<\/p>\n
Why Are We So Politically Divided?<\/span><\/h1>\nA Divided Government and the Political Divide<\/span><\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
\u201cThe political community exists\u2026for the sake of the common good<\/strong>, in which it finds its full justification and significance, and the source of its inherent legitimacy\u201d.\u00a0(Gaudium et Spes, 74)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDivided Government vs. a Political Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is a divided government? A divided government is when different political parties control branches of government (e.g., the Presidency and the legislature) or the different houses of the legislature (e.g., the US Senate and House of Representatives).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDivided government was envisioned by our founders and has been quite common.<\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Photo-5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The problem is not our divided government, but the political divide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A political divide<\/strong> is when there is a significant distinction between two groups and can often lead to conflict.<\/span><\/p>\nA political divide is not healthy.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Political Divide in the USA<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cAmerica is exceptional in the nature of its political divide<\/strong>\u201d. There is an \u201cincreasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans\u2026about more than just politics and policies.\u201d In October 2020 \u201croughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values\u201d. (Pew Research Center)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd this divide has rapidly widened since.<\/span><\/p>\nKey Questions About America Divided<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is \"America divided\" our inevitable future? Can the political divide be repaired? Can our political representatives define and advance a common good? Will Republicans and Democrats ever work together again, as clearly called for: \"Politicians and legislators\u2026\" are \"servants of the common good\".\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThese are important questions on the minds of millions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRights are Under Attack in America's Great Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Catholic social teaching insists that \u201cauthentic democracy<\/strong>\u201d is possible only<\/strong> in a state ruled by law and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYet the right to life, on which all other rights are based, is threatened. Political parties are divided on how, when, and even why to defend life. Yet \u201cAnyone who is Christian has a duty\u2026to\u00a0protect life courageously and lovingly in all its phases.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span>While \u201c[t]hose who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend...infants hidden in the mother\u2019s womb.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Pius XI, 67)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nCatholics must never forget that \u201cEvery child who\u2026is condemned unjustly to being aborted\u00a0bears the face of Jesus Christ\u201d. (Pope Francis, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSimilarly, the death penalty was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes. \u201cToday, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes [consequently] \u2018the death penalty is\u00a0inadmissible\u00a0because it is an\u00a0attack\u00a0on the\u00a0inviolability and dignity of the person\u2019\u201d. (CCC, 2267)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe rights of a family, even the definition of the family, are part of the growing divide.\u00a0But \"it is necessary to educate in the truth and for the truth\". (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> and parents are fighting for this right. <\/span><\/p>\nEven the fundamental right to dignified work is not safe from partisan politics. \u201c[T]here is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nAnd the list of \u2018core values\u2019 differences does not end here.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is the Solution to America Divided?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To resolve the political divide, we should turn to the principles of Catholic social teaching<\/strong>: Human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. These principles can bridge the political divide if we are willing to embrace them and move from discussing \u201cpositions\u201d to discussing \u201cprinciples\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Dignity<\/strong>, rooted in a correct view of the human person, is\u00a0the prime principle<\/strong>\u00a0of the Catholic social doctrine.\u00a0(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1700)<\/a> It is \"the guiding principle\u2026of all of the Church\u2019s social doctrine\". (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOur duty is to continue to insist\u2026that the human person and human dignity are not simply catchwords, but pillars for creating shared rules and structures\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Human Dignity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSolidarity<\/strong> \u201cis a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d and is fundamental to the Christian view of social and political organization. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[A]ll men and women are called to live as one, each taking care of the other\u201d. We are \u201cour brothers\u2019 keeper\u201d. (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> And Solidarity flows from faith, \u201cLove of neighbor\u2026consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even persons whom I do not like or even know.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 18)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Solidarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSubsidiarity<\/strong> informs us that decisions in society need to be made at the lowest competent level. Any activity that can be efficaciously performed by a more decentralized entity \u2013 should be. Indeed, \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3.2)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nIt lies at the center of a stable social order and is a prescriptive principle fostering personal responsibility, which is the bedrock of individual liberty.<\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Subsidiarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Will it Take to 'Fix' the Political Divide?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
