The United states Congress. A Quarter of a Century in Partisan Balance: 1981-2007
Abstract
From 1981 to 2007, there was a certain balance of power between Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress, although a number of events that took place over that period of time may create the impression that Republicans prevailed. After several decades of Democrat predominance, Ronald Reagan was emerging as a strong political figure, while in Congress Newt Gingrich–flamboyant, reckless and controversial–failed to reach the goals he had set for himself, but attracted a lot of attention with his “contract with America”. The most stable and lasting Republican legacy from those years was probably the rearrangement of the Supreme Court, which ceased to be the liberal court of the 1960s and 1970s to become an increasingly conservative body, a trend that has continued over the last few years. The balance between both parties was also reflected in the most notorious scandals of those years. Reagan was clearly involved in the Iran-Contras affaire, while Clinton’s romantic escapades eventually ended in impeachment, although he was probably never too close to being removed from office. In the last few years of that period, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the war in Iraq did a great deal to increase the power of the Executive Branch over Congress, as is the case with all emergency situations.
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