Gary, whose history are you reading? You live in a country with a mixed economy, a public/private amalgam of socialism and capitalism---terms that now can only be used broadly because neither no longer exists. Some members of the hard-right claim it's now a dictatorship, sliding into totalitarianism. Others say rightly that democracy allows change---by and for the people. What's executive orders for the goose is executive orders for the gander. On the evidence, your country became the most powerful and influential in the world under liberal and conservative stewardship. Or as Dave in New Hampshire puts it: "divided" governance under House and Senate representation. It's a good way to think of it, even if it includes liberals and community organizers!
