By: Don Beck

Keywords: Transpartisan, bipartisan, partisan, nonpartisan, George W. Bush, politics, left wing, right wing, Third Win, Third Side, conservative, liberal, Mark Gerzon, William Ury, United States, transcend and include, holarchy, holarchies, developmental psychology, Don Beck

The United States has been in a deadlock conflict of partisan trench warfare for the past eight years. The time of win or lose partisan politics must be put behind us. What should politics strive towards? “Nonpartisan” is a dead end. “Bipartisan” attempts to bridge the gap between 50/50 split political views. Ultimately, it is still not enough: a win:win:win approach, society itself being the third “win,” is necessary. What we may be looking for can be defined as “transpartisan,” transcending and including the best of both worlds. This short essay describes the divided political atmosphere of the United States and its need to evolve beyond the conventions of both partisan and bipartisan politics. [Co-Director’s note: The author is a leader in developing integral theory and applying it in the field. This piece addresses politics through the use of the “transcend and include” aspect of Integral Theory, indirectly referencing the element of developmental levels. - Barrett]