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