Write a formal analytic essay that addresses the following situation:

"The executive branch is under no compulsion to testify to Congress, because Congress in fact doesn't have oversight ability."

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, March 22, 2007

On this date, the president was a Republican while both houses of Congress were controlled by Democrats.

Respond to this statement in a 20-minute essay. Your response should discuss the division of powers in the U.S. Constitution, checks and balances in the operations of the U.S. government, and the roles of linkage groups such as political parties.

Reminder: Analytic essays start with a topic sentence summarizing the argument. They include multiple supporting sentences that use logic and evidence to support the argument. Analytic essays end with a concluding or transitional sentence.