What kind of politics does America want?

Not so long ago, our cover story on former President Donald Trump pivoted on a single question: What are we to make of his anti-democratic words and actions? This week, our March 11 cover story on President Joe Biden also pivots on a question: What kind of politics does America want?

Mr. Biden is among the last of Washington's old-school politicians. As Linda Feldmann notes in her cover story, he came of political age in a time when legislating meant finding compromise, when partisanship was tempered by personal relationships, when civility was a common code. But let’s be honest. It was also a time of backroom deal-making, pork spending, and cigar-chomping party power brokers beholden to no one. 

American voters have made it clear that they do not want this kind of politics anymore. Mr. Biden's political kindred spirits have all been ousted, retired, or evolved to embrace the new American politics. In this new political landscape, the voter is king. Mr. Trump is the apotheosis of this kind of politics – delivering to his constituency "big time," as he might say. 

At first blush, this might seem like a logical course for a democracy. In a sense, in America’s democratic republic, the voter is the king. But the way that has played out has changed dramatically in recent years. 

For much of the postwar era, American politicians were trustees – elected by the people, but given wide latitude to govern according to their own instincts. 

Today, America's elected officials are closer to delegates – elected by the people to do exactly what the people tell them to do. A significant portion of Mr. Trump's constituency elected him to create the judicial conditions to overthrow Roe v. Wade, for example. He delivered. 

This approach is based primarily on winning – or on promising to make every effort to prevent the other side from winning. This is the defining quality of American politics today. The shift was taking hold well before Mr. Trump came to office. Mr. Trump merely recognized that this shift creates new rules. A second Trump term would likely offer clarity on how much the rules have changed, and where they might lead the United States.   

Yet four years ago, given this same choice, America chose the throwback politician. The result has been four years of relative calm. But has Mr. Biden delivered for his constituency the way Mr. Trump did for his? Probably not. Will that be decisive in November? That is a key question. 

The fact is, Mr. Biden’s vision of politics can likely never deliver the way Mr. Trump’s can – and that is the point. Without cigar-chomping party bosses, backroom deals, and pork spending, the deal-making method of governing can be infuriating, especially in hyperpartisan times. It’s slow, and usually, no one can declare absolute victory. 

Is there still a place for that vision, or has the desire to win wholly remade American politics? Every election is a referendum on that course. But in November, those two paths are particularly plain.