swat's leaning towards a custom nation with its own issues while I'm opting for a "peculiar institution" thread where slavery was the big legislative hot-button issue
parties were formed, dissolved, and radically overhauled because of slavery in the states, so I think it'd be a good breeding ground for intense congressional rp
I'm not sure the US congress is the best scenario for this game because of the US's god-awful two-party system. Yes, parties were formed and dissolved, but fundamentally the American system does not work for third parties, and in a two-party system, there would be a deadlock like Cypher is describing.
I think a more European-style democracy would work far better (gameplay-wise, although let's be honest, it works better in real life too), perhaps based on Denmark's unicameral parliament. Or perhaps start in the Weimar Republic right before the depression? It provides a good mix of ideologies and a lot of opportunity.