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In November President Obama stepped onto a plush red carpet at the end of a White House corridor. \u201cMy fellow Americans,\u201d he said, \u201ctonight I want to talk to you about immigration.\u201d He promised to bring change through executive action. \u201cAnd to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better,\u201d he said, \u201cor question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer - pass a bill.\u201d

That was a dig at his Republican opponents who control the House of Representatives. They failed to pass a bill last year to reform immigration. But that night, after Mr Obama finished speaking, the Republican leader in the House had his own harsh words for the president: \u201cThat\u2019s just not how our democracy works,\u201d he said, \u201cthe president has said before that he\u2019s not king. And he\u2019s not an emperor. But he\u2019s sure acting like one."

With Republicans now in control of both the House and the Senate, the risk of continued political paralysis in Washington is very real. Many Americans are angry; turnout at the recent mid-term elections hit a 72-year low. Is American democracy broken?

(Photo: American Flag. BBC copyright)