[Alberta's Child]

The last time the U.S. government ran a nominal budget surplus was around 1998-2000.

The budget deficit spiked in 2008-10, then declined to its lowest point of the last decade around 2014 before rising again.

The correlation between a divided Federal government and low budget deficits isn't perfect, but it's close. The same is true of the correlation between a unified Federal government and high budget deficits. By my reckoning, the most fiscally irresponsible period of my lifetime for the U.S. government was from 2008 through 2011 -- and the U.S. had single-party control (first the GOP, then the Democrats) for almost the entire period.

[mrsmith]

” nominal budget surplus was around 1998-2000.” ... when Social security had a big surplus to spend.

“budget deficit spiked in 2008-10” ... when social security recipts turned to a deficit.

IDK, hard to make conclusions from our budget statistice.

Gridlock: 8 Dems and 8 Reps at a meeting on tech rules, ALL recipients of donations from the same tech companies...
The government is only gridlocked for the voters.