The Death of Deliberation: Partisanship and Polarization in the United States Senate

A common observation of the Senate today is that it is paralyzed by gridlock, composed of ideologically polarized members, and divided by more cohesive political parties. However, the argument that the Senate -- and by extension, the Congress -- are undermined by rampant obstruction overlooks the fact that the contemporary Senate is still capable of overcoming the differences among its members without descending into an endless debate of ideological partisanship and irreconcilable gridlock.