,. Some questions (e.g. income tax levels or gay marriage) get privileged because the alternative answers align with pre-existing political coalitions, so they give people an opportunity to cheer for their side and against the Enemy, whereas other questions whose answers would involve “pulling sideways” are ignored.
Apparently there are indeed still issues that haven’t gotten stuck being aligned with one or the other major U.S. political parties—if what I read is correct, the bill before Congress that would make it easier for states to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases has both support and opposition from members of both parties.
Source.
I don’t think that’s a good example since it does align with political parties. A better example of an important issue that doesn’t align with political parties and thus gets mostly ignored by congress is copyright reform.
Isn’t it more that both parties are against it?
But a lot of the population is for it. So there are people in both parties that are for it (partially for the same reason a lot of the population is, partially in an attempt to get some of the pro-copyright reform vote).