Gridlock

# of laws passed by Congress / # of issues Congress tries to address = volume of gridlock which is very high

Evidence of gridlock

- Historical change in Congress w/ Gingrich in 1990s = obstructionist - Mass Media "echo chamber" - Sorting of the electorate

Evidence of, and causes of, party polarization

Budget deficit

expenditures are higher than revenue

- GOP frustration with minority status in Congress from the 1930s to 1994. In - 1994, led by Gingrich, who was uncompromising and obstructionist, GOP became highly polarized

historical roots of gridlock in Clinton years

overuse of filibuster = supermajority hurdle

how Senate rules/procedures contribute to gridlock

- Leads to divided govt b/c voters can vote for different parties to control the different branches - executive cannot discipline legislative - weaker leadership + less teamwork

how separation of powers system contributes to potential for gridlock

Congress + President pass law to raise it

how the debt ceiling is raised

Debt limit/ceiling

law passed by Congress permitting how much the govt is allowed to borrow

Entitlements

obligations govt has to pay anyone eligible for that benefit (e.g. retirement income [Social Security], food stamps, Medicare, federal govt pension, GI Bill benefits)

ideological sorting: Dems + Reps = more ideologically divided than in past

patterns over time and why gridlock + party polarization have increased

Cut spending, increase revenue, and/or create more economic growth

ways in which the government reduces deficits and debt

Divided government

when different parties control different branches

Gridlock

when important decisions are not made (or are delayed) b/c public officials are unable to come to agreement = inability to govern

increases polarization

why "sorting" of the electorate matters

govt will go into default if not raised which is extremely bad for the economy

why it matters if the government does not raise the debt ceiling

Party polarization is a mismatch w/ separation of powers - Current U.S. party system (polarized) works only under a parliamentary system. - Parties need to be less polarized for separation of powers system to work effectively

"mismatch" problem that Mann and Ornstein refer to

Parliamentary system

- Current U.S. party system (polarized) works only under this system - Majority in legislature = in control - Legislative + executive fused together = no divided govt (legislature chooses Prime Minister) - Prime Minister can "discipline" legislators in his party; US President cannot - Stronger leadership + teamwork in govt then in US separation of powers system

Ideological sorting

- Liberals gravitate to Democratic party - conservatives gravitate to Republican party

Residential sorting

- Liberals live in cities and on East and West coasts - Conservatives live in rural and suburban areas in South and Midwest

Mass media 'echo chamber'

- More partisan + ideologically biased media outlets - Conservatives + liberals listen only to "their" sources, reinforcing their est. beliefs

- Divided govt (However, exists even w/o divided govt) - Separation of powers - Obstructionist rules + procedures in Senate - Central cause = increased party polarization

Causes of gridlock

'hostage taking' in Washington

Individual refuses to pass a bill if they don't agree with it - Senate = filibuster - House = hold

ideological sorting

Reasons for the decline in the number of moderate Members of Congress

'asymmetric' polarization

Republicans have become more extreme than Democrats

National debt

all of the money the govt owes (all of the budget deficits accumulated over time that haven't been paid)

- make attendance at polls mandatory - modernize voter registration - move election day - reduce gerrymandering of districts - replace closed primary elections w/ open or semi-closed primaries, - proportional representation - replace presidential system w/ parliamentary system (highly unlikely) - eliminate midterm elections - limit filibusters to 1 per bill - change cloture bar to 3/5 of those present + voting or require 41 votes to continue the debate rather than 60 to end it

reforms intended to avoid/lessen gridlock in Washington

balanced budget

revenue + expenditures are even

Partisan polarization

the 2 parties have become more extreme + opposed to the other side