To the editor:

President Biden’s decision to forgo a second term reminds me of George Washington’s decision not to seek a third term. In his 1796 Farewell Address, Washington warned especially against “the spirit of party.” He understood that, while the party in power is tasked with solving the nation’s problems, it is in the interest of the opposition party that the problems persist — or even grow. Washington saw this not as perverse but as a natural tendency of the “spirit of party.” The danger arises only when extremely divided government becomes so ineffective that the people lose faith in constitutional government and long for an executive with unchecked power. Indeed, the time-tested strategy of all would-be despots is first to sow chaos, or simply the fear of chaos, and then promise to restore order.

The U. S. Constitution is silent concerning political parties, but that omission need not be a fatal flaw. Political parties aren’t going away, but there are ways to reduce extreme partisanship. Closed primary elections are catnip to extreme partisans and effectively disenfranchise independents who may be both more numerous and wiser than party loyalists. Ranked choice voting, as in Alaska, Maine and Nevada, is one way to avoid a choice of candidates unappealing to most voters. Whatever can be done should be done to mitigate the worst tendencies of the “spirit of party.” It was Dwight Eisenhower who said that all progress is in the middle of the road — on either side are only ditches.

Dan V. Johnson,

Lawrence