Is a “civil war in America” looming?

Does watching the news cause you stress? If so, you’re in the majority, according to the American Psychological Association.

Responding to the vitriol of our day, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman warns that a “civil war in America” may be coming if we cannot find a way out of the tribalistic political and cultural fracturing that threatens our future.

I think I can explain a foundational reason for the divisive angst of our day. Then I’d like to offer a surprising way forward I discovered recently.

Who’s to blame?

This morning’s Wall Street Journal reports that the White House has reviewed the FBI’s probe into Judge Brett Kavanaugh and finds no corroboration of sexual misconduct allegations. Senators are set to review the FBI’s findings today.

Why has Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination evoked such visceral reaction? The late Antonin Scalia’s son has an explanation.

Christopher Scalia recently pointed to the oversized power of the Supreme Court in contemporary America. In his view, the Court has preemptively settled cultural issues that should have been resolved in elections–Roe v. Wade and the 2015 same-sex ruling are examples.

According to Sen. Ben Sasse, the blame lies largely with legislators who have delegated authority on divisive issues to the executive branch or the judiciary. This is a good strategy for lawmakers who want to get reelected by skirting controversy. But it is a bad strategy for a republic whose governance intends such issues to be decided by leaders directly accountable to the people.

With three current Supreme Court justices aged seventy and older, it is predictable that we will see more fights over future nominations. And more fights over who should nominate and confirm them.

How did we get here?

Abraham Maslow’s famous “hierarchy of needs” begins with the physical (air, water, food, rest, and health). It proceeds upwards to security (safety, shelter, stability), social (being loved, belonging, inclusion),…