We must participate in politics. Do not sit back and give up or believe others will \"figure it out\".<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what is politics? It is the process\u00a0for arriving at the\u00a0Common Good<\/a>\u00a0which is \u201cthe sum total of social conditions which\u00a0allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their\u00a0fulfillment more fully and more easily\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe, Christians, cannot \u2018play Pilate\u2019 and wash our hands\u2026We must participate in politics<\/strong> because politics is one of the highest forms of charity\u00a0because it seeks the common good. And Christian lay people must work in politics.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nHowever, in these days of hyper-partisanship and \u2018cancel culture\u2019 we need to be aware that this \"is not easy; politics has become too tainted<\/strong>\". But \"Why has it become tainted? Because Christians have not participated in politics with an evangelical spirit\". (Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching is not Left or Right<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching, Democracy, and Free Markets<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDemocracy Quotes that Will Make You Think<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Rights on Which the State Must be Ordered<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Government Must Defend a Culture of Family<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Role of the State and Economic Activity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Benedict XVI Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope John Paul II Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nQuotes about Government<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Does Catholic Social Teaching Say About a \u201cWelfare State\u201d?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe 2025 Government Shutdown<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore About Politics<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBack to Articles<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Three](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Three-Principles.png\")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThree Key Principles<\/a><\/h2>Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles -\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Human-Dignity.png\")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHuman Dignity<\/a><\/h2>This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Solidarity.png\")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSolidarity<\/a><\/h2>Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Subsidiarity.png\")
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/p>\n
by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
\u201cThe political community exists\u2026for the sake of the common good<\/strong>, in which it finds its full justification and significance, and the source of its inherent legitimacy\u201d.\u00a0(Gaudium et Spes, 74)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDivided Government vs. a Political Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is a divided government? A divided government is when different political parties control branches of government (e.g., the Presidency and the legislature) or the different houses of the legislature (e.g., the US Senate and House of Representatives).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDivided government was envisioned by our founders and has been quite common.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n
The problem is not our divided government, but the political divide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A political divide<\/strong> is when there is a significant distinction between two groups and can often lead to conflict.<\/span><\/p>\nA political divide is not healthy.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Political Divide in the USA<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cAmerica is exceptional in the nature of its political divide<\/strong>\u201d. There is an \u201cincreasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans\u2026about more than just politics and policies.\u201d In October 2020 \u201croughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values\u201d. (Pew Research Center)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd this divide has rapidly widened since.<\/span><\/p>\nKey Questions About America Divided<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is \"America divided\" our inevitable future? Can the political divide be repaired? Can our political representatives define and advance a common good? Will Republicans and Democrats ever work together again, as clearly called for: \"Politicians and legislators\u2026\" are \"servants of the common good\".\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThese are important questions on the minds of millions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRights are Under Attack in America's Great Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Catholic social teaching insists that \u201cauthentic democracy<\/strong>\u201d is possible only<\/strong> in a state ruled by law and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYet the right to life, on which all other rights are based, is threatened. Political parties are divided on how, when, and even why to defend life. Yet \u201cAnyone who is Christian has a duty\u2026to\u00a0protect life courageously and lovingly in all its phases.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span>While \u201c[t]hose who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend...infants hidden in the mother\u2019s womb.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Pius XI, 67)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nCatholics must never forget that \u201cEvery child who\u2026is condemned unjustly to being aborted\u00a0bears the face of Jesus Christ\u201d. (Pope Francis, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSimilarly, the death penalty was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes. \u201cToday, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes [consequently] \u2018the death penalty is\u00a0inadmissible\u00a0because it is an\u00a0attack\u00a0on the\u00a0inviolability and dignity of the person\u2019\u201d. (CCC, 2267)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe rights of a family, even the definition of the family, are part of the growing divide.\u00a0But \"it is necessary to educate in the truth and for the truth\". (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> and parents are fighting for this right. <\/span><\/p>\nEven the fundamental right to dignified work is not safe from partisan politics. \u201c[T]here is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nAnd the list of \u2018core values\u2019 differences does not end here.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is the Solution to America Divided?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To resolve the political divide, we should turn to the principles of Catholic social teaching<\/strong>: Human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. These principles can bridge the political divide if we are willing to embrace them and move from discussing \u201cpositions\u201d to discussing \u201cprinciples\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Dignity<\/strong>, rooted in a correct view of the human person, is\u00a0the prime principle<\/strong>\u00a0of the Catholic social doctrine.\u00a0(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1700)<\/a> It is \"the guiding principle\u2026of all of the Church\u2019s social doctrine\". (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOur duty is to continue to insist\u2026that the human person and human dignity are not simply catchwords, but pillars for creating shared rules and structures\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Human Dignity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSolidarity<\/strong> \u201cis a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d and is fundamental to the Christian view of social and political organization. