Two years after voters tossed Democrats from power in Washington, polls show they are ready to switch sides again. Does it make sense to welcome back a party and its ideas that were so recently rejected?

The reason so many voters are frustrated by both parties is that they have been putting too much faith in government and too little faith in themselves. It's called initiative, and the lack of it has contributed not only to dysfunctional government but also to a loss of the things that built and sustained America through challenges greater than high gas prices and "unaffordable" groceries.

One definition of initiative: "The energy, motivation, or independent judgment to start a task without waiting to be told what to do."

In his book "Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World," the late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar wrote: "Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis."

The list of Americans who succeeded without government help but with considerable motivation is long. In his book "The Wright Brothers," David McCullough writes of the........

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