Apr 10, 2026 - Business
Axios C-Suite: Making sense of D.C.'s insane volatility
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Two quick stats to help explain why volatility is the norm — and seemingly permanent — in Washington politics.
- Every president back to Bill Clinton enjoyed at least two years of full party control of Washington.
- No period of full party control has lasted more than two years for our last three presidents.
The chart above, adapted from Republican lobbyist and Substacker Bruce Mehlman, captures this vividly.
What it means, via Bruce:
- Government struggles to do anything that demands long-term consistency, such as reshoring semiconductor manufacturing.
- Businesses need friends on both sides of the aisle to win policy battles and then protect gains, even when pressured to cut ties by the winning party.
- Successful navigation of Washington demands anticipating insane volatility and assuming and operationalizing agility.
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