I would argue that the best situation for America is when an already robust economy (or at least one in which the public general feels optimistic for the immediate future) is led by a President who is of OPPOSITE party of the House and Senate.
Both parties are bogged down by the dogma of their base and end up focusing on those shit policies whenever they have the ability to do so.
When the economy is on the upswing and the policy makers can't get anything done (i.e., can't fuck everything up), everyone benefits. I'd say the closest we've ever been to political nirvana is the post '94 Clinton years.
