A Delicate Psychological Balance in a New Type of World

John Fraim (Photos & Story)

Backward Step

________________________________

It is a myth that a current United States Presidential Administration controls the destiny of a nation. It depends on the relationships in the two houses in the legislative branch and their relationship to the executive branch. In effect, it depends on the dynamics between these three branches of government. three element dynamics is always established within a new Presidential administration. 

The most important dynamics under presidents are contained in ratios of leadership in the two houses. There ratios can be viewed during the various sessions of congress under the president. Sometimes more than one term make up the sessions. These ratios might be viewed in a very simplified Table A below. 

I first choose to look at the dynamics between the two houses over a five-administration historical period to show the changes in these ratios. It’s an important dynamic to look at. In effect, the dynamics over time of what was becoming the world’s greatest power. The dynamics between the two major political forces in the world: The Democratic and Republican Parties. 

Placed adequately into a period to study so the table has been left black with numbers to be filled in. In effect, research through the history of American Presidential Administrations and their Congresses and the ratios of party members in both houses. A few scenarios seem possible in viewing American from these ratios in Congress. The “C” in the below represents the various sessions of Congress under the various presidential administrations.

Presidential Ad.	Presidential Ad.	Presidential Ad.	Presidential Ad.	Presidential Ad.
Time Period	Time Period	Time Period	Time Period	Time Period
Congress 1,2 … C	Congress 1,2 … C	Congress 1,2 … C	Congress 1,2 … C	Congress 1,2 … C
C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D
C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D
C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D
Senate	Senate	Senate	Senate	Senate
C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D	C1     R       D
C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D	C2     R       D
C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D	C3     R       D

Table A. House Ratios Over Five Presidential Administrations / Percentages between Democrats and Republican in Congress.

Will patterns develop, or cycles? Are there relationship to cycles outside the ratios of the two houses. In other words, are there similarities of cyclic Congresses to other cyclic natural things of nature or collective feelings of the populace at certain times. Economic cycles? Cultural? Demographic? This is one of the uses of a theory of symbolism called the theory of correspondences of things that happen at the same moment in time. The psychologist Carl Jung talked about this in a psychological way by saying that things were drawn together at the same time by the force of synchronicity. He studied this force in his books on the iChing.

I’ve argued over the years that America was unique in the history of the world because it was founded at the paradoxical intersection between the two great archetypes in the world: the archetypes of the Feminine and Masculine. It was both blessed and cursed to be born at the intersection of the two grand opposition symbols of the world. During the years, the two founding symbols have battled back and forth. Their battles have been put into the symbols of the Democratic and Republican parties. 

* * *

What do these Congressional ratios show? Does the nation operate differently when the houses are lopsided one way or the other? Does a particular philosophy dominate the culture currently? Or, what happens, like now, when it is so delicately balanced between Democrats and Republicans in both houses under a Democratic Administration? The delicate balance in the House seems a symbol to how everything in the world seems at time: balanced like two sides with each vote their vote weight. All a delicate balance. It has been this way for some time now.

Today, when the balances are so close, just one or two congressmen or senators have power far outside their usual power. It is power when the votes are taken, and the two sides are balanced on how the congressperson will vote. 

It is a crazy situation when the two sides are so evenly balanced like now. A time when a Democrat senator can remain in power after huge scandals and a Republican Congressman can be kicked out of the party for some stupid things. Yet, by banishing the congress person the weight of the entire side of the aisle was reduced. Like an old Teeter-totter, the entire Party would lose “weight” and the other side would move towards the ground and your party up into the air. 

It is within this continual “delicate balance” between things today, presented in today’s presidential administration and upcoming election. Certainly, today’s Congress must be one of the most evenly balanced in various administration’s histories. The two major beliefs in the nation, their symbols, once expressed in the Republican and Democratic Party symbols, are now old and not meaningful symbols for more and more today. The members of the five generations eligible to vote in America have their new symbols. They no longer will accept the old symbols imposed upon them. They are wise to the whole operation by now. 

