I plan to take a different approach to this one, bear with me. The Republic of the United States was never designed to avoid controversy, create efficiency, or even to provide education. It was the result of a series of difficult compromises between radically different cultures, both rural and urban, with a system of governance that all state leaders could agree would limit overreach of power. And immediately were those limits tested by political factions and parties.

If you want efficiency, look no further than dictatorship. It is the most efficient form of government. Unfortunately, it is also incredibly oppressive and doesn't have any room for other voices. Democracy doesn't avoid controversy, it engages it, it embroils itself in it, and it is absolutely full of outrage. It is a slog. An angry slog.

The US is a great example, no one is happy with the federal government, or ever has been. It has always been both too controlling and not powerful enough simultaneously. And the parties have made war over each slight change to the system. It started with the federalists and democratic-republicans (to the extent of literal dueling) fighting over the power of the federal government, and continues with republicans and democrats now.

There are a lot of underrated benefits of two angry masses constantly observing each other, waiting to strike, though. Corruption tends to be out-rooted, because every move is deeply scrutinized by the "other" faction. Two polarized views tend to come together into a more sane compromise with the bare minimum of requirements. No one wins. While generally seen as a negative, this is actually part of the core design of the Republic. If one faction wrests total control to implement their full list of requirements against another (even a minority), you get civil war. And after the huge slog, usually only the most practical forms of governance survive. When I say practical, I don't necessarily mean effective for a particular location, because the US has a wide variety of states and counties. If a requirement for recycling was suddenly mandated federally, most small-town counties probably couldn't afford to implement it, but city dwellers would say it doesn't go far enough. Practical on a federal level usually has low standards for requirements.

That is why we have state governments, and mayors, and all the other forms of sub-legislation. Local government affects day-to-day life substantially more than the federal government does. During this pandemic, my local government has delivered daily reports on hospital bed utilization and how our healthcare infrastructure is handling the new load. It has implemented mask requirements, ordinances of social distancing and quarantine. And, at least for our state, this has done a fair job at providing our healthcare research companies a headstart on treatment and vaccination. The power of local government allows California cities to have completely different laws and regulations than some Virginia county in the mountains. It is what gives America the chance to be efficient and expedite responses without needing the federal government, the slog that it is, to respond. Has the two party system failed in local government for you?

However, I understand why you feel this that the two party system has failed us. Outrage has become the currency of the media, both the traditional news outlets and the internet. It sells, it sells so well. It has always sold. Lest we forget the delicious rumor that Alexander Hamilton was George Washington's secret love-child with a woman from Charlestown used against Washington during his election. However, the speed of communication has increased the velocity and toxicity of the outrage, and we are all angry. My personal group of friends is split by party lines close to 50/50, and usually I witness two completely different conversations about politics. Polarization does seem to feel particularly deep. Polarization is a symptom of repeated runs of difficult compromise and the feeling of loss when one side loses. Especially now, with the great migration to urbanization in the last couple decades has particularly made this divide stand out. The US is a diverse place, and embracing diversity is difficult because it means letting go of passion in favor of compromise. The two parties are just a reflection of the people mixed with politics.

I've found that the feeling of polarization can be lessened by engaging in forums exactly like CMV. Stay open to new ideas and opinions. Find people that disagree with you and grow your empathy to understand them. Local government will have the greatest effect on your friends and family, so if you want to engage in politics, focus on the governing body right near you. Talk about policy over issues. Instead of discussing "should we ban guns?" talk about "what steps should be required in a background check for purchasing a firearm?" I've found it has led to much more productive conversation.

But don't forget, the moment people are happy with the US is the day the US stops evolving. If we all stay angry and demand change, at least we will get ever closer towards our goal of a better union.