Sustainable Excellence Xtras #112 - Come Now, Let Us Reason Together

Are you someone willing to compromise or are you someone who expects to get everything you want?

A compromise is when parties give up a portion of their demands in exchange for being able to get a deal done. Both sides give a little and both sides take a little.

But can you (or should you) compromise if the items being discussed impact your beliefs or values?

In a 2023 PBS poll, 70% of Americans said they want federal government officials to compromise and find solutions to problems impacting our nation, while 28% of Americans said they want the nation's lawmakers to stand on their principles, even if it creates political gridlock.  

In 1850, the "great compromiser, " Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, proposed a set of measures around the issue of slavery, that were passed by Congress. Because of these compromised measures, the secession of the Southern states was postponed for a decade.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787, which eventually produced the U.S. Constitution, was called "a bundle of compromises" because the delegates had to compromise on five major points known as:

1. The Great Compromise  - This decided there would be two chambers in Congress, the Senate (which would be based on equal representation) and the House of Representatives (which would be based on population).

2. The Three-Fifths Compromise - Provided that every five slaves would be counted as three individuals in terms of representation.

3. Commerce Compromise - The compromise mandated that tariffs were only allowed on imported goods and not exported goods from the U.S.  

4. The Slave Trade Compromise - Under this compromise, Northern states agreed to wait until 1808 before Congress would be able to ban the trade of enslaved people.  

5. The Electoral College Compromise -  The election of the President was done through the creation of the Electoral College which is made up of electors roughly proportional to the population. 

Compromise has been a standard of getting things accomplished since the beginning of our constitutional republic. Since there are as many varied opinions as there are people, concessions need to be made so common ground can be achieved.

Please watch the video below to hear about how one of our presidents used compromise to things accomplished and leave me a comment about your thoughts on the importance of compromise in your daily life.