According to the political scientist Sarah Binder, the ideological divide between America’s two main political parties has not been as large as it is now since the end of the nineteenth century. Despite the current gridlock, however, the 111th Congress managed to pass a major fiscal stimulus, health-care reform, financial regulation, an arms-control treaty, and revision of the military policy on homosexuality.
根据政治学家萨拉·宾德（Sarah Binder）的看法，自十九世纪末以来，美国两大政党的意识形态分歧从未向现在那么大。但是，尽管面临着僵局，但第111届国会仍通过了大型财政刺激、医疗改革、金融监管、一项武器控制条约以及军队同性恋政策修改。显然，美国政治制度不会衰亡（特别是在党派僵局具有周期性特征的情况下）。