Norms

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/netanyahu-roberts-and-the-norms-on-which-governing-depends/385226/?utm_source=SFTwitter

Fallows has made this point before and it's a good one.  Governments have rules, and governments have norms. The norms are very important and Washington has been slowly breaking every since Newt Gingrich came to town and began to tear down the traditional ways of doing things.

It is now very much an open question whether Washington can function anymore, and that fault lies with the GOP.