ABSTRACT
Collective consternation over the prospect of divided government was vented in a torrent of extraordinary corrective proposals, all seeking either to restore unity or to prevent this unfortunate constitutional anomaly from arising again in the future. Less drastic proposals simply called for extraconstitutional arrangements, such as having the president confer regularly with Republican congressional leaders. Many voters split their ballots as if intent on preserving divided party control. Some students of elections have speculated that the US public has, in fact, found virtue in this type of control. When legislative and executive authority is unified, policymaking assumes the semblance of a cooperative enterprise. Divided government will not always produce conflict and stalemate. Republican presidents have exercised great care in recruiting political executives who will remain loyal to them in the face of divided government's cross-pressures. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
