Government Gridlock

The United States government seems to be stuck in a partisan stalemate. While such frustrating periods of deadlock have occurred throughout history, there also have been times of stunning progress. Is government gridlock a problem, or is it exactly what the framers of the Constitution intended in order to limit the powers of the federal government? The expert viewpoints in this resource debate important questions about the functionality of the US government, such as whether gridlock limits its effectiveness; which countries have better systems for dealing with political stalemate; should the filibuster be ended; and how Congress might address legislative inaction.