The GOP’s Collective Action Problem, And Ours

The Republican House vote on the “deport them all” bill last week would appear to be a political puzzle. Not only was the vote obviously contrary to the long-term interests of the party, but the vote was nothing but symbolic politics. It’s one thing to make a political sacrifice for major substantive ends, but to shoot yourself in the foot for nothing?

Only, as Nate Cohn points out, it’s unlikely to hurt most of the individual Republicans running in marginal districts. Indeed, those Republicans have more to fear from winger primary voters than general election voters, so on an individual level casting symbolic votes that indicate fealty to whatever crackpot idea has just emerged from the fever swamp is perfectly rational. What’s in the collective interest of the party going forward may not be in the individual interest of particular members of Congress.

Over time, this will make it difficult for the GOP as currently constituted to win presidential elections. But their current advantage in the House and natural advantage in the Senate will attenuate the damage, and they could take the country down before they lose badly enough to veer towards collective rationality.