Final answer:
Divided government can facilitate checks and balances, encourage compromise, and prevent unilateral policy changes. Some level of polarization may actually improve legislative productivity through sincere negotiation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of divided government often leads to the phenomenon of policy gridlock, where differing political parties control different branches of government and have difficulty reaching consensus on legislation. Opinions on this can greatly vary, but among the positives, divided government may enforce a check within the political system, necessitating negotiation and compromise, and preventing rapid, unilateral policy changes.
According to experts like Lawrence C. Dodd and Scot Schraufnagel, there can be a 'virtue of divided government' by incentivizing sincere negotiation and responsible policy productivity. In the middle range of polarization, legislative productivity is likely to be highest. This suggests that while too much polarization can lead to gridlock, a certain level of division may facilitate effective governance.