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Radical Centrism 
Humility is the Soul of Civility
Centroids:
I understand that partisan polarization undermining the functioning of our democratic republic concerns you. I’ve just finished writing a book titled Subordinating American Democracy: Exploring the Functionality of “Dysfunctional” Hyperpartisanship. It is in part an argument for moderation and civility.
Extremism supports and helps sustain hyperpartisan systems. The further both sides move from center, the more difficult it is to compromise, and the more absurd seems common ground. If you’re just left of center, and you perceive the right to be dominated by extremism, then lefty extremism seems a more palatable alternative, and vice versa. In other words, if you’re a lefty extremist, righty extremism helps the cause. The more extreme both sides become, the less likely is functional accord.
In a system financially incentivizing oscillation, the extreme left helps maintain the extreme right and vice versa. Movement toward extremities exacerbates oscillations. Only in the center can a movement amass sufficient gravity to stabilize the system and defuse extremism. The threat to the extreme left is not the extreme right, and the threat to the extreme right is not the extreme left. The threat to both extremes comes from the center.
Subordinating American Democracy uses an ecological framework to analyze the evolution and perpetuation of the hyperpartisan phenomenon corrupting processes for managing and resolving democratic disagreement. Considering hyperpartisanship exclusively dysfunctional contravenes evolutionary theory. Thriving phenomena must function within the ecosystem. While hyperpartisanship undermines legislative and policymaking processes, it is financially, culturally, and psychologically incentivized.
My book examines environmental factors relevant to evolving hyperpartisanship and illustrates our societal web to highlight threads supporting and perpetuating “dysfunctional” hyperpartisanship. I trace filaments of the hyperpartisan web to uncover abstract rules describing subsumed relationships.
Although I don’t reject dispositive conclusions out of hand, I primarily wish to affect the approach for examining and discussing the subject. I prefer to frame inquiries to inspire ceaseless participation in the examination rather than provide answers destined to arrive at specific ideological termini. As a result, the work facilitates analysis while resisting incorporation into partisan warfare. Subordinating American Democracy inspires readers to consider subtle aspects of their relationship with democratic instrumentalities and discover pathways toward constitutional functionality.
There is a free paperback giveaway on LibraryThing until March 25, 2025, a free EPUB giveaway on Prolific Works until March 12, 2025, and a free giveaway on BookSirens. Or, if you would like a free advanced reader copy (ARC) without entering a giveaway, contact me at one of the email addresses below. All I ask is that you leave your honest feedback/thoughts as a customer review on March 13, 2025 — the day my book comes out, or shortly thereafter. ARCs are available in PDF or EPUB, or if you would prefer a paperback, I have a few available. Just let me know where to send it.
Subordinating American Democracy will be available in paperback and EPUB March 13, 2025, on Amazon. EPUBs are available for pre-order on Amazon, Rakuten kobo, Google Play (previewable on Google Books), BARNES & NOBLE.
I studied environmental science with a concentration in biology and earned a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies. I went on to work for twelve years at a not-for-profit environmental organization where I collaborated with community groups, managed government relations and communications, and directed program activities. I regularly met with government officials and their staff at the local, state, and federal level to advocate for reasonable policy change. In 2016, I graduated the Elisabeth Haub School of Law (Pace) magna cum laude.
I also worked as a construction laborer, courier, maintenance hand, and kitchen staff. As author, I blend my academic and professional experiences to form ecologically sound and politically sophisticated analyses, although I believe my grunt work provides the most solid foundation for egalitarian comprehension.
Thank you for your time.
Robert L. Foster
Rlf62@yahoo.com
Beautifulhybrid13@gmail.com
https://robertlfosterauthor.wordpress.com
https://www.amazon.com/author/rlfoster_13
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54661019.Robert_Foster
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Robert L Foster (@R_L_F_13) / X
For governing a country well there is nothing better than moderation.
—Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching
Wonderful, I will check it out. I encourage you to join our mailing list!
https://groups.google.com/g/RadicalCentrism
The book that unites people by undercutting partisan tribalism is finally here. http://tiny.cc/SADAmazon
Dr. Ernie:
I joined.
Thanks.
Rob.