试论美国现实的宪政危机及困境——基于2016年以来政党政治演变的考察

The Existing Constitutional Crisis and Dilemma in the United States——Based on the Investigation of the Evolution of Party Politics Since 2016

近年来,美国的政党政治已经从“论争式民主”转变为“敌对式民主”,政党极化、否决政治和民主衰败是美国政党政治演变层层递进的三部曲。政党极化所造成的极端对立在美国分权制衡宪政体制上叠加了第二层制衡,使美国政治运行陷入否决政治的僵局。把政党利益置于国家利益之上,政党所属的议员据此进行的党派性投票,导致政治僵局的产生、制度空转的出现、国家治理效能的降低,美国公共政策缺乏延续性,从而使得政党间协商变得更加困难,难以产生对国家发展的“共识”,导致民主衰败。从政党和政党制度、选举政治、身份政治、枪支暴力等维度去分析政治衰败的实质,麦迪逊式制衡宪政体制与极端主义政党政治冲突是宪政危机的症结所在。改革宪政体制则面临着法律、政治和体制障碍,缺乏共识政治与包容性文化,造成政党政治改革和纠错乏力。

In recent years,party politics in the United States has changed from “agonistic democracy”to “hostile democracy”. Political party polarization,veto politics and democratic decay are the progressive trilogy of the evolution of American party politics. The extreme opposition caused by political polarization superimposes a second level of checks and balances on the constitutional system of separation of powers and balances in the United States,which makes political operation fall into a gridlock of veto politics. Putting the interests of political parties above those of the state,together with partisan voting in Congress based on that,causes the emergence of political gridlock and institutional idling,the reduction of national governance effectiveness,and the lack of consistency in American public policy. Negotiations and consensus on national development between political parties have become more difficult,leading to democratic decay. Analyzing the essence of political decay from the dimensions of political parties and party systems,electoral politics,identity politics,and gun violence,the crux of the constitutional crisis is the conflict between the checks and balances of the constitutional system and the extremist party politics. The constitutional reform is faced with legal,political and institutional obstacles. And the lack of consensus politics and inclusive culture results in weak political reform and error correction.