The Journal Sentinel's groundbreaking "Dividing Lines" series, which has been examining the growing political chasm that has turned metro Milwaukee into the most polarized place in swing-state America, concludes Wednesday with a look at the legacy of polarization.

We think one of the results of bitter political divisions no matter where they occur can be an inability by government to function. Those who are unwilling to compromise because the politics of the day require ideological purity cannot achieve a consensus on sound policy. The result is gridlock.

A small example of how that works occurred Monday with the failure of an energy bill in the U.S. Senate that had widespread and bipartisan support. The bill sought to tighten efficiency guidelines for new federal buildings and provide tax incentives to make homes and commercial buildings more efficient. Those are good ideas and should not be partisan.

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