Why Congress Doesn't Work These Days...
by Anthony Sibley (AJ) on Apr 21, 2014 | Views: 86 | Score: 0
Avg Democratic Party Unity | Avg Republican Party Unity | |
---|---|---|
1961 | 80.8 | 80.6 |
1971 | 70.2 | 76 |
1981 | 77.6 | 77.5 |
1991 | 86.2 | 82.2 |
2001 | 87.7 | 93.5 |
2011 | 91 | 93.5 |
Sources:
brookings.edu
Divisiveness in the House of Representatives has reached record highs in recent Congresses, and along with it, popular disfavor towards the representatives of American democracy. Driving congressional gridlock is unprecedented partisan polarization, which began intensifying dramatically in the late 1980s. The most "conservative" Democrat has for years been far more liberal than the most "liberal" Republican, and vice versa.