Some have suggested that Boehner is effectively running a coalition government of red and blue pragmatists. But that’s not quite right. Instead, in parliamentary terms, it’s more like a minority government.

Instead of two parties, there are three: the Freedom Caucus, the Boehner Republicans and the Democrats. To win on any issue, the speaker needs two of those factions. Most of the time, he still depends on the two wings of his own GOP conference. (That’s how he won reelection in January, despite 25 Republican dissenters.) But in a pinch, he can strike a temporary alliance with Pelosi.

If we really had a parliamentary system, one of three things might have happened last week: Boehner would have called new elections. (Not available in our system.) Or his party would have ousted him and installed a leader who could hold Republicans together. (There’s no such person.) Or the Republicans could split into two mini-parties, as happens in countries like Israel.

That’s not going to happen because the two-party system is so deeply rooted . But as a practical matter, it’s already occurred.