Statesmen and stateswomen must take the lead in restoring trust in our political system with vision, courage, compass, effectiveness, and civility, and in uniting us toward a common purpose, and must support these heroes.

Dear Neighbor, 

Statesmanship: inspired leadership characterized by civility, vision, courage, compassion, and effectiveness.

Statesmanship is in decline, if not extinct. We are watching a downward spiral of politics that seems to be unraveling the country. Our nation seems to have lost its grip on our best traditions, moral instincts, and statesmanship. Worse, many of our young people believe the current state of political affairs is the norm rather than a departure from history. We are a people in a quandary about the present, in search of a stable future and national community.

Where has statesmanship gone? Many current leaders are elected thanks to charisma, and forcefully telling people what they want to hear rather than displaying effectiveness, civility, courage, and compassion.

Maybe Americans don’t value statesmanship, preferring politicians arrogant with great power. We have ‘leadership’ that does not lead, but panders to our whims rather than telling us the truth, follows the crowd rather than challenging us, and weakens rather than strengthens us. Such pandering is not illegal, but it is immoral, and certainly not statesmanlike.

What factors make it so difficult for our leaders to be statesmen today? Statesmanship is not an easy path, and now it seems even more difficult. Statesmanship demands careful thought, courageous action, and a long-term view. This perspective seems absent from American politics where the urgent too often displaces the important—or what’s worse, is often mistaken for it.

The increasingly fast-paced nature of politics works against statesmanship, where success is measured in news cycles. Media, driven by ratings and a focus on conflict rather than progress, increases pressure on politicians to react quickly and publicly, discouraging careful deliberation. Lawmakers who try to work with colleagues across the aisle, or even extend basic civility, are rebuked via the media.

There is a clear place to start. The difference between a statesman and a politician is that the former looks to the next generation and the latter to the next election. We can restore a culture of statesmanship by having strong, dynamic, and purposeful leaders who can elevate the nation and inspire the world, just as our statesmen have in the past. The best leaders unite us. They don’t compromise on political civility. They recognize that there is inherent value in building consensus for policies beyond the 51 percent necessary to pass a bill. They understand that the benefits of partisan victories are hard to sustain, while supported initiatives have staying power.

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address in 1865 is an eloquent statement offered with classic statesmanship: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds.”

Can we, the people, bind up the nation’s wounds? Can we stop being willing to accept superficial characteristics such as charm, wit, and rapid response? Can we re-learn to appreciate wisdom, steadiness, judgment, honesty, and reliability? Can we resist the temptation to fall for the myth of the strong leader when it is just bravado with little substance beneath?

Let us please aspire to restore statesmanship as an ideal for our political leaders, with the hope that our nation might not be further sported away by the deception of our rulers. Statesmen and stateswomen must take the lead in restoring trust in our political system with vision, courage, compass, effectiveness, and civility, and in uniting us toward a common purpose, and must support these heroes.

“Dear Neighbor” authors are united in a belief that civility and passion can coexist. We believe curiosity and conversation make us a better community.

Sue McHugh