Mary Matalin and James Carville.

• Position: ON RECORD - Interview

Mary Matalin is a celebrated conservative and former assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. James The Ragin' Cajun" Carville is an unapologetic liberal and perhaps America's best-known political consultant. The unlikely couple met and fell In love in 1992, while Matalin was serving as President George Bush's campaign manager and Carville was President Bill Clinton's. One of America's best-loved political couples, the duo presented a lively behind-the-scenes look at modern politics at the 2014 American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries' annual professional development seminar in Baton Rouge, La. Matalin and Carville share their insights--both political and personal--in this interview (originally answered individually) with State Legislatures.

SL: How concerned are you about the growing partisan divide across the country and the resulting gridlock in Congress?

MATALIN: Not at all. All progress in this country has been the result of partisan preferences. Our founders envisioned such gridlock and accounted for it intrinsically in their federalist concept. The cities and states are governing just fine. The midterm results will continue the holding pattern we've been in for the last couple of election cycles. Hopefully a new, productive governing trajectory will result from the 2016 presidential election.

CARVILLE: My concern is that it's geographical. You have fewer Republicans who know Democrats and fewer Democrats who know Republicans. I think the real problem is that all the Democrats tend to be centered

in urban areas and the Republicans in rural areas, and so it's very difficult for the Democrats to win the House of Representatives and Republicans to win the presidency. It looks to me in the foreseeable future that we might have a Republican House and a Democratic president, and neither appeal to the same constituencies.

SL: What's your advice on how to uphold our honorable state legislative institutions?

M: Remember always, lawmakers' first obligation is to the citizens and the republic. They should faithfully adhere to the Constitution, work hard and honestly every day, stay optimistic and eschew cynicism, not disparage the motivations of opponents, read voraciously, and reread and internalize historical political parallels. Be proud of public service--it is a noble profession.

SL: What do you think is the greatest threat to American democracy?

M: An ignorant and uninformed...