Zero sum politics

It has been observed that while economics is NOT a zero sum game, politics IS. Economics is built on the notion of mutual gain. This principle is embodied in the metaphors "all boats rise" and "expansion of the pie". But in politics, how can all boats rise? If one party wins, another party loses. There can only be one president. If you create a co-presidency, as in Kenya and Zimbabwe, each president has only half the power.

In theoretical physics, conserved quantities enjoy a central and esteemed role. The conservation of mass, energy, momentum, and charge empower the practitioner to comprehend and predict the subtleties of nature. But the conservation of political power has the potential to unleash bitterness and cynicism with fearsome force.

Such is the embattled political history of Pakistan, where political rivalries wreak a ferocious toll. Benazir Bhutto's first act on being elected Prime Minister was to nullify her opponent Nawaz Sharif's accession to the governorship of Punjab province. I like to say that the elected governments are, contrary to conventional wisdom, good at prosecuting corruption -- in the opposition party.

Another example is the jockeying for power by global powers. This has most notably been led by China against the Western dominated status quo. China's "multi-polar" world view is shared by most nations, and it is arguably a euphemism for obstructionism. Most recently China led a block of developing countries, the G77, in thwarting any significant result at Copenhagen.

But is the zero sum game really an accurate picture, or is it a race to the bottom in which everyone loses? While economics is built on the notion of mutual gain, politics sometimes looks like it is built on the edifice of mutual loss. The US Congress is notorious as one of the most unpopular public institutions, currently with an approval rating below 20%. How can its members desire this? Are public servants really as monochromatic as to live or die for party victory? The Republicans may fare well in the next election, but their members of Congress will still be reviled the next day. Which is why your Evan Bayh's and Chris Dodd's are dropping like flies. There is nothing them to be proud of.