WASHINGTON GRIDLOCK

WASHINGTON GRIDLOCK

CNN had a series in the last weeks of the campaign season that focused on “Broken Government” one of the issues covered in the series was the “Do Nothing Congress” a program that focused on the extreme partisanship and low productivity that has hampered Washington in recent memory. It has been argued again and again that Americans have disliked the toxicity that has permeated Washington and are primed for change.

It is also said that Americans love divided government, where one party controls a branch of government (Executive and Legislative). It seems that this election is likely to produce a divided government, where Democrats take control of the Congress (at least one chamber) and Republicans control the Executive.

It is difficult to see how this divided government will increase congressional productivity (considering the narrow margins and divided government) or how this is likely to reduce the partisanship. Partisan temperatures are likely to increase over the coming two years as Democrats and Republicans pursue differing agendas, and the 2008 election draw near. The next congress is likely to be more partisan, more toxic, more gridlocked and less productive than this.