Legislative Gridlock
“Legislative Gridlock”
Jefferson states that a “government is best which governs least,” but what affect does government inaction have of on our society, and what are the forces that promote this inaction? The competition for power between separated institutions is a driving force in this inaction. When the legislative and executive branches of our government engage in a power struggle, policies that could be potentially beneficial suffer at the hands of legislative gridlock. The polarization of the democrat and republican parties also has an impact on the difficulties faced by Congress. A polarized Congress leads to difficulties in legislating because no one is willing to compromise. The competition of power and polarization between the parties are only 2 of the forces that have led to Congress’ inability to pass laws. The structure of the US government as bicameral legislative body has proven to be the overarching vehicle in Congress’ inaction. In this paper, I explore the arguments in Stalemate (2003) to explain the level of gridlock in the 112th Congress. I focus on the impact of divided government, the polarization of parties, and bicameralism and argue that the difficulties in legislating in 2011 are likely to reappear in 2012. The 2011 Congress has been referred to as the worst congress ever on many occasions. Incumbents re-seeking election and newcomers hoping for a seat have in the Senate and House have been major supporters behind this public opinion. The strategy of blaming the congress as an institution, rather than assuming responsibility as an individual, has been the strategy for election into congress for years. This has led to what researchers refer to as Fenno’s paradox. Fenno’s paradox is when the public loves their member while hating congress. In 2011, with the 112th Congress, Fenno’s paradox was greatly metastasized. The public felt as if Congress had reached its tipping point, and lacked confidence of its ability to enact
Jefferson states that a “government is best which governs least,” but what affect does government inaction have of on our society, and what are the forces that promote this inaction? The competition for power between separated institutions is a driving force in this inaction. When the legislative and executive branches of our government engage in a power struggle, policies that could be potentially beneficial suffer at the hands of legislative gridlock. The polarization of the democrat and republican parties also has an impact on the difficulties faced by Congress. A polarized Congress leads to difficulties in legislating because no one is willing to compromise. The competition of power and polarization between the parties are only 2 of the forces that have led to Congress’ inability to pass laws. The structure of the US government as bicameral legislative body has proven to be the overarching vehicle in Congress’ inaction. In this paper, I explore the arguments in Stalemate (2003) to explain the level of gridlock in the 112th Congress. I focus on the impact of divided government, the polarization of parties, and bicameralism and argue that the difficulties in legislating in 2011 are likely to reappear in 2012. The 2011 Congress has been referred to as the worst congress ever on many occasions. Incumbents re-seeking election and newcomers hoping for a seat have in the Senate and House have been major supporters behind this public opinion. The strategy of blaming the congress as an institution, rather than assuming responsibility as an individual, has been the strategy for election into congress for years. This has led to what researchers refer to as Fenno’s paradox. Fenno’s paradox is when the public loves their member while hating congress. In 2011, with the 112th Congress, Fenno’s paradox was greatly metastasized. The public felt as if Congress had reached its tipping point, and lacked confidence of its ability to enact
Bibliography: Binder, Sarah A. 2003. Stalemate: Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press). Hurst, Nathan. "For Mica, a Bumpy Year in the Driver’s Seat." CQ Weekly. In Focus.