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[A]ll men and women are called to live as one, each taking care of the other\u201d. We are \u201cour brothers\u2019 keeper\u201d. (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> And Solidarity flows from faith, \u201cLove of neighbor\u2026consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even persons whom I do not like or even know.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 18)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Solidarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSubsidiarity<\/strong> informs us that decisions in society need to be made at the lowest competent level. Any activity that can be efficaciously performed by a more decentralized entity \u2013 should be. Indeed, \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3.2)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nIt lies at the center of a stable social order and is a prescriptive principle fostering personal responsibility, which is the bedrock of individual liberty.<\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Subsidiarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Will it Take to 'Fix' the Political Divide?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
We must participate in politics. Do not sit back and give up or believe others will \"figure it out\".<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what is politics? It is the process\u00a0for arriving at the\u00a0Common Good<\/a>\u00a0which is \u201cthe sum total of social conditions which\u00a0allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their\u00a0fulfillment more fully and more easily\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe, Christians, cannot \u2018play Pilate\u2019 and wash our hands\u2026We must participate in politics<\/strong> because politics is one of the highest forms of charity\u00a0because it seeks the common good. And Christian lay people must work in politics.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nHowever, in these days of hyper-partisanship and \u2018cancel culture\u2019 we need to be aware that this \"is not easy; politics has become too tainted<\/strong>\". But \"Why has it become tainted? Because Christians have not participated in politics with an evangelical spirit\". (Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching is not Left or Right<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching, Democracy, and Free Markets<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDemocracy Quotes that Will Make You Think<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Rights on Which the State Must be Ordered<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Government Must Defend a Culture of Family<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Role of the State and Economic Activity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Benedict XVI Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope John Paul II Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nQuotes about Government<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Does Catholic Social Teaching Say About a \u201cWelfare State\u201d?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe 2025 Government Shutdown<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore About Politics<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBack to Articles<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThree Key Principles<\/a><\/h2>Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles -\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHuman Dignity<\/a><\/h2>This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSolidarity<\/a><\/h2>Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Divided Government vs. a Political Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is a divided government? A divided government is when different political parties control branches of government (e.g., the Presidency and the legislature) or the different houses of the legislature (e.g., the US Senate and House of Representatives).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nDivided government was envisioned by our founders and has been quite common.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n
The problem is not our divided government, but the political divide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A political divide<\/strong> is when there is a significant distinction between two groups and can often lead to conflict.<\/span><\/p>\nA political divide is not healthy.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Political Divide in the USA<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cAmerica is exceptional in the nature of its political divide<\/strong>\u201d. There is an \u201cincreasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans\u2026about more than just politics and policies.\u201d In October 2020 \u201croughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values\u201d. (Pew Research Center)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd this divide has rapidly widened since.<\/span><\/p>\nKey Questions About America Divided<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is \"America divided\" our inevitable future? Can the political divide be repaired? Can our political representatives define and advance a common good? Will Republicans and Democrats ever work together again, as clearly called for: \"Politicians and legislators\u2026\" are \"servants of the common good\".\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThese are important questions on the minds of millions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nRights are Under Attack in America's Great Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Catholic social teaching insists that \u201cauthentic democracy<\/strong>\u201d is possible only<\/strong> in a state ruled by law and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nYet the right to life, on which all other rights are based, is threatened. Political parties are divided on how, when, and even why to defend life. Yet \u201cAnyone who is Christian has a duty\u2026to\u00a0protect life courageously and lovingly in all its phases.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span>While \u201c[t]hose who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend...infants hidden in the mother\u2019s womb.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Pius XI, 67)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nCatholics must never forget that \u201cEvery child who\u2026is condemned unjustly to being aborted\u00a0bears the face of Jesus Christ\u201d. (Pope Francis, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSimilarly, the death penalty was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes. \u201cToday, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes [consequently] \u2018the death penalty is\u00a0inadmissible\u00a0because it is an\u00a0attack\u00a0on the\u00a0inviolability and dignity of the person\u2019\u201d. (CCC, 2267)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe rights of a family, even the definition of the family, are part of the growing divide.