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Competitive Government in the United States: Policy Promotion and Divided Party Control
Author(s) -
CONLAN TIMOTHY J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.46
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1468-0491
pISSN - 0952-1895
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0491.1991.tb00021.x
Subject(s) - stalemate , divided government , government (linguistics) , legislature , public administration , legislation , promotion (chess) , political science , presidential system , competition (biology) , control (management) , accommodation , political economy , economics , law , politics , management , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , neuroscience , biology
Divided party control of the executive and legislative branches of American government has traditionally been thought to contribute to the system's tendencies toward policy stalemate and paralysis. Based on a series of brief case studies over the past twenty‐five years, this article argues that, under certain circumstances, divided party government may promote rather than hinder the enactment of legislation. It sketches an analytical framework that suggests a range of policymaking outcomes may result from party competition under conditions of divided government, including stalemate, neglect, accommodation, and promotion.