Divided Government and Electoral Behavior

DIVIDED GOVERNMENT IS the control of the executive and legislative branches of the federal government, by two different parties. Divided government is a consequence of the separation of powers doctrine. This phenomenon may also result when voters cast split-ticket votes for candidates from different parties. Midterm electoral cycles may also influence the occurrence of divided government. Divided government occurs at both the national and state levels. Divided government is an artifact of the institutional arrangement of the federal government. The separation of powers doctrine divides power among the branches of the government. The Constitution provides for the popular election of the president of the United States, rather than election by the legislature, as in parliamentary systems. Because the president is not elected from the governing party or majority party in the legislature, the electorate may choose a president who is not from the same party as the legislative majority. Divided government is a possible outcome of this institutional feature of the Constitution.

In addition to the institutional conditions for divided government, electoral reforms create the possibility for two-party control of the government. Before the institution of the secret ballot (also known as the Australian ballot), in the United States, voters cast votes for the same party for each office, because parties printed ballots. By 1892, though, all states made provisions for election by secret ballot, providing voters with the opportunity to cast votes for different parties on one ticket. In the short-term, the effects of the Australian ballot were minimal. Divided government occurred infrequently until the 1950s. The 1954 midterm election was a turning point, though. This election ushered in an extended period of divided government, a trend that continues today. During this period, partisanship among voters waned. This period of low partisanship created the conditions for divided government. Rather than concentrating power by allowing one party to control the Congress and the presidency, voters chose to divide the power between the Democrats and Republicans.

Midterm elections also provides voters an opportunity to divide the government. While the president's party may be more successful in presidential election [Page 185]years because of the coattail effect, the midterm elections provide voters a chance to consider the success of the president and his party. Party fatigue and low satisfaction in the middle of a president's term may cause voters to check the power of the president by electing a legislative majority from the president's opposition. This happened, for example, in the 2006 elections when Democrats took back control of both houses of Congress.

In recent years, many state governments have experienced divided government between their executive and legislative branches. While arguments from the national level may be extended to the states, there is another factor influencing the outcome in states. This additional influence is recruitment to office. Candidates seeking the governorship are likely to see the office as the top office and unlikely to pursue election to other offices. State legislative offices, on the other hand, are viewed as short term. Consequently, fewer candidates seek re-election, providing voters a chance to choose new legislators frequently. Thus, voters will elect a governor to hold an office for the long-term, while they elect state representatives frequently. These conditions contribute to the instance of divided government at the state level.

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