Previous
Compromise of 1877
Constitutional hardball is the political strategy of doing everything possible to win power, even if it means pushing the limits of the constitution and abandoning democratic norms. The opposite of constitutional hardball is institutional forbearance.
Constitutional Hardball Quotes in How Democracies Die
The How Democracies Die quotes below are all either spoken by Constitutional Hardball or refer to Constitutional Hardball. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
But the opposite can also occur. The erosion of mutual toleration may motivate politicians to deploy their institutional powers as broadly as they can get away with. When parties view one another as mortal enemies, the stakes of political competition heighten dramatically. Losing ceases to be a routine and accepted part of the political process and instead becomes a full-blown catastrophe. When the perceived cost of losing is sufficiently high, politicians will be tempted to abandon forbearance. Acts of constitutional hardball may then in turn further undermine mutual toleration, reinforcing beliefs that our rivals pose a dangerous threat.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9
Quotes
A second, much darker future is one in which President Trump and the Republicans continue to win with a white nationalist appeal. Under this scenario, a pro-Trump GOP would retain the presidency, both houses of Congress, and the vast majority of statehouses, and it would eventually gain a solid majority in the Supreme Court. It would then use the techniques of constitutional hardball to manufacture durable white electoral majorities. This could be done through a combination of large-scale deportation, immigration restrictions, the purging of voter rolls, and the adoption of strict voter ID laws. Measures to reengineer the electorate would likely be accompanied by elimination of the filibuster and other rules that protect Senate minorities, so that Republicans could impose their agenda even with narrow majorities. These measures may appear extreme, but every one of them has been at least contemplated by the Trump administration.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire How Democracies Die LitChart as a printable PDF.
Constitutional Hardball Term Timeline in How Democracies Die
The timeline below shows where the term Constitutional Hardball appears in How Democracies Die. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: The Guardrails of Democracy
When they abandon forbearance, democracies become divided and dysfunctional. Parties play “constitutional hardball,” pushing the rules to their limit and sacrificing democratic norms for the sake of political...
(full context)
Chapter 6: The Unwritten Rules of American Politics
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, constitutional hardball was the norm in U.S. politics: the Federalists and Republicans each wanted to eliminate the...
(full context)
...after it, many Americans started questioning the Constitution. For years, both sides continued playing constitutional hardball and viewing each other as enemies and traitors. To stop President Andrew Johnson’s anti-Reconstruction policies,...
(full context)
...these norms, they also imperil democracy. In a divided government, each side can play constitutional hardball and prevent the government from functioning unless it gets its way. In a united government,...
(full context)
Chapter 9: Saving Democracy
Second, led by Trump, the Republicans might keep winning elections, consolidate power through constitutional hardball, and implement a white nationalist agenda that keeps the U.S. electorate majority white. The Trump...
(full context)
...focusing on winning over the legislature and judiciary. If the Democrats push Trump out through hardball, the government they inherit will lack democratic norms. Partisanship and polarization would only increase.
(full context)
