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)

Timely and Great Content

Where does It's Even Worse Than It Looks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was very good to hear a book written by a bipartisan pair. It kept my attention and I wanted to continue listening until each chapter was complete.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that is was timely - I had seen the authors on a talk show and saw the topic as one that was current. It scared me to think that it was worse that it looked. They seemed to be people who, at one time, were from either side of the aisle and now were on the same side of the issue. That is truly what drew me to the book. How did we get here? How can we see our way out of the mess? Or really - CAN we see our way out.

Which character – as performed by William Hughes – was your favorite?

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

That the GOP has fractured and is having a hard time recognizing their own party at times. It is interesting that the Speaker has been unable to get things done because the "Young Guns" have tied his hands; so many things being done contrarily are done for the sole purpose of keeping President Obama a one term President not for the good of a country.

Any additional comments?

This was an excellent book.

Still a good read even though election is over.

Would you consider the audio edition of It's Even Worse Than It Looks to be better than the print version?

Not sure.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not applicable.

What about William Hughes’s performance did you like?

He was good reader.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No extreme reaction but it did help with focusing my ideas and thoughts on how politics works today.

Any additional comments?

This is a worth a read by anyone interested in learning about why our political system is so screwed up. Spolier Alert: one party is more to blame than the other and yes that would be the Republican party.

Interesting start, flops on rampant partisanship

Any additional comments?

As a conservative Republican, I really enjoy and benefit from reading across a variety of ideologies. This book started out on a theme/analysis that was interesting and compelling to all sides of the political equation. However, it quickly moved into rewriting recent (back 30 years) political history to support a very liberal/progressive view and it slips into a repetitive smear of the GOP and conservatives. A more balanced analysis assigning real blame to both sides (deservedly so) would have been a much more persuasive read.

Accurate Predictions

This 2012 prediction is still useful because it presents the reasoning very clearly. Highly recommended.

It's the Republicans fault

Would you try another book from Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein and/or William Hughes?

Never

Would you ever listen to anything by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein again?

Never

Which scene was your favorite?

N/A

Any additional comments?

I'll save you the trouble of reading this book in just four words: "It's the Republicans fault". This book could not be any more one sided if it were written by the DNC itself. The authors slam the GOP for tactics used during the debt ceiling crisis..completely ignoring that the Democrats used the same tactics to the extreme during the passage of Obamacare. Unless you're a diehard liberal, this book will infuriate you. This will be my first ever "return" of an audible book. Just ridiculous.

Left Wing Socialis Will Love It

This book wasn???t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book is the left wing version of what I was saying in my review of The Amateur. Rather than taking a long hard look at substantive issues facing our community, its main contribution is to make ad hominem attacks on the Republican Party. The book provides good source information for an academic study of left wing authoritarianism using the methods and procedures developed by Professor Altemeyer in his book The Authoritarians about right wing authoritarianism to develop questions that measure the degree of excess submission to left wing authorities, the degree of excess in aggressiveness on behalf of those authorities, and the degree of excess in conventionalism.

Would you ever listen to anything by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein again?

no

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

good delivery by the reader

What character would you cut from It's Even Worse Than It Looks?

none

Any additional comments?

no

Great at blindly scapegoating one party in favor of another

Great at blindly scapegoating one party in favor of another. Wish I could get my money back.

No for me. Be read and enjoyed all of the many books describing Mr. Trump’s Administrio. All were informative and fun. I re

I’ve read almost all the books about Mr Trump. All have been super informative and yes....fun. This book goes all over the place with not an ounce of enthusiasm or excitement . I couldn’t make myself go pass chapter six. I would like audible to return my credit ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz for this book.

Lefty insider sour grapes

Just a liberal insider's point of view. This book could have also been called "Conservatives are unreasonable because they disagree with Democrats". Oh well, at least it was free. Is Amazon pushing this point of view, or did they just realize this book wasn't worth a credit?

Leftist hogwash pretending to be "non-partisan".

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the authors were really even-handed in their descriptions of problems, examples and solutions.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing written by these guys.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from It's Even Worse Than It Looks?

The claim that it was non-partisan. That is a lie.

Any additional comments?

This book pretends to be an objective look at what is wrong with the political system in the U.S. It then proceeds to blame every problem on conservatives, especially Republican conservatives. In the authors' view, anything that impedes the leftist agenda of President Obama and the leftists he represents is obstructionist, and what we need to do to remedy the problem of "ineffective government" is to roll over and acquiesce to all of the wasteful, inefficient social programs, profligate spending and government control of every aspect of our lives. Every 50 pages or so, the authors state, "the Democrats are not free of blame, but...." I would challenge any reader to post a quote from this book that states any opposing view other than "we cannot move forward because of the Republicans." Sorry if this review is so political - I wouldn't have posted it if the description on Audible didn't claim that it was bi-partisan. If you follow objective political analysis, skip this one. It is also moot following the 2016 Presidential election.