Divided Government

This book describes, explains and reflects upon the 1996 presidential and congressional elections, covering the three phases of the political process: the major party nominations, general elections and the subsequent government organisations.

There has been no book before this one about the president as his own political party's leader. Davis has studied the presidency for more than forty years and has been on the campaign trail with candidates and incumbents, and attended national party meetings. This lively text shows how presidents and political parties depend on each other. The history and analysis examine the political process, relations between the president and Congress and political parties, and discusses reforms that may make presidents more effective leaders.

Are American political parties really in decay? Have American voters really given up on the major parties? Taking issue with widely accepted theories of dealignment and party decay, Paulson argues that the most profound realignment in American history occurred in the 1960s, almost without notice, and that still another realignment is on the way. The result, he asserts, is not the decline of American political parties, but the birth of a new party system which features a liberal party and a conservative party. This development should have a major impact on American democracy in the twenty-first century, offering the possibility of some form of party government more commonly seen in parliamentary systems.