2.3 bipartisan agreements and compromise

what is the changing significance of parties?

• increasingly partisan- polarisation of parties

• more internally united in opposition to other parties

what is party unity?

• how much members of congress vote with the majority of their party

  • 117th congress → 97% for democrats and 88% for republicans

  • less political middle, decline of moderate conservatives and blue dog democrats

why is congress not representative?

• FPTP AND GERRYMANDERING

  • Undermine representation- low levels of response to public interest

  • Determination of parties and politicians to maximise power- distortion of public opinion

• SOCIAL REPRESENTATION

  • Composition doesn’t reflect wider American society, e.g. gender, race

  • 2023- 118th Congress was most diverse ever

  • 2023- people of colour made up 41% of the population but only 25% of Congress and 12% of Senate

  • 2023- women in Congress (28%) there are 153 and LGBTQ+ (2%)

  • Limits US claim to pluralist, representative democracy

 

• INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE GROUPS

  • Arguably distorts public wishes- gain disproportionate representation

  • Richer pressure groups dominate

  • Elite theory- Congress is undemocratic as it responds only to wishes of a small group in society

why is congress representative?

• Separate elections for president and Congress

  • Voters can have separate votes for executive and legislature

  • Maximises voter choice

  • 118th Congress- some moderate Senators, e.g. Susan Collins of Maine and Joe Manchin of West Virginia often voted against their own parties

  • Renewed prevalence of split-ticket voting in 2022-24 -> many appreciated ability to vote according to views of politician over party platform

• TWO ELECTED CHAMBERS- COMPLEMENTARY REPRESENTATION

  • Voters have 2 choices rather than 1 as both chambers are elected

  • Staying in power longer- Senate make decisions rationally based on long-term effects

  • Staying shorter- Congresspersons respond to public opinion

  • 2 different approaches = highly representative

• FREQUENT ELECTIONS AND SHORT HOUSE TERMS

  • Occur every 2 years- changes in public attitude can be quickly reflected

  • 2022 mid-term elections- Democrats managed to establish control of Senate after 2 years with 50-50 split

instances of bipartisan agreement and compromise

• both parties agreed on removal of senate filibusters for judicial nominations

  • trump able to make 3 appointments which changed supreme court composition

• 2020- trump had veto overriden for national defense authorisation act for fiscal year 2021

  • sizeable act of bipartisanship

legislation and gridlock

• 116th and 117th Congress (last 2 sessions) were the 2 least productive in history in terms of percentage of bills passed

• Both only passed 2% of substantive laws introduced- ones having an impact on an aspect of US society

• As opposed to ceremonial laws such as post office renamings of commemorative coin authorisations

• Fewest laws in total were passed by the 112th (208) and 113th (212) congresses