Is There a Gridlock?

One common way to analyze the current condition of the American polity concludes that the system is “gridlocked” ¹ and “dysfunctional.” ² Various reasons are provided to explain the current condition, which is viewed as a perversion of the system of checks and balances. ³ These include gerrymandering, ⁴ polarization, ⁵ the influence of interest groups, ⁶ media fragmentation, ⁷ and structural hurdles presented by the bicameral system. ⁸ Others argue that the polity is experiencing a “stalemate” between “two visions of where the country needs to go”: a conservative one championed by the GOP and a liberal/ progressive vision championed by the Democrats. ⁹