It's Even Worse Than It Looks

How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism

By: Thomas E. Mann, Norman J. Ornstein

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Acrimony and hyperpartisanship have seeped into every part of the political process. Congress is deadlocked, and its approval ratings are at record lows. America’s two main political parties have given up their traditions of compromise, endangering our very system of constitutional democracy. And one of these parties has taken on the role of insurgent outlier; the Republicans have become ideologically extreme, scornful of compromise, and ardently opposed to the established social and economic policy regime.

Here, congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein identify two overriding problems that have led Congress—and the United States—to the brink of institutional collapse. The first is the serious mismatch between our political parties, which have become as vehemently adversarial as parliamentary parties, with a governance system that, unlike a parliamentary democracy, makes it extremely difficult for majorities to act. Second, while both parties participate in tribal warfare, both sides are not equally culpable. The political system faces what the authors call "asymmetric polarization", with the Republican Party implacably refusing to allow anything that might help the Democrats politically, no matter the cost.

With dysfunction rooted in long-term political trends, a coarsened political culture, and a new partisan media, the authors conclude that there is no silver bullet that can solve everything. But they offer a panoply of useful ideas and reforms, endorsing some solutions, like greater public participation and institutional restructuring of the House and Senate, while debunking others, like independent or third-party candidates. Above all, they call on the media as well as the public at large to focus on the true causes of dysfunction rather than just throwing the bums out every election cycle. Until voters learn to act strategically to reward problem solving and punish obstruction, American democracy will remain in serious danger.

©2012 Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The phrase 'essential reading' does not begin to get at the importance of this passionate warning by two of our very best political scientists about our nation’s capacity to govern itself. Mann and Ornstein sweep aside the timid conventional wisdom to inform Americans that our problems are even worse than we think they are. It is absolutely vital that this book's findings and message enter the consciousness and consciences of journalists, politicians, and citizens who care about the future of our republic." (E.J. Dionne, National Book Award nominee)

"It is encouraging to see two longtime Washington wise men—Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, sensible, nonpartisan scholars and impeccably credentialed authors of good advice that no one ever follows—come out with a full-blown polemic against the Republicans who have steered Congress off a cliff." ( The New York Times)

"Reading this book is a little like quaffing a double espresso on an empty stomach—it’s a jolt. For this reader it was a welcome jolt…. Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein have been Washington fixtures for three decades. They are two of the brightest, best informed, and most scholarly students of our politics…. [As] Mann and Ornstein document so vividly, at a time when only good government could help us rediscover our footing as a nation, our Grand Old Party defines itself as the party of anti-government. This is why the title of this book is so good: our situation really is even worse than it looks." ( The Washington Post)

About What You Expected

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

As a moderately involved political individual, I could have written the book. For me, no real revelations about conservative strategy, motives, etc. For a conservatives to write this book along with others expressing similar ideas about the current group of conservatives like David Fromm is quite revealing. I have almost zero confidence in any of the suggestions at the end of the book being adopted, worthy and necessary as the are. The money now makes the rules and the rich have it. If I were younger I'd head for Canada! The middle class will be gone in twenty years and the vast majority of society will mirror India.

Nice try by Mann and Ornstein. The observations are spot on.

What other book might you compare It's Even Worse Than It Looks to and why?

Passage of Power by Robert CaroThe legislative comparrisions are striking. Since the ' 60s, things are so vastly different. Politicians talked back then, now just talking past one another. Deal making was possible then.....not really so much now. Kennedy got nothing done legislatively, then Johnson steps in, takes feeling for Kennedy and passes most of Kennedy's programs. Could that happen today.......doubt it!

What three words best describe William Hughes’s voice?

Excellent

Could you see It's Even Worse Than It Looks being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It kind of is......It's on Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Sat Nite Live and Bill Maher all the time.

Any additional comments?

It makes me sad that even conservatives are even saying this stuff. It validates my pessimistic feelings toward US and it's future.

Required

This book should be required reading in every civics class in America. The authors do an amazing job of laying out the history of our government and explaining why it has become so ineffective.

obvious left leaning bias

very obvious left leaning bias. very defensive of Barack Obama. they also bring up the strawman argument about Barack Obama and his birth certificate. the argument is not whether or not he was born in Hawaii, rather it is the argument of whether or not Hawaii was a state at the time of his birth. get your facts straight. oh, facts are not your prerogative.

but better than the title makes it sound

two old hands at political observation and analysis present a detailed story of what those of us who follow politics with interest and increasingly with despair have noticed. their analysis is cogent and convincing. despair is mitigated by their suggestions for reform, most of which would only take a congress where the republicans agree to cooperate to implement (!!!). a very pleasing narration by William Hughes helps the medicine go down.

Enlightening, but not the final answer

What made the experience of listening to It's Even Worse Than It Looks the most enjoyable?

The book gave a good, reasoned explanation for the gridlock in Washington. It did take a specific position towards the GOP, but it did not appear to be a polemic: the position taken truly seemed to be the result of research and not an emotional tirade.

While the explanation of the historical background and the description of the specific tolls used to create the current tension between Congress and the Presidency clarified a lot for me, I still wound up feeling a bit hopeless about the situation. My reason for saying so was that the authors' proposals for dealing with the situation while well presented and logically pleasing in many respects, would appear to me to have a snowball's chance in hell of ever being put in place - an admission the authors often made themselves.

Would you listen to another book narrated by William Hughes?

I might - depending on the book. I noticed some mispronunciations of proper names and perhaps less-than-commonly-used words, but maybe that is the director or editor's problem more than Mr. Hughes.

Any additional comments?

It was a very thought provoking listen and inspired some interesting discussion around he house.

Important and Excellent

If you could sum up It's Even Worse Than It Looks in three words, what would they be?