\u00a0But \"it is necessary to educate in the truth and for the truth\". (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> and parents are fighting for this right. <\/span><\/p>\nEven the fundamental right to dignified work is not safe from partisan politics. \u201c[T]here is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nAnd the list of \u2018core values\u2019 differences does not end here.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is the Solution to America Divided?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To resolve the political divide, we should turn to the principles of Catholic social teaching<\/strong>: Human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. These principles can bridge the political divide if we are willing to embrace them and move from discussing \u201cpositions\u201d to discussing \u201cprinciples\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Dignity<\/strong>, rooted in a correct view of the human person, is\u00a0the prime principle<\/strong>\u00a0of the Catholic social doctrine.\u00a0(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1700)<\/a> It is \"the guiding principle\u2026of all of the Church\u2019s social doctrine\". (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOur duty is to continue to insist\u2026that the human person and human dignity are not simply catchwords, but pillars for creating shared rules and structures\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Human Dignity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSolidarity<\/strong> \u201cis a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d and is fundamental to the Christian view of social and political organization. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[A]ll men and women are called to live as one, each taking care of the other\u201d. We are \u201cour brothers\u2019 keeper\u201d. (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> And Solidarity flows from faith, \u201cLove of neighbor\u2026consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even persons whom I do not like or even know.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 18)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Solidarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSubsidiarity<\/strong> informs us that decisions in society need to be made at the lowest competent level. Any activity that can be efficaciously performed by a more decentralized entity \u2013 should be. Indeed, \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3.2)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nIt lies at the center of a stable social order and is a prescriptive principle fostering personal responsibility, which is the bedrock of individual liberty.<\/span><\/p>\nLearn More about Subsidiarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Will it Take to 'Fix' the Political Divide?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
We must participate in politics. Do not sit back and give up or believe others will \"figure it out\".<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAnd what is politics? It is the process\u00a0for arriving at the\u00a0Common Good<\/a>\u00a0which is \u201cthe sum total of social conditions which\u00a0allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their\u00a0fulfillment more fully and more easily\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe, Christians, cannot \u2018play Pilate\u2019 and wash our hands\u2026We must participate in politics<\/strong> because politics is one of the highest forms of charity\u00a0because it seeks the common good. And Christian lay people must work in politics.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nHowever, in these days of hyper-partisanship and \u2018cancel culture\u2019 we need to be aware that this \"is not easy; politics has become too tainted<\/strong>\". But \"Why has it become tainted? Because Christians have not participated in politics with an evangelical spirit\". (Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching is not Left or Right<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching, Democracy, and Free Markets<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDemocracy Quotes that Will Make You Think<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHuman Rights on Which the State Must be Ordered<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Government Must Defend a Culture of Family<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Role of the State and Economic Activity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Benedict XVI Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope John Paul II Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nQuotes about Government<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Does Catholic Social Teaching Say About a \u201cWelfare State\u201d?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe 2025 Government Shutdown<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore About Politics<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBack to Articles<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThree Key Principles<\/a><\/h2>Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles -\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHuman Dignity<\/a><\/h2>This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSolidarity<\/a><\/h2>Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
What is a divided government? A divided government is when different political parties control branches of government (e.g., the Presidency and the legislature) or the different houses of the legislature (e.g., the US Senate and House of Representatives).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Divided government was envisioned by our founders and has been quite common.<\/span><\/p>\n The problem is not our divided government, but the political divide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A political divide<\/strong> is when there is a significant distinction between two groups and can often lead to conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n A political divide is not healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n And this divide has rapidly widened since.<\/span><\/p>\n These are important questions on the minds of millions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet the right to life, on which all other rights are based, is threatened. Political parties are divided on how, when, and even why to defend life. Yet \u201cAnyone who is Christian has a duty\u2026to\u00a0protect life courageously and lovingly in all its phases.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span>While \u201c[t]hose who hold the reins of government should not forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate laws and sanctions to defend...infants hidden in the mother\u2019s womb.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Pius XI, 67)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Catholics must never forget that \u201cEvery child who\u2026is condemned unjustly to being aborted\u00a0bears the face of Jesus Christ\u201d. (Pope Francis, 2)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, the death penalty was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes. \u201cToday, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes [consequently] \u2018the death penalty is\u00a0inadmissible\u00a0because it is an\u00a0attack\u00a0on the\u00a0inviolability and dignity of the person\u2019\u201d. (CCC, 2267)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The rights of a family, even the definition of the family, are part of the growing divide.