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Gridlock in Congress

A Lack of Bipartisanship, Accountability, and Transparency causes Gridlock in Congress

Global Studies and World Languages Academy

Global Connections

Instructor: Gregory L. Falls

December 8, 2017

Abstract
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This paper will establish a correlation between the consistent gridlock experienced in

Congress and the lack of bipartisanship in congress, demonstrated by Congressional

representatives’ inability to compromise with members of the opposite party. This is an essential

matter because society progresses through self-evaluation and learning from observation and

experience. If politicians are unwilling to engage in necessary political discourse, it makes for an

obstacle quite difficult to surmount. It provides an environment where people feel comfortable

completely ignoring the views of someone from a different political party. It normalizes an

unorthodox ideology that one does not have to consider perspectives different to one’s own. This

is a harmful concept because it divides fellow countrymen, and there is no justifiable reason that

citizens of the same country should treat each other with hostility and be unwilling to cooperate.

This inability to negotiate causes gridlock in our government, and it is a dividing factor amongst

citizens. Political cleavages only cause harm to formal and informal institutions. It hinders the

prosperity of society as a whole because compromises are not made, so legislation is not

implemented, causing an endless cycle of a stagnant legislature.

Table of Contents

Abstract 2
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Table of Contents 3

Introduction 4

Limitations 5

Literature Review 6

Discussion 9

Conclusion 17

References 18

Appendix A 20

Appendix B 21

Appendix C 22

Introduction

The legislative branch is the most important branch in the American government, so it

serves to say an effective legislature is imperative for a nation to function properly. Congress has
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demonstrated an inability to pass legislation whatsoever, let alone efficiently, due to an apparent

aversion to bipartisanship, which in turn has caused gridlock. Because this gridlock does not

allow crucial legislation, regarding health care, gun control, immigration policies, the national

budget, and college tuition, to be implemented, the author was determined to find the root causes

and solutions to this detrimental phenomenon. This topic has greatly affected Americans for

centuries, yet it continues to pose a problem even today. There are other factors which relate to

the gridlock besides cooperation of the Republican and Democratic parties.

For example, “When a supermajority is needed to pass or change a law, polarization and a desire

to maintain the equilibrium becomes even more pronounced. For example, the European Union

requires unanimity or a qualified majority and generally requires the agreement of the Council

and the Parliament to make policy changes. Thus, few are made.

Of course, the obvious solution to the fear of long-term change is to create sunset

provisions… However…such changes could be costly and time-consuming for legislatures that

are already strained for time and resources, and would introduce uncertainty into the economic

system,” (Mordfin, 2016). Although, the author recognizes other confounding variables such as

the one mentioned above, they will attempt to prove throughout the paper why holding

representatives accountable for their actions, especially regarding bipartisanship, is the most

effective way to stop this problem ( Dziuda, Loeper, 2015).

Limitations

Personal bias: The author takes the position that bipartisanship is absolutely necessary for an

effective Congress. The author retains a bias in favor of increased bipartisanship which will be

shown through compromise between members of the two major political parties. The author has
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attempted to remain as impartial as possible by placing counterarguments in the paper, using

research that disagrees with their own, and staying aware of their bias.

Confounding variables: Much of this research is based on scholarly papers and there are

confounding variables to the research that are not accounted for. Social science is a newer form

of science, and the answers to the mysteries of the human mind are not yet fully understood. This

makes for an obstacle in research.

Limited resources: The author was not able to interview every member of Congress and obtain

their input which theoretically would have been very helpful to this paper by making it as

accurate as possible. Obviously, it is practically impossible to interview every one of the

hundreds of members of Congress, so this paper lacks vital information necessary to this topic

for absolute accuracy.

Time Constraint: The author was only given a few months to research what takes many

scholars years, sometimes their entire lives. For this reason, optimal accuracy was not

realistically able to be achieved.

