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In American politics a '''Divided government''' is one in which the [[presidency]] and the [[Congress]] are controlled by different [[parties]].  For example, in the second half of the [[William J. Clinton | Clinton]] administration, 1995-2000, the presidency was controlled by the [[Democrat]]s, while the Congress was [[Republican]] controlled.  Many commentators suggest that a divided government may be the best state for the United States, since each party then serves as a watchdog on the other.   

In American politics a '''Divided government''' is one in which the [[presidency]] and the [[Congress]] are controlled by different [[parties]].  For example, in the second half of the [[William J. Clinton | Clinton]] administration, 1995-2000, the presidency was controlled by the [[Democrat]]s, while the Congress was [[Republican]] controlled.  Many commentators suggest that a divided government may be the best state for the United States, since each party then serves as a watchdog on the other.   

Statistics show that the economy grows at a higher rate during divided government than with either party in control of both branches of government.  This is sometimes attributed to the [[gridlock]] effect, in which each party blocks the other party's spending.  In the Clinton administration, for example, the years of undivided Democrat control resulted in budget deficits, while the years of divided government resulted in a budget surplus, the first significant surplus in the post-World-War-II era.

Statistics show that the economy grows at a higher rate during divided government than with either party in control of both branches of government.  This is sometimes attributed to the [[gridlock]] effect, in which each party blocks the other party's spending.  In the Clinton administration, for example, the years of undivided Democrat control resulted in budget deficits, while the years of divided government resulted in a budget surplus, the first significant surplus in the post-World-War-II era.  These statistics, however, ignore that the fact that Clinton entered office with a large budget deficit and proceeded to decrease it every year, until he left office with a budget surplus.