> we start getting into a long discussion

I view this as the major contributing cause to the current situation. The cyclic dependencies among issues that need attention mean that explaining a fix simply and truthfully is no longer possible. In the current system, a simple explanation is a prerequisite for winning the votes to implement anything. Parties acting in good faith don’t stand a chance.

> completely lost faith in American democracy

Exactly. It doesn’t function without intangibles like “good faith” or “norms” which have been discarded.