In this survey of current and controversial issues affecting US governance today, leading scholars examine various aspects of divided government - from institutional concerns to issues such as the budget deficit - to provide an analysis of contemporary American politics.

Introduction: Governing a Divided Era -- Federal Causes -- Divided Government: Is It All in the Campaigns? -- The Republican Presidential Advantage in the Age of Party Disunity -- The Persistence of Democratic House Majorities -- Federal Consequences -- Facing an Opposition Congress: The President's Strategic Circumstance -- Government on Lay-Away: Federal Spending and Deficits Under Divided Party Control -- Divided Control of Fiscal Policy -- Comparative Perspectives -- Divided Government in the States -- Lessons from the Post-Civil War Era -- Conclusion