The Political Landscape Ahead

By LEE H. HAMILTON

In the days following George H. W. Bush’s death, it was impossible to ignore the yearning for the civility, dignity and inclusiveness that the former president represented. It was a form of bipartisan nostalgia for a time when the nation seemed to work.

As we head toward 2019, it’s equally hard to ignore the ground this yearning sprang from: a deep-seated doubt that the system can work, and great worry that our democratic institutions are failing.

A lot of trends feed this. There’s the intensifying partisan divide, which is stoked by disagreements over economic pr...