“and the public’s trust in our basic institutions drains away.”
While the Executive and Legislative bodies engage in a Mexican Standoff, the ‘institutions’ GROW exponentially.
We are to the point that government is a self perpetuating blob (EPA, FDA, FBI,IRS, etc,) that is incapable of being managed by elected officials even with all the money in the treasury.
A perfect example is Deval Patrick transferring 500 managerial positions to public union rolls. The next administration is stuck with them. Voting will make no difference.