Anyone concerned with the future of governance must read/listen to this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of It's Even Worse Than It Looks?

The solutions section at the end is thoughtful and pragmatic, showing how change can be accomplished.

What about William Hughes’s performance did you like?

His was a steady reading appropriate for nonfiction.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

There is clear evidence that gridlock is not caused equally on both sides of the aisle.

Any additional comments?

Importantly, these two authors represent think tanks, one that leans left and one that leans right. It is not a partisan rant.

Independent View of Audible Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I think anyone who wants to hear the Democratic view of the current state of things should listen to this.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The writers tend to be a bit biased. They point out how party politics dominates Republican decisions yet seem to gloss over how Democrats are guilty of the same. However, the description of the book made it clear that this was coming from a Democratic party perspective and never pretended to be objective so I can't fault them for it. As long as you are aware of the bias intrinsic to the book I think it conveys some good information as to how the Republicans seem to operate. Just keep in mind that Republicans assuredly have a different view of their own motives as well as the motives of the Democratic party. Both have their rhetoric and try to demonize their opposite.

Have you listened to any of William Hughes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope. He has a clear, soothing voice for this topic. Very easy to listen to.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

I would say that it is interesting how it appears that many in the Republican party are willing to let the country crash and burn for the sake of their political party. I have long suspected this on my own, especially when Obama became president for the second term. However, to be given concrete reasons makes the reality of this more alarming.

Any additional comments?

This book shows just how polarized our country has become. Most Independents tend to be silent but I feel that it is important to voice an opinion. Though I believe that what is said about the Republican party in this book is true, I have also read a conservative-leaning book called A Patriots History of the United States and it was just as effective at demonizing the Democratic party while glorifying the Republican party. Ultimately I think it wise to believe the worst in both parties while being skeptical of their self-proclaimed best. This allows us to be skeptical of our leaders and not allow them to blind us with their attempts at dissimulation.

Getting past toxic politics (or not)

The US political system ain't working, and -- guess what -- it's being undone by excessive partisan politics, with a creamy frosting of corruption and hypocrisy on top. Rather than compromise, the current game in Washington DC is to sabotage, delay, obstruct, defund, and undermine the initiatives of the opposing party, to make it seem as though its members are responsible for everything bad. Contributing to this dysfunction are partisan news outlets, which have discovered that a lot of Americans pay more attention when the "news" is presented in as inflammatory a manner as possible.

Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, two long-time Washington observers (from the liberal Brookings Institution and the conservative American Enterprise Institute), put most (but not all) of the blame on the current Republican party, which, in their view, has traded in much of its former moderation for Gingrich-style attack politics and the idea that making federal programs fail is a valid tactic if it hurts the Democrats (even programs once supported by Republicans). Coming from a family that once used to support that party, I don't think this assessment is all that biased. The authors show the ways in which the GOP has seized the tools of vindictive politics, misleading rhetoric, apocalyptic language, manufactured controversy, and constant filibustering create unnecessary gridlock and amped-up anger, even over fairly non-controversial issues. How can we hope to have rational debate in an atmosphere where one side's politicos tacitly encourage tin foil hat beliefs such as that the President isn't actually an American, that climate change is just a myth, and that gun control is really a plot to disarm citizens in preparation for some totalitarian New World Order?

Some Republican readers may be moving their cursors towards the "dislike" button right now, but hang on. I thought the authors were pretty fair about keeping their criticism focused on toxic politics, and not on actual ideological differences between liberals and conservatives.

To me, the latter half of the book, which offered potential solutions, was interesting, even if the solutions didn't seem politically realistic. Rather than jump on board with popular sentiment ("we need a third party!", "term limits!", "throw all the bums out!", "starve the beast!"), the authors point out the problems with these knee-jerk impulses -- for example (they argue), a strong third party wouldn't do much except siphon votes away from one of the two major parties, leaving the other more powerful. Starving the beast, meanwhile, hasn't been shown to make the government smaller, just more in debt. Instead, they explore ways to tweak the system so that political minorities don't hold legislation and public services hostage, the money behind Super PACs is more transparent to the public, individual Congressmen feel more empowered to dissent from their own parties, and public debate is truly debate.

I wouldn't hold my breath, but if both red and blue can agree that playing a giant game of Prisoner's Dilemma with government is bad for both sides, especially when the future problems confronting the US (and therefore much of the world) are massive, there may be hope. A relatively quick read (listen), and makes points worth thinking about.

Wow! A must read!

Anyone who has an interest in politics should read this book, especially those of us who have found ourselves exasperated by US politics in the recent past. This book sheds light on the political process, its disfunction, and the reasons and remedies for that disfunction.

Eye Opening

This was an eye opening book for someone like me, who is not a scholar of the American political process but knows something is wrong. I mean seriously, when 7 out of 10 voters are unhappy with the two choices that we ended up with for the 2016 election, there is something wrong with the process that got them there. This book was interesting to me, as it clarified some issues that I didn't know a lot about - for example, I understand now why a balanced budget may not really be what we want. I also never heard before about the secret blocks of bills and nominations in the Senate. I had no clue that Senators can anonymously block things out of fear of reprisals if their identity and actions were known. My feeling is that if you can't or don't want to say something publicly and identify yourself then you shouldn't do it. If a Senator wants to block something, then speak up and tell the electorate why you did that and don't hide behind secrecy rules. I was astounded that the creators of a certain bill turned around and opposed the bill simply because President Obama was supportive of it.

I like that the authors admit that it will take a lot to fix the system and that they aren't sure it can be done completely, yet they also provide suggestions that may or may not work. But, they are ideas for something different, and at this point anything that moves our country back to the direction of meaningful debate and dialogue, as well as responsiveness to the public, is better than this era of petty partisan politics where self-interest reigns supreme.