There is a lot to be learned from history.
And with the 2012 U.S. Presidential elections now in our past, I believe the campaigns have taught us a few new things that hopefully the new President and Congress can take to heart.
1. The American people don’t want finger-pointing and blame — they want bi-partisanship.
Nobody likes a government that is so polarized that it can’t agree on anything. Even during the Reagan (with Democrats having a majority in Congress during some of that time) and Clinton years (with Republicans having a majority in Congress during some of that time) things got done.
A Congress that can’t get things done demonstrates a significant lack of leadership and a spirit of good government among both parties in Congress. The people have spoken — they want that leadership and compromise moving forward.