Top 10 Political Stories for 2011

From the death of Osama bin Laden to the showdown over the debt-ceiling increase, 2011 had plenty of dramatic episodes. 

But the political landscape was also altered by broader patterns, like the increasing pessimism of the population at large, that were not rooted in any single moment.

Here are The Hill’s choices for the 10 most important political stories of the year:

Bin Laden | Giffords | Dissent
Message? | Economy | GOP's reign
Reid & McConnell | Debt ceiling | The wire | GOP candidates