Literature Review

The sources used for research all connect in that they prove Congressional representatives

must engage in practices that allow for more bipartisanship in Congress. In addition, they prove

that without holding public officials accountable for their actions, nothing will change. In order

for government official to be held accountable for their actions, constituents must first determine
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if their respective representatives in the American legislature are acting to better the overall well-

being of the United States of America as a whole, rather than to simply promote the agenda of

the party with which they affiliate, which can only occur with increased transparency in the

federal government. The sources will be grouped by topic rather than time because the author has

focused on current happenings in Congress to allow maximum relevance to the life of the reader.

According to research published in 2015 by scholar Laurel Harbidge, “Is Bipartisanship

really dead? Policy Agreement and Agenda-Setting in the House of Representatives,” “Going

Nowhere: A Gridlocked Congress,” an article by a political science major, “Gridlock and Its

Causes,” an article from the Huffington Post, “Red versus blue: American electoral geography

and congressional bipartisanship, 1898- 2002,” by scholars Mellow and Trubowitz, and

“Gridlock, Lobbying, and Democracy,” a paper by scholar Joseph Tomain, it is made abundantly

clear that gridlock exists in Congress mainly due to the lack of bipartisanship made evident by

members of a political party consistently voting against members of the other party.

Scholars through polls and years of research show that the American public is not happy

with Congress. “Poll: Most Americans disapprove of how Congress has handled health care,” by

Santhanam, “They get it: Only 23% of Americans say Republicans in Congress bother to help

Trump,” by Washington Times writer Jennifer Harper, and“U.S. Congress and Its Leaders Suffer

Public Discontent,” a Gallup poll all prove Americans think Congress needs to ‘clean up their

act’.

An article from CNN details how President Trump retweeted a GIF of him hitting Clinton

with a golf ball truly demonstrates the ridiculous lengths public officials deign to go to for their

political affiliation. Because Clinton was the Democratic candidate, President Trump felt it was

acceptable that he could retweet an image of him assaulting her. Some might say that it is not
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unaccecptable simply because he did not physically hit her which is false, because by putting this

GIF on his official account, he is saying that he approves of the concept of assaulting one’s

candidate.

Stanford professors Adam Bonica and Gary W. Cox state that, “Increased attention to

partisan competition reduced individual members' ability to escape blame for their parties'

actions. Equivalently, it meant that members could deviate from their district preferences and

pay a lower electoral penalty; they would be blamed in any event. Our empirical analysis shows

that party-centeredness abruptly and dramatically increased after 1994, with the electoral penalty

members paid for being out of step with their constituents correspondingly declining. This

contributed to an important, albeit complicated, shift from local/personal to national/party

representation.”

The above sources have shown that public officials vote according to party lines and act

in favor of their affiliated party, rather than in the best interests of America. Furthermore, they

also show that simple changes, such as simply voting against party lines occasionally go a long

way to eliminating the ever present lack of bipartisanship. Constituents simply contacting their

representatives and informing them of their expectations (acting in the interest of America, rather

than their party agenda) significantly increases the likelihood that bipartisanship will increase in

Congress.
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Discussion

Congress has been branded a do nothing congress because the consistent gridlock it

experiences ensures no valuable policies are made. Because of its inability to produce beneficial

legislation efficiently and quickly, Congress’s approval ratings are abysmal. “The Republican-

led Congress earns its lowest job approval marks this year… in part because of its failure to pass

any major legislation. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that

just 13% of Likely U.S. Voters now think Congress is doing a good or excellent

job,”(Rasmussen, 2017). “As Congress leaves Washington for summer recess, nearly nine in 10

Americans say it didn’t get much done” (Harper, 2017). Congress is seemingly unable to

compromise on extremely important topics such as health care, the national budget, gun control,
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college tuition, and immigration policies. Health care, in particular, is a frequently discussed

topic, as it is an incredibly important element of society and life. The inability of Congress to

compromise and pass legislation regarding such an important part of everyday life is a testament

to the dire need for change. In order for this change to occur, people must first recognize that

gridlock is indeed present in the American legislature. Second, they must understand that an

ineffective legislature will impede on their daily lives in a myriad of detrimental ways. Third,

they must act on their frustration and concern.

