The first is that despite what many expected, the Tea Party faction has not become a liability to the Republican Party. Tea Party candidates may not have been as visible as they once were, but the Republican Party has increasingly embraced their positions. Yet, exit polls indicate a majority of independents voted for the GOP last week.

After the 2012 presidential race, some also believed the Republican Party’s electoral base was shrinking. But after this year’s vote, six Midwestern rust-belt states will have Republican governors; the victories in Illinois and Wisconsin were surprising, and in Ohio, a landslide. Despite Democratic efforts to appeal to them, nearly half of women voted for the GOP, up a bit from 2012. More young people and minorities also cast their ballots for Republicans than two years ago.

Finally, even though President Obama was not on any ballot, Tuesday’s elections showed again that regardless of how much control presidents really have, the public holds them accountable for what happens on their watch. According to a Fox News exit poll, one-third of those who voted did so to oppose administration policies, compared to 19 percent who came out to support them.

As it considers how to deal with a Republican Congress for the next two years, the White House should remember this lesson: Americans expect their presidents to govern, even when that becomes more difficult–as it just did in the mid-term elections.

Sources:

Exit polls, 2014 election
Exit polls, 2012 election
Gubernatorial results, 2014 election
Fox News exit poll

The recent arrest of a city employee for allegedly stealing at least $800,000 in construction funds raises the question of how well one-party government is serving Bloomington.

This is not to suggest that any of the city’s current office-holders were involved in the theft. Law enforcement officials will determine that.

Nor is it to suggest that having Republicans in charge will prevent crime. History shows that no political party has a monopoly on virtue.

But experience also shows that one of the best safeguards against public corruption is a competitive election. Replacing one party with another creates opportunities for taking a fresh look at existing programs and contracts. It also keeps government employees on their toes, since they have to be accountable to new officials periodically.

Not least importantly, competitive elections are good for politicians themselves. Nothing so encourages responsible partisanship as the prospect of actually winning office and having to make good on one’s promises.

Of course, other ways to deal with public corruption exist, including the kind of aggressive efforts by prosecutors that produced the arrest in Bloomington.

But ultimately, none will work well unless “the rascals” can be turned out from time to time.

Bloomington has not been doing much of that for quite a while, and we may now be paying the price.

References

“Mayor Kruzan, Bloomington City Council Members Address Embezzlement Case” (Herald Times)

“Small Is Beautiful, at Least in High-Income Democracies” (Worldbank.org)