The Iron Law of Institutions

I believe this coinage was original to Jonathan Schwarz of A Tiny Revolution in 2007:

The people who control institutions care first and foremost about their power within the institution rather than the power of the institution itself.

Thus, they would rather the institution "fail" while they remain in power within the institution than for the institution to "succeed" if that requires them to lose power within the institution.

This is true for all human institutions, from elementary schools up to the United States of America.

Today's analysis:

Republicans are Undercutting National Economic Recovery -- and Dems Need to Say So 24/7 by Theda Skocpol (at TPM):

Republicans have figured out that if they undercut economic recovery and increase unemployment rates, they will gain in the 2010 elections -- and probably have a much better shot in 2012. They want to repeat the old cycle: Republicans undercut the economy and run up debt to pay for reckless wars and upper class tax cuts, then hand the mess to Democrats just long enough for them to take a few small steps and get the blame, then Republicans get back in office as the economy recovers. Repeat same recipe after that. It works! So why should they stop doing it?

(Emphasis added)

Propagate this idea.

There's a lot I find deeply dysfunctional, or even despicable, about the modern Democratic party from top to bottom. But I don't think they have, at any point in my life, deliberately tried to make America a worse and more horrid place just to advance their own electoral prospects. (Though they have acquiesced to Republican ideas which have made America, and the world, worse and more horrid.) That's pretty faint praise (NOT INSANE!) but it's still a big advantage.