Since 2008 or so, the US Congress has mostly ceased to debate on and amend bills. All the decisions are made secretly, and most members of Congress have hardly any role in the process.

It should be noted that 2008 was ten or more years after democracy effectively ceased at the federal level. Since the 1990s, public opinion has little influence on US government decisions.

The polarization reported for the past decade is between the plutocratist center-right (most Democrats) and the rigid plutocratist right-wing (which, over the past two years, the bully has converted into the extremist racist right-wing).