Gridlock has long plagued Congress. “Gridlock is not a modern legislative invention.

Although the term is said to have entered the American political lexicon after the 1980 elections,

Alexander Hamilton was complaining more than two centuries ago about the deadlock rooted in

the design of the Continental Congress,” (Binder, 2000). Because of this, there are those who

say, “Gridlock is simply a constant of American political life” (Binder, 2000). This mindset is

precisely the reason it has gone on for so long. Gridlock has not been present in American

government for years because it is inevitable. It has been present because, although its presence

has indeed been noted and deplored, few have studied its root causes and actively attempted to

stop it.

Gridlock has continuously hindered Congress’s ability to pass beneficial legislation

quickly and efficiently for two main reasons. The first is, as mentioned above, people recognize

its presence but do not act to stop it. The second reason is many Americans have accepted its

existence as inevitable and unchangeable.

Both of these ultimately flippant reactions to gridlock are unacceptable for one very

important reason. “Gridlock has pernicious consequences not only for the democratic process but

also for political and economic equality,” (Tomain, 2017). Gridlock is enough of a problem that
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one must act to prevent it. A constituent contacting their congressional representatives and

demanding they cooperate with members of the opposing party is one way to act on it. “Today’s

almost evenly-split electorate and congressional terms [are] primarily focused on reelection…”

(Iniguez, 2013). Generally, the American people acknowledge that bipartisanship is important.

“Public opinion surveys routinely find that Americans want politicians to compromise,

“(Harbridge, Malhotra, Harrison, 2014). If the American people are unhappy, nothing will

change unless representatives feel their careers are on the line. “Voters are content with keeping

the same people in office despite record lows of approval,” (Iniguez, 2013).If a majority of

constituents contacted their respective representatives via email, phone call, etc. demanding they

cooperate with members of the other party, they can hardly object. In the unlikelihood of this

occurrence, however, the second solution comes into play.

If a voter recognizes a member of Congress is consistently unwilling to cooperate with

the opposite party, and continuously voting against a majority of bills from the other party, they

must vote for another candidate. “[Gridlock] will not end until voters tire of it and replace those

responsible,” (Hart, 2013). As has been previously established, nothing will change if the same

people continue to be in office with the same stubbornness they have always had. “Nudging

Congress back to the center by sending more centrist legislators to Washington would be one

way to alleviate gridlock,” (Binder, 2000).

Public officials are given immense power and influence by the American people to

ensure they are doing their absolute best to ensure that the government functions efficiently to

the benefit of their constituents. When this fact no longer remains true, these public officials

must be held accountable, whether by social sanction or complete removal by office. If not, this

perpetual cycle will never end, and gridlock will become the accepted norm.
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In order to notice such things, one must be diligent in keeping up with current events and

paying close attention to their Congressional representatives. Voting records in Congress are

public; however, this does not mean they are easily accessible. The author receives weekly

updates of the voting records of their congressional representative through Govtrack. These

updates are very brief and painfully boring. Due to this, many Americans decide that keeping up

with Congress is more trouble than it is worth. This leads to the lack of transparency in

Congress. There is a solution to this problem. In the UK, the Prime Minister is questioned every

week by members of opposing parties with tough question on live television. They will bring

current concerns straight from their constituents to the Prime Minister, and if clear and concise

answers are not given, the head of state will be held accountable. This would be like a weekly

state of the union address with a session of questions directly from ordinary Americans to the

president broadcast on live television to be held accountable from the people. Also, the British

Parliament sees much lively debate that does not stem from petty party alliances but rather

debate of actual policies for the benefit of British citizens.

A government for the people, by the people should not be upsetting a significant majority

of the people. The logic of that is inconsistent, to say the very least. It has been unarguably

established that Americans of every age, party, and race agree Congress needs to be more

effective. To be more specific, “most voters are steadfast in their opinion that the more important

job for Congress is passing good laws rather than stopping bad ones,” (Rasmussen, 2017).

