{"id":7177,"date":"2017-02-28T06:35:27","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T11:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7177"},"modified":"2017-02-28T06:35:27","modified_gmt":"2017-02-28T11:35:27","slug":"state-of-the-government-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=7177","title":{"rendered":"state of the government ’17"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"maria-stiehler-2219\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For the last several years, the Intramuralist has published our annual “State of the Government\u201d analysis in conjunction with the president’s annual State of the Union Address. Technically, tonight is not a State of the Union Address.<\/p>\n

Pres. Trump is not bucking tradition; SOTU speeches are typically not offered until a sitting president has been in office for at least one year. It is then billed as a reflection of what they\u2019ve done and a look forward at what\u2019s next to do. \u2028\u2028So while the President\u2019s speech is instead being called an “address to a joint session\u201d this evening, the Intramuralist would like to proceed with our annual State of the Government analysis\u2026<\/p>\n

As repeatedly opined for several years now, the state of our government is \u201ctoo partisan, too influenced by money, too big, too financially imbalanced, and too far removed from the Constitution.\u201d With a pulse, too, of our current culture, let\u2019s again focus on one embedded angle in that analysis which has become increasingly pronounced. One may remember it\u2019s the singular angle that Pres. Obama acknowledged in his final SOTU last January as a \u201cregret\u201d of his tenure. Obama shared, \u201cThe rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exactly.<\/p>\n

Too much rancor. Too much division. And too many fueling the division.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem with the division seems to be that most of us like to blame anyone other than self. We are not very good at taking a tough look at ourselves, honestly reflecting upon how we individually contribute to the problem. Let\u2019s be clear: the division is a problem\u2026 and we are far more comfortable pointing the finger elsewhere.<\/p>\n

We point the finger at someone else\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n