Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of Calif., picks up the gavel in the House chamber in Washington, Jan. 7, 2023.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California picks up the gavel as he begins work in the House chamber in Washington, early Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. Alex Brandon, Associated Press
By Readers' Forum

I enjoyed the Deseret News Opinion piece by Jay Evensen, “Is the House Really In Chaos? I think not,” published on Jan. 4. 

I agree with Evensen that democracy is by design messy and often combative. However, we live in a hybrid of a constitutional republic and a representative democracy. A great analogy for this diplomatic style of governing is political horse-trading. Citizens and lawmakers alike have to remember the maxim, “You got to give a little to get a little.” The recent rounds of roll-call votes on Rep. Kevin McCarthy initially had him losing support on subsequent balloting. Normally, votes coalesce around an ultimate winner, not slip away. The art is deal-making that a majority can live with.

James A. Marples

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