I agree, political parties have taken over. They ruled the day after Washington bid his farewell and went off into the sunset. Federalist v. Dem-Rep, Whigs v. Dems, Rep. v. Dems or whatever political name they call themselves foster a hope for "bipartisanship" but it is clearly lacking.
But I guess I wasn't clear in the my last post. The system is designed, to cause grid-lock if both sides stop working together. Currently political parties (or at least some) believe sharing power is antitheical to political governance. One party wins the House of Rep., the minority party votes in opposition. This still doesn't stop bipartisan bills from forming and passing. If it does happen, then the system is working as intended. If we fail to cooperate, then gridlock happens, and dysfunction occurs. The founders I believe intended it to be that way. It just seems as if the news suddenly realized that dysfunction is this new concept. When it's how's it's always been when shit hits the fan.
As for the branches of government, many have failed to jealously guarding their powers. Congress has effectively given up declaring war. Allowing standing orders on military "engagements" to become perpetual. Give up their power by allowing the president to enact executive orders on military operations. They've given up their ability of basic governance by allowing the Supreme Court to dictate legislation through "judicial supremacy". The legislators need to claw all of these powers back. But alas I doubt I'll see it in my life time.
Someone should make a panel of Garak's explanation of "The boy who cried wolf". In which he explains meaning of the parable to Bashir that's it's not about "some one lying to much" but that "one should not say the same lie twice"