Ok, as we are the government, and the government is us, let's take a look at how WE are doing.
And by we I mean us, those of us who vote. Not for Micky Mouse or Pat Paulson, or (forgive me) Jill Stein, but for people who will actually run this country. Locally, State and Feds.
Not that I have anything against folks who want to throw away their vote, but they have to understand that this is exactly what they are doing. You can't claim helplessness in how things are run, then vote for someone who has absolutely zero chance of affecting how things are run. That's abdicating your vote/voice IMO. You vote for your best choice, then work to make that choice better. Again, voting for Ralph Nader accomplished exactly zero for Nader or those who liked his policies, and a lot for Bush and his band of ner' do wells.

OK, so, I don't want to live in a bubble and I hope my friends on the other side don't either. Which party is best for the country? We've managed to solve most other world problems here, so I think we can figure this out.

I'll start. with the obvious of course. Merrick Garland. or rather the republicans refusal to even consider him. This is their constitutional duty. Obama has done his duty and now they need to do theirs.

Not only do they refuse to consider him, they have stated quite clearly they won't consider ANY pick of President Obama's. Any! So it isn't a case of objection to a particular pick, like it was with Bork, but to the President himself, who they refuse to recognize as the legitimate President.
They don't want any trace of this man's Presidency to exist. They want to wipe him from history, even though he will possibly go down in history as one of the greatest presidents of modern times. They don't even care how history will treat them. They are a bunch of petulant 5 year olds stomping their tiny feet in a temper tantrum.
And the most infuriating thing is McConnell saying "the people should have a say in this so we'll wait", as if all the people who overwhelming voted for Obama aren't citizens some how. We did have a say, as it turns out. Just he doens't like what 'the people' said, he's going to wait for, what, real people? Like, republican people. Unfortunately hes not up for reelection but he should still lose his job.
http://www.standard.net/Letters/2016...t-Obama-letter