ABSTRACT
Tired of divided government and gridlock, many observers have argued that the political system must be reformed to enable effective democratic governance. Many Americans are frustrated that Congress and the president have been slow to pass and implement legislation supported by a majority of people, such as the Contract with America. The American system of divided powers naturally generates a related problem: the lack of governmental accountability. The American presidential system has been constitutionally unable to quickly remove a failed or deadlocked administration. Critics have argued that the net result of gridlock has been a growing belief among the citizenry that it is not possible to change government and a consequent development of apathy, or even of antigovernmental activities in some extreme cases. The closing of the federal government was the direct result of the Democratic president having different budgetary priorities than the Republican Congress, but its origins may be traced to the American constitutional system of checks and balances.