Constituents do not want their representatives to slow the ‘ridiculous agenda’ of the ‘other

party’, they want them to pass legislation. Members of the two major parties need to find the

middle ground between their party agendas to produce legislation that will benefit the economy

of America, as well as its society. This begs the question, how can this be achieved? Is the
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concept of bipartisanship in Congress not idealistic? If Americans over the span of centuries

could not fix the problem, how can it possibly be fixed now?

It needs to be established that bipartisanship is not simply an idealistic concept thought

possible by those too naïve to see what is happening on Capitol Hill. In addition, gridlock is not

the norm and should never be accepted as such. When people begin to accept it as the status quo,

it normalizes a harmful occurrence in the federal government. Acceptance of gridlock implies

that nothing can be done to stop it, which could not be farther from the truth.

It may be argued that public officials are bipartisan, and they do their absolute best to

compromise. That is simply false. “Today's parties appear to be at an impasse… Republicans and

Democrats remain deeply divided. Many now refer to these divisions as red state versus blue

state politics,” (Mellow, Trubowitz, 2005). “It is the official, publicly-announced policy of the

Republican party to oppose every Obama administration initiative, including appointment of

cabinet, sub-cabinet, and judicial nominees,” (Hart, 2013). During the Obama administration,

Republican officials shamelessly announced they would stall after piece of legislation the

Democrats tried to pass. They did not release exhaustive reports detailing the problems with the

actual policy or its potentially harmful consequences. They simply refused to approve any policy

simply because it was written by a Democrat. A study conducted from 1972-2004 found that

House bills had a partisan preference (Harbridge, 2015).

The divisiveness is now even being encouraged by Commander-in-Chief, President

Trump through his infamous twitter account. “This will be a very interesting day for healthcare.

The dems are obstructionist but the Republicans can have a great victory for the people,”

declared President Trump. When the leader of a country is encouraging polarization, there is a

problem that needs to be stopped in its tracks immediately.

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In America there is a tradition of demonizing members of the opposing party. For

example, during a campaign for public office, negative ads are far more effective than any other.

There will be phrases such as” crooked Hillary”. President Trump even retweeted a gif of him

hitting Clinton with a golf ball.

American political culture favors the smearing of a candidate’s character and a thorough,

if not somewhat biased, investigation of any situation that could prove said candidate was unfit

to be in their desired position rather than a candidate’s actual policies and the implications of

said policies. Every election in America is something of a crusade against the opposing party and

its candidates. This is not an efficient way to run a government. In the House of Commons, one

of the two bodies that makes up the British legislature, insults of any kind are not allowed. If

there is a problem with an opponent's policies, the delegates are made to engage in a civil yet

extremely lively debate stripping the policy to its very bones with legitimate facts and figures.

Instead of just spewing negativity, there are exhaustive reports to prove the problem.

In Congress, when the two major parties cannot compromise, the government is shut

down or things like filibusters, gerrymandering, and Christmas tree bills occur. In the UK, the

two major parties will put aside party agendas for the good of the country. This is not to say there

is only smooth sailing. Often, the Conservative and Labour parties find themselves on opposite

sides of an argument, but they will debate and debate until a legitimate decision is made for the

best of the country rather than party affiliation.

One could make the argument that British politicians are far less loyal to their party than

American politicians are. This is utterly false. British politicians are just as loyal to their party as
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Americans. “MPs often continue to vote along party lines,” (Raymond, Worth, 2016). The lack

of gridlock is a result of their ability to discuss topics of actual substance like the elements of a

bill. A major reason for this is the transparency of the government.

One might ask themselves why do congress members not behave in the same way. Why

can British delegates represent their constituents with civilly and earnestly? The answer is they

know they will not be insulted or accused of grossly exaggerated actions. They know that policy

making is for the sake of prosperity of Britain and its people rather than a petty competition of

parties. They are held accountable by the people and leaders of their party for straying of topic or

being uncivil. They will also be held accountable for not passing any beneficial legislation. In

America, if a politician comes forth and disagrees with a policy, the media will speak ill of them.

