FRED HILL, BALTIMORE

To the Editor:

Re “How the Republicans Broke Congress” (Sunday Review, Dec. 2):

Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein are right when they argue that the Republican Party “has done unique, extensive, and possibly irreparable damage to the American political system.” A party over which the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Fox News hold considerable sway is seriously ill.

“The Republican Party must reclaim its purpose,” Mr. Mann and Mr. Ornstein conclude. It is a noble sentiment, but appeals to responsibility and genuine patriotism are inadequate. After all, relatively few prominent Republicans have found the courage to stand against President Trump and Trumpism. And yet our democratic system requires two healthy parties.

What to do? The only apparent solution is to ask millions of Democrats and independents to vote in Republican primaries (which in many states would requiring registering as Republican). Putting aside ideology for this limited purpose, they should vote for candidates who honor truth, denounce bigotry, defend the rule of law, and refrain from demonizing those with whom they have honest policy disagreements.

These Democrats and independents may, of course, vote for Democrats in the general election, but by lending a hand to responsible candidates in Republican primaries, they may help restore that party — and our nation — to health.

CARL T. BOGUS, BRISTOL, R.I.

The writer is a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law.

To the Editor:

As Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein point out in their excellent article, President Trump is not an outlier but rather a direct descendant of the modern Republican Party.

However, this demonization of government did not start, as the authors suggest, in the 1990s; the current devolution of the Republican Party stems directly from Ronald Reagan, who at his very first Inaugural Address stated, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” This sentiment has only been amplified through subsequent Republican administrations as they encouraged the extreme wing of their party until it actually took over the party and eradicated the moderate voices.

Donald Trump is the political offspring of Ronald Reagan.

VICTOR OWEN SCHWARTZ

NEW YORK

To the Editor:

Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein are certainly correct that the Republican Party “has done unique, extensive and possible irreparable damage to the American political system,” and they are right to point to the pernicious impact of right-wing media since the 1980s. The factors leading to this dangerous situation began a half century ago.