Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- Washington is stifled by gridlock. As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said in his speech at the Ronald Reagan Library, "We drift from conflict to conflict, with little or no resolution." Even the most routine budgeting decisions turn into high-stakes showdowns with threats of default and government shutdowns. The party leaders are deep into a mindset with which they feel free to threaten, cajole and refuse to act until the very last moment. Big decisions are put off. Small issues are barely resolved. Gridlock, however, is not politically neutral. The conventional wisdom is that under current conditions nothing gets done -- and neither party benefits. But in fact, the chronic battles over budget decisions tend to benefit the Republican agenda.
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Julian Zelizer: On the surface, it seems gridlock hurts both parites
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He says Democrats suffer more since their party places more reliance on government
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Gridlock prevents government agencies from planning and taking the initiative
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Zelizer: Focus for Democrats shifts from proposing to protecting government programs
The second reason that Democrats are harmed by gridlock is because a dysfunctional @placeholder fuels public distrust in the federal government.