Many posts have discussed the state of Congress.
Katherine Schaeffer at Pew:
Narrow partisan divides in the House and Senate have become the norm in recent decades, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of historical data going back to the 88th Congress (1963-65), the first Congress with 435 representatives and 100 senators. This analysis reflects the initial election results for each Congress and does not factor in any shifts during the session.Since then, the size of the majorities in both chambers has generally trended downward. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the partisan split in both chambers hovered around 50-50.
- The largest majorities in the House and Senate during this stretch occurred in the 1960s. Both belonged to Democrats.Democrats held 68% of House seats in the 89th Congress (1965-67).
- Democrats held 66% of Senate seats in the 88th Congress (1963-65).