When a candidate runs for office in America, they know that every minute detail of their life will

be used against them. Their family, their friends, their colleagues will all be targeted to no avail.

The American people will pay closer attention to their personal life than their actual policies,,

and as a result policy making is weak or simply nonexistent. In a presidential debate, they will

insult each other and speak more of the personal weaknesses of their opponent rather than the

weaknesses of their opponent’s policies.

Even a health care policy which is of the utmost importance in America with it being the

only industrialized nation in the world without universal healthcare has been named after

President Obama associating it with him. This is just one of the many examples of public policy

being turned personal which is not only unprofessional, but it is also ineffective in terms of

getting things done.

The ability to engage in lively political debate is imperative to an efficient law making body, and

if American politicians do not learn this, consistent gridlock will be accepted as the norm. In
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fact, there are some who say it is already the norm. “Congressional gridlock is the norm in

today’s polarizing political climate,” (Iniguez, 2013).

Better communication is the solution, and this can occur with more efforts towards

bipartisanship. “…the cause for this phenomenon [congressional gridlock] can be rooted to the

lack of Congressional moderates, which also means the lack of “bridge builders,” (Iniguez,

2013). This is not say that American politicians are not attempting to appear bipartisan, because

they are. A very clear distinction, however, needs to be made between an attempt and a success.

“Not only does Washington incentivize partisanship, but it manufactures vote-based

disagreement via agenda-setting,” (Harbidge, 2015)

Of course, the argument can be made that party affiliation keeps democracy alive because

focusing too much on the center alienates many of the support base of each party. This is true to

a point, however, cooperating with opposing parties does not have to mean alienating one’s own

more extreme base. When parties do not cooperate, legislation does not get passed. Cooperation

is not a choice, it is necessary. “Majority parties still need to recruit support from the minority

party in order to pass legislation,” (Curry, Lee, 2017).

Conclusion:

After thorough research and data collection, the author has concluded that public officials vote

on partisan lines and that makes the makes of legislature very ineffective. This practice has
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continued for so long is the lack of transparency and accountability in government. If more

British etiquette and traditions could be implemented in the American legislature, it would go a

long way to ridding Congress of gridlock.

References:

Binder, S. A. (2016, July 28). Going Nowhere: A Gridlocked Congress.

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Bonica, A., & Cox, G. (2017, May 18). Ideological Extremists in the U.S. Congress: Out of Step

but Still in Office. Retrieved December 20, 2017, from

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2970341

Brian Iniguez. (2013, August 08). What Causes Congressional Gridlock?

Curry, J. M., & Lee, F. E. (2017, June 5). Non-Party Government: Bipartisan Lawmaking and

Theories of Party Power in Congress

Diamond, J. (2017, September 18). Trump retweets GIF of him hitting Clinton with golf ball.

Dziuda, W., & Loeper, A. (2015). Voting Rules in a Changing Environment. SSRN Electronic

Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2500777

Gallup, I. (2015, August 12). U.S. Congress and Its Leaders Suffer Public Discontent.

Harbridge, L. (2015, August 24). Is Bipartisanship Dead? Policy Agreement and Agenda-Setting

in the House of Representatives.

Harbridge, L., Malhotra, N., & Harrison, B. F. (2014, July 21). Public Preferences for

Bipartisanship in the Policymaking Process.

Harper, J. (2017, August 10). They get it: Only 23% of Americans say Republicans in Congress

bother to help Trump.

Hart, G. (2013, May 27). Gridlock and Its Causes.

https://www.govtrack.us/

Mellow, N., & Trubowitz, P. (2005, March 23). Red versus blue: American electoral geography

and congressional bipartisanship, 1898–2002.

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Party cohesion in Parliament: more than discipline and shared preferences alone. (2016,

September 20).

R. (n.d.). Congressional Performance.

Santhanam, L. (2017, October 05). Poll: Most Americans disapprove of how Congress has

handled health care.

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. (n.d.).

Tomain, J. P. (2017). Gridlock, Lobbying, and Democracy.

Appendix A:
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Appendix B:
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Appendix C:
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