* * *

Interesting to see what the ratios in Congress were during President Lincoln’s term. Is there a particular ratio of balance that represents a huge division in culture? A particular pattern to this ration with ratios at other times in the nation. Around Civil Wars? 

In terms of total domination of a party in Congress, it seems more of a period under the domination of a technology and media and culture. Do these ratios in Congress affect and represent the world of our times? Congresspersons always know their congressional ratio, but they also know the ratio they won by in the past election. Evenly balanced? Like the two parties in Congress now. 

The delicate balance continues in Congress. Will it soon be replaced? Will Congress (and the world) return to more of a domination of one philosophy. Will the Congressional ratios then be lop-sided? Towards one of the two great founding symbols of America

Or will the next election bring more stalemates and negotiations like now in the “delicate balance” carried forward. It used to be just two political parties rather than two realities for the two sides now it seems like complete social identities for so many that want in into this politics of delicate balance. 

* * *

A delicate balance of a culture that is not sure where to go as the election approaches. A delicate balance seems a state infiltrating and permeating everything in culture these days when the truth and falsehood of the world is constantly in question. 

It’s a delicate balance between of the competing versions of reality now in competition for our attention. For our “main reality” from the choices out there. These versions have voters attached to generations possessed with great powers and strengths hardly being used in running the nation. 

The various five voting generations never attempted to be brought together. Perhaps it is acting as generations that current delicate balance stalemate might be ended. (I write about in my blog about the Intergenerational Leader) For one, there seems like absolutely no communication between generations today. 

It certainly seems likely media and internet content work to keep generations within their own “generational” bubbles. In many ways, keeping the five great generation blocks away from each other is an important technique of political control. There certainly is nothing in pop culture showing inter-generational families or generations. Hollywood certainly does not promote this type of film. The various generations are hardly even asked their opinions on things. Hollywood has its own idea of generations. And the classification of story genres and forms.

Again, all aspects of a “delicately balanced” House in Congress. A delicately balanced culture. A delicately balanced period of history. The ratios in the House seems to mirror major changes in perspectives for our present time. Not just different ideas fight for dominance today. All of this is much more concerned with that branch of philosophy called epistemology (or the study of the truth and what constitutes truth.) 

The fact that there are two truths for Americans today is certainly indicated by Congress being in a “delicate balance” by their almost even ratios. More than anything, the ratios in Congress represent the ratios the constituents of Congresspersons most often represent also. In effect, each person in congress knows the home voter ratio or how secure the job is. What was the last vote that sent them to Congress? How much did they win by? Many times, politics back home is a “delicate balance” between the two parties. A miniature version of the floor of the House as a whole.

* * *

In the end, what is the value of putting time into the study of Congressional voting ratios? Especially, with all the rabbit hole distractions today in culture? Of studying perhaps five different presidential administrations in American history to discover trends or cycles in all of this. 

Perhaps the best use of time centers on our own period in the periods of the various administrations we’ve had since 2008. The ratios of Congress during the years since 2008. It would surely yield interesting insights. 

But the focus going forward on this research seems to be towards studying this ratio of “delicate balance” in Congress. It is – to me – the sure symbol that the nation has developed two views of reality. It seems to me, the division in Congress is a good way of representing this. Yet, this topic seems to be a much understudied one. 

This seems something more worthwhile studying than the periods of time when Congress is lopsided with one view of the world dominating and unquestioned. It seems like the old days of early television in the 1950s when Americans were subjected to mass media rather than the later, segmented, digital media of today.

* * *

A cultural reflection perhaps more than anything else. Revealing aspects of culture in new ways. Perhaps putting power out into the world of their time. But I see Congress more a reflection of our times. Perhaps the best reflection of our times? Perhaps the Congressional ratios might be used not just for academic study.

But also, say, for prediction.