It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism

242 Pages·2012·1.178 MB·English

by  Thomas E. Mann, Norman J. Ornstein

Mann $26.00 US / $29.00 CAN
Politics / Current events and
ornsteIn Acrimony and hyperpartisanship have seeped into every
advance Praise for
part of the political process. Congress is deadlocked and
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g I its approval ratings are at record lows. america’s two
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als main political parties have given up their traditions of compromise,
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ralp “More than anytime in my lifetime, the United states is challenged at home and so is our place in ’s endangering our very system of constitutional democracy. and
© the world. when thomas Mann and norman ornstein get together to sound a loud alarm about
one of these parties has taken on the role of insurgent outlier;
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ThomAS e. mANN the way our political system is being torn apart, it’s time to listen—and listen hard. then the
the republicans have become ideologically extreme, scornful of
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tough part—how do we restore some sense of common purpose, of working together to make our v w o r s e
compromise, and ardently opposed to the established social and
the w. averell harriman Chair and senior fellow in
government work? Mann and ornstein set out ways to rebuild political bridges, beginning right e
economic policy regime.
Governance studies at the Brookings Institution. he is
now. we better get to work.” —PAUl A. VolCker, former Chairman of the Federal reserve
n In It’s Even Worse Than It Looks, congressional scholars
a former executive director of the american Political science
association. he lives in Bethesda, Maryland. “this is an exceptionally important and cogent analysis of america’s breakdown in self-governance. thomas Mann and norman ornstein identify two overriding
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It is an urgent warning of the consequences of our intolerant politics and governing paralysis, and I t L o problems that have led Congress—and the United states—to the
ways to fix it.” —ChUCk hAgel, U.s. senator (1997–2009), o brink of institutional collapse. the first is the serious mismatch
distinguished Professor, Georgetown University r between our political parties, which have become as vehemently
adversarial as parliamentary parties, and a governing system that,
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en “one doesn’t have to agree with every one of Mann and ornstein’s proposals to appreciate the e unlike a parliamentary democracy, makes it extremely difficult for
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ol extraordinary contribution to improving governance that they make in this important book. we
h majorities to act. second, while both parties participate in tribal
Peter could do no better than to use it as a compelling blueprint for urgently needed reform. If every how the a warfare, both sides are not equally culpable. the political system
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member of Congress would read just one book on the subject, my wish is that it would be this one.” T
faces what the authors call “asymmetric polarization,” with the
NormAN J. orNSTeiN —Tom DASChle, former senate Majority Leader H ConstItUtIo
republican Party implacably refusing to allow anything that might
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is a resident scholar at the american enterprise Institute help the democrats politically, no matter the cost to society.
“the phrase ‘essential reading’ does not begin to get at the importance of this passionate warning
5-5/8 x 8.5”
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and the author of a weekly column for Roll Call, called with dysfunction rooted in long-term political trends, a
by two of our very best political scientists about our nation’s capacity to govern itself. Mann and S: 13/16”
“Congress Inside out.” he lives in washington, d.C. ornstein sweep aside the timid conventional wisdom to inform americans that our problems coarsened political culture and a new partisan media, the authors B: 5/8”
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are even worse than we think they are. It is absolutely vital that this book’s findings and message T PoLItICs oF e conclude that there is no “silver bullet” reform that can solve BASIC
enter the consciousness and consciences of journalists, politicians, and citizens who care about the everything. But they offer a panoply of useful ideas and reforms, HC
Both are fellows of the american academy of arts and
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future of our republic.” —e. J. DioNNe, author of Our Divided Political Heart endorsing some solutions, like greater public participation and
sciences. they are co-authors of The Broken Branch: How O 4/COLOR
Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track. institutional restructuring of the house and senate, while debunking +spotgloss on all
$26.00 US / $29.00 CAN O
others, like independent or third-party presidential candidates. right side front
thoMas e. Mann
ISBN 978-0-465-03133-7 K and cover copy
52600 above all, they call on the media as well as the public at large to focus
S
Jacket design by andrea Cardenas on the true causes of dysfunction rather than just throwing the FINISH:
Jacket photograph © Kathy Collins / Getty Images a Member of the Perseus Books Group Matte Poly
bums out every election cycle. Until voters learn to act strategically
www.basicbooks.com
04/12 9 780465 031337 to reward problem solving and punish obstruction, american
democracy will remain in serious danger.
0465031337-FM_Mann+Ornstein 2/29/12 2:05 PM Page i
IT’S EVEN WORSE
THAN IT LOOKS
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IT’S EVEN WORSE
THAN IT LOOKS
HOW THE AMERICAN
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM
COLLIDED WITH THE NEW
POLITICS OF EXTREMISM
Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein
A MEMBER OF THE PERSEUS BOOKS GROUP
NEW YORK
0465031337-FM_Mann+Ornstein 2/29/12 2:05 PM Page iv
Copyright © 2012 by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein
Published by Basic Books,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part
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Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-465-03133-7
E-book ISBN: 978-0-465-03136-8
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To our terrific families who keep both of us grounded–
Sheilah, Stephanie, and Ted, Suzanne and Leonardo;
and Judy, Matthew, Danny, and Harvey
And in memory of our dear friend and
prescient scholar, Austin Ranney
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Contents
Introduction ix
PART I: The Problem
1. The New Politics of Hostage Taking 3
2. The Seeds of Dysfunction 31
3. Beyond the Debt Ceiling Fiasco 81
PART II: What to Do About It
4. Bromides to Avoid 107
5. Fixing the Party System 131
6. Reforming U.S. Political Institutions 163
7. Navigating the Current System 179
Acknowledgments 203
Notes 205
Index 220
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Introduction
O
n January 26, 2010, the Senate voted on a resolution to
create an eighteen-member deficit-reduction task force with
teeth, a fast-track procedure to bring a sweeping plan
to solve the U.S.’s debt problem straight to the floor for an
up-or-down vote. The resolution was coauthored by Democrat
Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Republican Judd Gregg of
New Hampshire, and had substantial bipartisan support, includ-
ing from Republican leaders like John McCain and Mitch
McConnell. The latter did not cosponsor the resolution but had
said eight months earlier on the Senate floor:
We must address the issue of entitlement spending now
before it is too late. As I have said many times before, the
best way to address the crisis is the Conrad-Gregg pro-
posal, which would provide an expedited pathway for fix-
ing these profound long-term challenges. This plan would
force us to get debt and spending under control. It deserves
support from both sides of the aisle. The administration
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