4 ms·

The US system allows one party to freeze out another for periods of time due to control of different chambers. There were government shut downs under Obama.. I

The US system allows one party to freeze out another for periods of time due to control of different chambers. There were government shut downs under Obama.. I think that shows how terrible the US system is at the moment. Other countries like the UK and AU will typically have the ruling party in control of a majority. The US seems to almost always be running some sort of minority government due to loss of one of either the senate or house.

falsedan 9y ago
> Other countries like the UK and AU will typically have the ruling party in control of a majority. That's not my understanding or experience, and I'm a voter for both. The number of governments where the ruling party controlled both chambers is fairly rare. AU elects the upper chamber on a different schedule to the lower, so often a new government (in the House of Reps) will face an opposition-controlled Senate. I think this is the same as the US system. The UK has it worse with the House of Lords, which aren't elected and thus won't ever change hands directly from a General Election result. Also note that the voting tradition in AU is that if Labour gains control of the Federal government, then the Liberal/National Coalition generally gains control of the state legistlatures (and vice versa). Perhaps you mean that a UK or AU lower chamber facing a hostile upper chamber is still functional and productive compared to the equivalent in the US. I think the threat of blocking supply or a vote of no confidence (or in the AU, a double dissolution) helps these governments be more willing to compromise with their opponents & pass legistlation, in the absence of a majority. > some sort of minority government A minority government is a rather specific term, and can be easily misunderstood when used to refer to an opposition-controlled upper house (which doesn't ever really exist in the UK). Could you please be more specific?
ameister14 9y ago
There is a long history of government shutdowns in Australia as well - one got so bad the queen dissolved the government.
rhino369 9y ago
Government shutdowns are mostly political theater. They have extremely limited impact on the people. But the US politcal climate is sick right now. Partisanship has become very extreme.

falsedan 9y ago

> Other countries like the UK and AU will typically have the ruling party in control of a majority. That's not my understanding or experience, and I'm a voter for both. The number of governments where the ruling party controlled both chambers is fairly rare. AU elects the upper chamber on a different schedule to the lower, so often a new government (in the House of Reps) will face an opposition-controlled Senate. I think this is the same as the US system. The UK has it worse with the House of Lords, which aren't elected and thus won't ever change hands directly from a General Election result. Also note that the voting tradition in AU is that if Labour gains control of the Federal government, then the Liberal/National Coalition generally gains control of the state legistlatures (and vice versa). Perhaps you mean that a UK or AU lower chamber facing a hostile upper chamber is still functional and productive compared to the equivalent in the US. I think the threat of blocking supply or a vote of no confidence (or in the AU, a double dissolution) helps these governments be more willing to compromise with their opponents & pass legistlation, in the absence of a majority. > some sort of minority government A minority government is a rather specific term, and can be easily misunderstood when used to refer to an opposition-controlled upper house (which doesn't ever really exist in the UK). Could you please be more specific?

ameister14 9y ago

There is a long history of government shutdowns in Australia as well - one got so bad the queen dissolved the government.

rhino369 9y ago

Government shutdowns are mostly political theater. They have extremely limited impact on the people. But the US politcal climate is sick right now. Partisanship has become very extreme.