“A coalition presidency carries the potential for many important benefits,” Orentlicher writes in the book, to be published by NYU Press next year. “A balancing of power between the executive and legislative branches, a dampening of partisan conflict in Washington, an executive branch more representative of the entire electorate, real opportunities for third-party candidates to win election, and wiser presidential decision making.”…

Creation of a dual executive would require a constitutional amendment, but Orentlicher is confident that such a system would end gridlock in Washington. If both the winner and runner-up of November’s election took office, they would have incentive to cooperate rather than compete…

Besides, Orentlicher thinks partisanship is the byproduct of the race for votes. “There is a lot more overlap than you get the sense of from them fighting,” he says. “In the election, they have to persuade voters and draw distinctions. You could get agreement on 80 percent of most of the issues.”