The power of stories discussed in our recent review of Robert McKee’s Storynomics and Dennis Miller’s Building the StoryBrand, has a strong relationship to American politics where story narratives find their grandest application. The grand story narrative is on grand display as I write this now – September 20, 2018 – as the Republicans and Democrats battle over a Supreme Court nominee. In this showdown, the aspects and techniques of story are in full display.

Stories have drama and a key element of drama is change. Certainly, America’s recent years have produced much drama and many stories. The change has been especially evident in the American political world and the growing division between Democrats and Republicans. Each side has its master narrative and the events of each day are tweeked to fit this narrative.

“And that’s the way it is.”

Should there ever be just one grand story for the nation? Is it even possible to have one story today? Or, are these grand stories dangerous things? Is it better to always have two great battling narratives in culture?