2010_Election_Analysis

Spencer Warren 4 November 2010 AP Government Mr. Ritzer Period 2 Election Analysis With the Republican National Party taking a dominant lead in the US House of Representatives and gaining for more seat in the Senate than the Democrats, it poses an interesting question on what will happen in policy making. The estimated ratio in the House is 243 Republican seats to 192 Democratic seats; in the Senate while the Democrats only won 13 seats up for election, the Republicans won significantly more, 24 seats (CNN). While these numbers are astounding, the Democrats still hold Presidential Office which has a huge effect on what will be signed into law and what won’t be. This is the reason why for the next two years government will be in “policy gridlock.” While Republicans in Congress maybe be able to pass bills in both houses, the President will most likely not sign these into law, making the bills go back to override a veto. The Republicans have also won a large number of Governorships from the Democrats (CNN). To some this may seem trivial, but it actually has a huge impact on what chances Congressman have to get elected. In most states Governors have some power over redistricting which can be manipulated to help one party or another win election, this is called gerrymandering. The Democrats still seem to have a small advantage in policy making since they hold a small majority in the Senate and they also possess Presidential Office. When we bring into account all of these factors, the only answer we are left with is simply political gridlock. As long as the houses of Congress remain split it seems that no major legislation will be passed, but only small unmeaningful pieces of legislation will make their way through both houses of Congress. "ELECTION CENTER." CNN 4 Nov 2010: n. pag. Web. 4 Nov 2010. .