Patriocracy Political Gridlock on the Silver Screen

Just how divided is Congress? A political film débuting in November, Patriocracy, tackles that thorny subject. Featuring an expert cast of Senators, Representatives and journalists, Patriocracy outlines the extreme polarization plaguing America and preventing lawmakers from addressing some of our most critical issues.

This gridlock did not happen over night. “These last couple of years are the worst and the nastiest and the meanest that I can remember in the 41 years I’ve been in Washington,” says CBS News’ Bob Schieffer in the film.

Produced by Brian Malone and executive produced by Stephen Nemeth, Patriocracy identifies numerous causes for the discord. For example, is it really a blessing that 21st Century Americans have access to a multitude of news outlets? He film does an excellent job of studying how commentary disguised as news increases partisan behaviors.

Commentary disguised as news

The film analyzes the same news story covered by two different networks. Both networks display their political leanings, resulting in facts being misused, the film argues. It’s human nature to follow sources that share similar beliefs, the film stresses. The problem is conservatives are strictly getting news from conservative-leaning sources and liberals are sticking to liberal-leaning sources. If individuals fail to seek a well-rounded news palate, then confusion ensues, the filmmakers warn

Patriocracy also focuses on another root of the problem: The 535 Members of Congress mostly are strangers to each other. In the film, former Oklahoma Congressman Mickey Edwards explains, “What we have is a partisan problem.” People get elected thinking “how does this affect my political party.” Patriocracy traces how friendships across party lines have decreased compared to times in the past.

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New Friends and a Big Deal

In what could be considered an arranged political marriage, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) have the daunting task of leading efforts to find between $1.2 and $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction. It’s hard to believe that the two co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction had never met before the committee assembled for the first time on September 7.

Handpicked by their respective caucus and party leaders, the two are like apples and oranges. Hensarling is a staunch conservative who has a strong record of fighting to end earmarks and reduce federal spending. Murray is his ideological opposite, standing firm on the importance of channeling federal dollars to specific projects. Ultimately, the two don’t have to agree or become best friends. They just have to steer the other 10 members toward an agreement that can pass the GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate.

The pressure is on. Murray and Hensarling have approximately 10 weeks to produce a grand bargain, so most would prefer they forego forming a strong bond and focus solely on the task at hand. The so-called supercommittee must gather and study expert opinions, work out differences, craft a proposal, receive a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and manage the politics to adopt a deficit reduction plan that trims at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade — all by November 23.

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