THERE'S SO LITTLE TO DISAGREE ABOUT AT THE eND OF hISTORY...:

[T]he legislative record of the 114th Congress (which runs from January 2015 through January 2017) is one of the most productive in recent years, due to considerable compromise and cooperation among members of both parties on key issues. And that is the last thing that either party wants you to know.

As my colleagues at POPVOX have noted, major bipartisan policies have been enacted over the past two years. Longstanding issues that have vexed Congress for years have been resolved during the 114th -- under GOP control, with Democratic cooperation, signed by President Barack Obama. Congress ended the Medicare physician payment system that required a temporary "doc fix" every year for 17 years. It repealed No Child Left Behind (which officially expired in 2007) and began the process of reforming federal education policy. This Congress repealed the National Security Agency's bulk data surveillance program while reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. It passed the first long-term transportation bill in a decade a new version of toxic chemicals bill, and updated the Freedom of Information Act for the 21st century. You may support or oppose the substance of any of these bills, but they are hardly the work of a do-nothing Congress.

Brookings recently released its "Democracy Dashboard," measuring a few key indicators for various government institutions. While that data only runs through 2014, a quick check on available data for the 114th (2105-16) shows that many of the gridlock trends appear to be on the upswing -- more big votes, more conference committees.

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