Americans in our time feel divided and estranged, and yearn to be more unified. Yet we have lost sight of what unity involves in a complex free society. We think it’s both easier and harder than it really is — imagining that greater cohesion could quickly solve our biggest problems, but that it would require us to put aside our disagreements. This is wrong on both counts. Unity requires constant work toward negotiated common action across lines of difference. It isn’t a peaceful state of bliss, but a demanding way of life. And our political tradition and its institutions could teach us how to live it, if we let them.
American leaders now routinely give vent to simplistic misconceptions of togetherness. In his inaugural address, in 2017, Donald Trump said, “When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.” Four years later, at his own inauguration, Joe Biden agreed. “We must meet this moment as the United States of America,” Biden said. “If we do that, I guarantee you we will not fail.” This is what the rhetoric of a divided society sounds like: vague, impossible notions of unity as a silver bullet. If everyone agreed with me, there would be nothing in our way.
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