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Divided Government
The 1994 Mid-Term elections, the “Republican Revolution” that returned control of both Houses of Congress to the Republicans for the first time in over 40 years, returned us to the state of “divided government” that has been the political norm since the 1950s. In this timely new revision of his instant classic, Morris Fiorina outlines the causes and consequences of “ticket-splitting” and divided government.
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First published January 1, 1992
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March 10, 2010
An interesting book. . . . As usual, Morris Fiorina is something of a contrarian. He examines "divided government" and comes to a different conclusion than many citizens, pundits, and political scientists.
What is divided government? When different branches are under different party control. For instance, there was a time when, under Bill Clinton, Democrats controlled the White House and Republicans the House of Representatives. Or Dwight Eisenhower, an R, had to contend with both the House and Senate in Democratic hands. That's divided government. The standard view is that this produces gridlock and an inability by government to "get things done."
Fiorina addresses this in a number of ways. For one, he observes that divided government has been around for a long time. He notes that there have been several time periods featuring considerable divided government: 1840-1860; 1874-1896; 1952-1992 (and beyond).
Second, he observes that divided government does not prevent major action from being taken. During those three periods, even when divided government existed, many major pieces of legislation were passed.
He also asks why divided government occurs. Is it because voters don't trust either party with full power and create divided government as a check? Or. . . . What?
A provocative work. It helps the reader think about less obvious aspects of divided government. . . .
What is divided government? When different branches are under different party control. For instance, there was a time when, under Bill Clinton, Democrats controlled the White House and Republicans the House of Representatives. Or Dwight Eisenhower, an R, had to contend with both the House and Senate in Democratic hands. That's divided government. The standard view is that this produces gridlock and an inability by government to "get things done."
Fiorina addresses this in a number of ways. For one, he observes that divided government has been around for a long time. He notes that there have been several time periods featuring considerable divided government: 1840-1860; 1874-1896; 1952-1992 (and beyond).
Second, he observes that divided government does not prevent major action from being taken. During those three periods, even when divided government existed, many major pieces of legislation were passed.
He also asks why divided government occurs. Is it because voters don't trust either party with full power and create divided government as a check? Or. . . . What?
A provocative work. It helps the reader think about less obvious aspects of divided government. . . .
Displaying 1 of 1 review