A Hung House of Representatives

If we lived in a parliamentary democracy, we would probably be holding another election in six months. When one party holds only a one or two seat majority, as may well be the case in the House when all of the votes are counted, the chamber becomes unstable and impossible to govern. Section Three challenges will be brought against a couple of Republican members. People die, get sick, or resign, which could change majority control. Electing a Speaker may take weeks. And a handful of members can hold up any bill. Yikes.

This kind of deadlock has occurred in the past, but I think only when there was a third party in Congress (like in the 1850s, when it sometimes took months to elect the Speaker).