The case for pragmatism: the importance in finding a political middle ground

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The case for pragmatism

What exactly is pragmatism? Consider a four-year-old who wants a unicorn for her birthday. That clearly isn’t being very pragmatic. A four-year old can be excused for their lack of pragmatism; the rest of us – not so much.

Being pragmatic is essentially looking for practical, matter-of-fact ways of assessing situations and solving problems. We should look for pragmatic solutions to a variety of issues.

Pragmatic problem solving is hard to explain but I will try. It is when there is a problem, issue or question that arises and you come up with a solution to it where both sides compromise and both sides give a little to address the problem. Being pragmatic means being practical. Essentially, it means that if a problem arises that you will work together to come up with a practical solution.

My belief is that political problems should be met with practical solutions rather than ideological ones. Pragmatism is more common at the city and county levels, where people have to pay for services, the economic effects will show up in the community, and the benefits will also tend to show up where voters and constituents can see them. For example, fixing potholes in the streets can be a popular program in many communities.

As we move up to the State and Federal levels, pragmatism tends to weaken. Yet the best way to influence practical change and to solve problems is by tackling these defined problems in a pragmatic, nonpartisan manner.

Our collective aspirations are idealistic, but we must pursue them pragmatically. We promote change by identifying problems where resources can make a difference—specifying a problem’s parameters and asking how it can be solved, with minds open to whatever works best.

To address our local, state, and national problems requires a focus on problem-solving, not advancing a partisan agenda or particular political ideology. Pragmatism requires us to do not begin with overarching theories or operate with broad presumptions like promoting markets or expanding government regulation. Instead, we should focus our approach on available data points and research and build our solutions from the ground up.

When one looks for “what works” rather than political agendas, then the pressure is taken off as we are focused on solutions rather than talking points. Consider many of our state-wide challenges and how we might be able to address them using a pragmatic approach.

Family leave is again being debated at the state legislature. A pragmatic approach might be a market-based solution (that would be less costly and provide employers and employees much more confidence that the paid leave will actually be there when an employee needs it) and be closely aligned with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to reduce confusion and ensure our smallest of employers aren’t negatively impacted.

A state option health insurance program is another that would benefit from pragmatism. A market-based approach that incentivizes healthcare providers and insurance companies in order to reach the broadest number of those in need of coverage is likely better than mandating participation.

Transportation funding for infrastructure has been a focus for years and there is state-wide recognition of the need. A pragmatic solution to transportation funding might be to ensure new funding combined with annual general fund support to allow for bonding to address the backlog in road and bridge repair.

Pragmatism is not often celebrated as it requires compromise and collaboration. But pragmatic approaches to our largest problems often have the best results. Let’s work together in a pragmatic manner to impact meaningful solutions.

 

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com