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A review by stevendedalus
It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the Politics of Extremism by Norman J. Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann
3.0
A very breezy overview of American political inaction which (thankfully) gets rid of the "truth is in the middle" perspective and calls out Republicans for their incredible obstructionism in recent years.
Unfortunately, its breeziness gets in the way of much profundity. The book will throw out a reference and say, "oh Democrats did this too but to a lesser extent" and doesn't really dwell on the differences or the motivations behind the different examples. It also assumes a deep knowledge of American politics, for example throwing in a reference to the Bork confirmation with no context.
The proposed solutions to overcoming obstructionism are interesting, especially Senate rule reformations, but it's hard to see them being implemented since the current state of affairs has so obviously benefited the GOP.
The book serves its purpose as a brief intro and flyover of the quagmire of American politics. But despite its upbeat tone at trying to change things, the control that the party that least wants to govern now exerts on the American republic makes its pronouncements, only a few years old, even more depressing.
Unfortunately, its breeziness gets in the way of much profundity. The book will throw out a reference and say, "oh Democrats did this too but to a lesser extent" and doesn't really dwell on the differences or the motivations behind the different examples. It also assumes a deep knowledge of American politics, for example throwing in a reference to the Bork confirmation with no context.
The proposed solutions to overcoming obstructionism are interesting, especially Senate rule reformations, but it's hard to see them being implemented since the current state of affairs has so obviously benefited the GOP.
The book serves its purpose as a brief intro and flyover of the quagmire of American politics. But despite its upbeat tone at trying to change things, the control that the party that least wants to govern now exerts on the American republic makes its pronouncements, only a few years old, even more depressing.