In both of these efforts, all sides felt compelled to negotiate and to make some compromises in order to assure that each side could get most of what it wanted. Oftentimes, the public can become disgusted with government because it moves so slowly and because no one in the process seems to stand for anything. But this frustration is often the product of the efforts of two sides of a controversial issue to build on common ground. Businesses, says Williams, are very much invested in improving their bottom line, not eliminating regulations entirely. The legislative process is unpredictable for both sides of any issue and decisions are often made based on who controls a majority of votes in each house.
Fear plays a role in getting people to the table to negotiate.
The fear of an unsympathic majority in the legislature works wonders in getting to consensus. The election of an irrational and fiercly partisan majority can lead to one side initiating gratuitous and extreme legislation. And, from the perspective of many environmentalists, the other side has the advantage and has stepped away from a process that might have lead to compromise. They want it all and they want it now. The underlying political reality that had allowed for good faith consenus building completely shifted after the election.