Political Science 2244E Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Wield, Socalled, Centrism

• School: Western University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: Political Science 2244E
• Professor: Peter A Ferguson

Document Summary

If you are like most americans, you trust the supreme court, respect the presidency (whether or not you like the president), and dislike congress (even if you like your own representative and senators). Congress is the most unpopular branch of government. But it is also the most important one. Most contemporary americans and many experts, however, think of congress not as the fi(cid:396)st (cid:271)(cid:396)a(cid:374)(cid:272)h (cid:271)ut as (cid:862)the (cid:271)(cid:396)oke(cid:374) (cid:271)(cid:396)a(cid:374)(cid:272)h. The paradox is that most americans consistently disapprove of congress yet routinely re-elect their own members to serve in it. The puzzle is why the post-1970 congress has become even more polarized by partisanship and divided by ideology. During the 1970s, such partisan polarization in congress was very much the exception to the rule. Well into the 1960s, congress commonly passed major legislation on most issues on a bipartisan basis, and there were liberal members and conservative members in leadership positions in both parties and in both chambers.