Unified Government/Party Government

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

Unified government (also known as party government) occurs when one party has control over the executive branch (President) and the legislative branch (both the House and Senate). The U.S. will have a unified government in 2025. The U.S. has seen a unified government 48 times since 1857. More often, the U.S. government has divided government, that is, governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress. Unified government, when one party controls both executive and legislative branch) tends to lead to more policy passing the legislature an higher spending. Unified government can lead to more efficient governance, as the ruling party can pass legislation without needing support from opposition parties. When a unified government is in place, it may result in significant changes in policy and law due to the lack of legislative obstruction. Historically, unified governments have been linked to periods of major reform, as seen during the New Deal era under Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, unified government can also lead to accountability issues, as there may be less scrutiny over policies without opposition oversight.

Example

 
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Questions

  1. What is unified government?

  2. Is the US currently controlled by a divided government?

  3. When the new congress is sworn in will the U.S. still be a divided government?

  4. What is the difference between divided government and unified government?

  5. When was the last time we did not have divided government?

  6. Americans very often vote for divided government. Why do you think that is?

  7. What is one benefit of having unified government and what is one negative consequence?

  8. Find an image or emoji that does justice to the sublime beauty of party government:

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw unified government. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

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Jonathan Milner

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