partisan gridlock
Congressional frozen standoff
Partisan gridlock describes legislative paralysis caused by opposing political parties refusing to compromise.
When partisanship hardens, neither side will support the other's proposals, and nothing passes: Partisan gridlock has stalled the infrastructure bill for months.
The term implies blame on both sides for prioritizing party loyalty over governance.
- stalemateMutual obstruction preventing progress
- deadlockMutual blocking, no progress
- obstructionSomething blocking the way
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- nuclear optionMost drastic available action
impasse · polarization · dysfunction · Congress · Capitol Hill · bickering · stonewalling · logjam · standoff · brinksmanship · debt ceiling · government shutdown · shutdown · ideological · entrenched · intransigence · party lines · compromise
- Congresssenator, representative, senators, House, bill
- shutdownshut down, power down, power off, turn off, switch off
- Obama EraBarack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act
- political controversiesabortion, gun control, voter suppression, gerrymandering, affirmative action
partisan gridlockbipartisanship
Cooperation between political rivals
reaching across the aisle · political compromise · coalition-building · working together · power-sharing
partisan, gridlock, part, parties, parted, parting, partial, partially, partiality