One Government, Divisible
Over the next two years the United States will have divided government (Democratic House, Republican presidency). What percent of Americans think that President Trump will be successful at getting his programs enacted over the next two years?
How accurate was your prediction?
Why do you think most Americans feel that Trump will NOT be successful at enacting his agenda?
How big a partisan divide is there in this data?
How successful do Americans think the Democrats will be at getting their programs enacted over the next two years?
If most Americans think that neither Trump nor the Democrats will be successful at getting things done, what will they expect the government to do until 2020?
What is one consequence of gridlock and government inaction?
Describe two powers in Article I of the U.S. Constitution that allow Congress to thwart the will of the President?
Describe one power the President is given in Article II of the U.S. Constitution that allows him to check the Congress:
What would James Freaking Madison say about the gridlock we are probably going to have in the next Congress?
How successful do you think President Trump will be at getting his programs enacted over the next two years?
In a parliamentary system, there cannot be divided government (the same party necessarily controls both the executive and legislative branches). Do you think the United States would be better off with a system that did not allow for divided government?
Do you think there is any common ground or any programs that both the Democrats and Trump can agree on over the next two years?
Will the fact that the President’s party is in charge of the Senate help President Trump achieve any part of his agenda?
Do most Americans expect partisan relations to get better or worse between the President and the Democrats in Congress?*
The majority of Americans say they approve of the Democratic leadership’s policies and plans more than they approve of Trump. What specific policies do they approve of?*
Based on the data in the charts, do you think Trump will win reelection in 2020?*
If you were an advisor to the Trump administration, what topic would you tell the Trump White House to focus on?*
Visual Extension*
Learning Extension
Think of this as an early Christmas present and read this Pew Research Report on Americans’ views on gridlock!
Action Extension
Nancy Pelosi is the leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives and is likely (although not certain) to be the next Speaker of the House. Contact Leader Pelosi and tell her what you think the Democrats should do now that they have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Gridlock Extension
