Why does the political system in our country seem so dysfunctional ? I think it because of gridlock but I don't have any example. If you have one...

A major factor in the dysfunction in our political system is the effects of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is a process where the political parties create districts that are safe for a given political party. As a result, a candidate knows he or she will be elected and reelected as long as the candidate supports the positions of the people who live in that district. The effect of this is that there are fewer politicians who are...

A major factor in the dysfunction in our political system is the effects of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is a process where the political parties create districts that are safe for a given political party. As a result, a candidate knows he or she will be elected and reelected as long as the candidate supports the positions of the people who live in that district. The effect of this is that there are fewer politicians who are willing to compromise on a given issue, fearing it will prevent that person from being reelected. With fewer politicians in the middle of the political spectrum, we are seeing more extreme and polarized politics. As a result, it appears that little is getting done because, depending on the issue, one political party uses tactics to block a bill from become law.

A good example of this polarization is the difficulty in getting the Affordable Health Care law passed and the number of failed attempts to repeal it. Other examples include the lack of progress on passing a bill on immigration reform or the reauthorizing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. With few politicians in the middle of the political spectrum, there is little compromise occurring. Thus, when the President is from one party, and the other party controls the Congress, little gets done when neither Democrats nor Republicans are willing and/or able to compromise. This is why there is so much dissatisfaction with our political process, and the appearance of gridlock exists. It also explains why in some states, one party controls a majority of the seats in the state legislature even though they have received less than half of the total number of votes cast.