In this year’s midterm elections, the Democrats won a majority in the House while the Republicans continue to hold the Senate. While many people expected there to be a “Blue Wave,” this was the most likely outcome — and what is best for the country.
Believe it or not, one party controlling every aspect of the government isn’t very healthy for the nation. This type of control will usually breed resentment within the constituents whose party is not in control. They see it as though the legislative body aren’t listening to what they want. Along with this, a single party-controlled legislative body is one without checks and balances — something that was stressed by the founders at the creation of the Constitution.
This is why having a split legislative body is extremely beneficial. Both houses are able to introduce policies and work to push the agenda that their constituents voted for. While tax legislation can only be originated in the House, it has to be confirmed by the Senate. The Senate is able to make changes and filibuster if the legislation doesn’t align with what the party in control wants.
So when both parties have a majority, most people assume that it means nothing will get done within the legislative body for the next two years. While this can be true at times, it's not that far off from what would happen when a singular party is in the majority for both. Politics is a slow process with many hurdles to jump through. Now whether those hurdles are finding the funding for the bill or just getting the needed votes to pass it, they will always be there, and for good reason. Essentially, this is an optimal time for many bipartisan pieces of legislation to be passed.
A government that is able to churn out and pass legislation is one that should only be used in a time of crisis. As of right now, the U.S. is not in a state of crisis (unless we want to talk about the rising amount of debt), so there should be no need for the legislative body to be creating and passing new bills everyday.
So the whole notion of a government that constantly churns out partisan legislation is one that should furrow your eyebrow. The beauty of a slow government shows that they are taking time to work out many aspects of each piece of legislation rather than slapping a Dem- or GOP-approved sticker on it.
Though the “Blue Wave” wasn’t a tidal wave as the Democrats had hoped, they were able to bring more balance to the legislative body as well as bring back the much needed checks and balances. After all, a government that agrees on everything is usually a government that doesn’t represent the nation as a whole.
Logan Carr is a freshman studying political science at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Let Logan know by emailing him at lc300918@ohio.edu.
