Gingrich on government shutdown 1995 and the prospects of it happening again

How accurate is the power of parties and party whips in Netflix's "House of cards"?

The Not-So-Secret Truth About Power in Washington http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/against-the-grain/the-not-so-secret-truth-about-power-in-washington-20130213

Excellent Economist article considering the Ornstein/Mann book, "Even Worse Than It Looks," and Norquist's "Debacle".

http://www.economist.com/node/21553449

This diagnosis has become commonplace since the tea-tainted tide that swept a stroppy Republican majority into the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections of 2010, bringing on said gridlock. Indeed, Messrs Mann and Ornstein spotted the trend in an earlier book about Congress, “The Broken Branch”, in 2006. The added twist now is their claim that the Republican Party has become “an insurgent outlier—ideologically extreme; contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”


If you're not familiar with Norquist see here for an excellent analysis of his influence which has been great over the last few years but perhaps in decline since the fiscal cliff deal.

Is congressional partisanship/polarisation actually a good thing?

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/04/the-case-for-partisanship/306700/

BROKEN BRANCH? INCREASED PARTISANSHIP? Heckler At Obama Speech to Congress: 'You Lie!' - YouTube

Heckler At Obama Speech to Congress: 'You Lie!' - YouTube:

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'via Blog this'

Spring 2012: 'Broken Branch' & 'Even worse than it looks': To what extent is Congressional partisanship hindering good government?

This one is from May 2012


The below is from March 2012

Mar 2012 -To what extent is Congress the 'Broke Branch': Olympia Snowe's resignation - another moderate steps down amid increasing partisanship