Mark Schmitt argues the American political system wasn’t built to handle showdowns, culture wars, crises of legitimacy, or bids for total power:
When our system works, it is with a dull, workmanlike sense of compromise and grudging respect both for the majority’s mandate and the minority’s right to participate in the process, along with the many other interests that complicate the process. When has it last been like that? Well, I remember the period between Bill Clinton’s re-election in 1996 and the beginning of his impeachment as being pretty boring — and also productive. That’s when the State Children’s Health Insurance program was enacted, and an agreement that led to federal budget surpluses and near-full employment was reached.