Thoughts on Ronald Brownstein's "The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America"

Brownstein documents four distinct ages of American politics since 1896: intense partisanship, then what he terms the "golden age" when Congress had effectively four parties, then gradual return to partisanship, then intense partisanship again now.

Is it possible instead that Republicans are great at enforcing party discipline and Democrats can't enforce a majority? When Republicans are in the majority and enforcing party discipline the Democrats realize they need to get their act together too. When the Democrats are in control everything falls to pieces on both sides of the aisle.

Also, Brownstein catalogues Wilson's efforts to create the League of Nations, and blames their failure on partisanship. "Wilson failed to meet [the challenge of legislating America's new role in the world] largely because of the limitations of the intensely partisan governing style he had pursued throughout his presidency," page 42. But then on page 71 while documenting the criticisms of the consensus-based Congress, "Washington was incapable of bold steps at home or abroad." He can't have it both ways.

Also, what happened to limited government being a populist Democratic idea? Did the size of government reach some critical mass where everyone changed their view from, "Keep your fingers out of my pie" to "the only way I can get what's fair is through a government transfer"? Now the only way to get a bill through Congress is to provide a little something for everyone.