\u00a0But \"it is necessary to educate in the truth and for the truth\". (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> and parents are fighting for this right. <\/span><\/p>\n Even the fundamental right to dignified work is not safe from partisan politics. \u201c[T]here is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n And the list of \u2018core values\u2019 differences does not end here.<\/span><\/p>\n Human Dignity<\/strong>, rooted in a correct view of the human person, is\u00a0the prime principle<\/strong>\u00a0of the Catholic social doctrine.\u00a0(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1700)<\/a> It is \"the guiding principle\u2026of all of the Church\u2019s social doctrine\". (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur duty is to continue to insist\u2026that the human person and human dignity are not simply catchwords, but pillars for creating shared rules and structures\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Learn More about Human Dignity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Solidarity<\/strong> \u201cis a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d and is fundamental to the Christian view of social and political organization. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[A]ll men and women are called to live as one, each taking care of the other\u201d. We are \u201cour brothers\u2019 keeper\u201d. (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> And Solidarity flows from faith, \u201cLove of neighbor\u2026consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even persons whom I do not like or even know.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 18)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Learn More about Solidarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Subsidiarity<\/strong> informs us that decisions in society need to be made at the lowest competent level. Any activity that can be efficaciously performed by a more decentralized entity \u2013 should be. Indeed, \u201cNo actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3.2)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n It lies at the center of a stable social order and is a prescriptive principle fostering personal responsibility, which is the bedrock of individual liberty.<\/span><\/p>\n Learn More about Subsidiarity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n And what is politics? It is the process\u00a0for arriving at the\u00a0Common Good<\/a>\u00a0which is \u201cthe sum total of social conditions which\u00a0allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their\u00a0fulfillment more fully and more easily\u201d. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1906)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe, Christians, cannot \u2018play Pilate\u2019 and wash our hands\u2026We must participate in politics<\/strong> because politics is one of the highest forms of charity\u00a0because it seeks the common good. And Christian lay people must work in politics.\u201d\u00a0(Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n However, in these days of hyper-partisanship and \u2018cancel culture\u2019 we need to be aware that this \"is not easy; politics has become too tainted<\/strong>\". But \"Why has it become tainted? Because Christians have not participated in politics with an evangelical spirit\". (Pope Francis)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic Social Teaching is not Left or Right<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic Social Teaching, Democracy, and Free Markets<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Democracy Quotes that Will Make You Think<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Human Rights on Which the State Must be Ordered<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The Government Must Defend a Culture of Family<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The Role of the State and Economic Activity<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Top 10 Pope Benedict XVI Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Top 10 Pope John Paul II Quotes on Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Quotes about Government<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n What Does Catholic Social Teaching Say About a \u201cWelfare State\u201d?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The 2025 Government Shutdown<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles -\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0Solidarity\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Subsidiarity.\u00a0<\/strong>Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person\u2019s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t Solidarity is not \u201ca feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a> Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\nThe Political Divide in the USA<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cAmerica is exceptional in the nature of its political divide<\/strong>\u201d. There is an \u201cincreasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans\u2026about more than just politics and policies.\u201d In October 2020 \u201croughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values\u201d. (Pew Research Center)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nKey Questions About America Divided<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is \"America divided\" our inevitable future? Can the political divide be repaired? Can our political representatives define and advance a common good? Will Republicans and Democrats ever work together again, as clearly called for: \"Politicians and legislators\u2026\" are \"servants of the common good\".\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nRights are Under Attack in America's Great Divide<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Catholic social teaching insists that \u201cauthentic democracy<\/strong>\u201d is possible only<\/strong> in a state ruled by law and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person.\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 46)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhat is the Solution to America Divided?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
To resolve the political divide, we should turn to the principles of Catholic social teaching<\/strong>: Human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. These principles can bridge the political divide if we are willing to embrace them and move from discussing \u201cpositions\u201d to discussing \u201cprinciples\u201d.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhat Will it Take to 'Fix' the Political Divide?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
We must participate in politics. Do not sit back and give up or believe others will \"figure it out\".<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThree Key Principles<\/a><\/h2>
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHuman Dignity<\/a><\/h2>
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSolidarity<\/a><\/h2>
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t