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It's Even Worse Than It Looks
- How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
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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.
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- By: Chris Hedges, Eunice Wong
- Narrated by: Chris Hedges, Eunice Wong
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other televangelists first spoke of the United States being a Christian nation that would build a global Christian empire, it was hard to take such hyperbolic rhetoric seriously. Today, such language no longer sounds like hyperbole but poses, instead, a very real threat to our freedoms and our way of life.
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Please, read or listen to this book.
- By D on 06-22-07
By: Chris Hedges, and others
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The Republican Brain
- The Science of Why They Deny Science - and Reality
- By: Chris Mooney
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Chris Mooney uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why today’s Republicans reject reality - it’s just part of who they are. From climate change to evolution, the rejection of mainstream science among Republicans is growing, as is the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy, and much more. Why won’t Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts?
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An Evenhanded Analysis of Both Sides of the Aisle
- By Thomas on 05-21-12
By: Chris Mooney
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Alt-America
- The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump
- By: David Neiwert
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Just as Donald Trump's victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked the world, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious "alt-right" figures mystifies many. But the American extreme right has been growing steadily in number and influence since the 1990s with the rise of patriot militias. Following 9/11, conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black US president, militant racists have come out of the woodwork.
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amazing. I want to recommend it to everyone.
- By Charlie Dubou on 05-13-18
By: David Neiwert
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The Nation That Never Was
- Reconstructing America's Story
- By: Kermit Roosevelt
- Narrated by: Kermit Roosevelt III
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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We face a dilemma these days. We want to be honest about our history and the racism and oppression that Americans have both inflicted and endured. But we want to be proud of our country, too. In The Nation That Never Was, Roosevelt shows how we can do both those things by realizing we’re not the country we thought we were. Reconstruction, Roosevelt argues, was not a fulfillment of the ideals of the Founding but rather a repudiation: we modern Americans are not the heirs of the Founders but of the people who overthrew and destroyed that political order.
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A Necessary Book.
- By Jason Baumbach on 01-30-24
By: Kermit Roosevelt
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The Psychology of Christian Nationalism
- Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide
- By: Pamela Cooper-White
- Narrated by: Kim Niemi
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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How do we overcome polarization in American society? How do we advocate for justice when one side won't listen to the other and cycles of outrage escalate? These questions have been pressing for years, but the emergence of a vocal, virulent Christian nationalism has made it even more urgent that we find a way forward. Pamela Cooper-White uncovers the troubling extent of Christian nationalism, explores its deep psychological roots, and discusses ways in which advocates for justice can safely and effectively attempt to talk across the deep divides in our society.
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A very stuffy academic approach to the topic
- By Sarahdox on 05-23-24
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The Trump Files
- An Account of the Trump Administration's Effect on American Democracy, Human Rights, Science and Public Health
- By: Jack Hassard
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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This is Citizen Jack’s book, a masterful demonstration of a personal view turned sociopolitical gold. —CHARLES R. AULT JR., Professor Emeritus, Lewis & Clark College Discover the truth about the Trump years with Citizen Jack's gripping and detailed account in The Trump Files. Renowned science educator, researcher, blogger, and author Jack Hassard vividly documents the nation's turbulent Trump years and brings readers back to those troubling days. Through sharp, clear-eyed prose, he takes on racial injustice, the Trumpist worldview, and how science was diminished in the Trump era. The ...
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Fantastic job screwing up a book
- By steve finkelstein on 08-02-24
By: Jack Hassard
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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: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Hyperpartisanship has gridlocked the American government. Congress' approval ratings are at record lows, and both Democrats and Republicans are disgusted by the government's inability to get anything done. In It's Even Worse Than It Looks, Congressional scholars Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein present a grim picture of how party polarization and tribal politics have led Congress - and the United States - to the brink of institutional failure.
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Saw this coming
- By Sandy on 11-20-20
By: Thomas E. Mann, and others
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The Broken Branch
- How Congress is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track
- By: Thomas E. Mann, Norman J. Ornstein
- Narrated by: Paul Mantell
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Congress is the first branch of government in the American system, write Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, but now it is a broken branch, damaged by partisan bickering and internal rancor. The Broken Branch offers both a brilliant diagnosis of the cause of Congressional decline and a much-needed blueprint for change, from two experts who understand politics and revere our institutions, but believe that Congress has become deeply dysfunctional.
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We’re hopeless
- By Steven on 01-08-23
By: Thomas E. Mann, and others
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White Evangelical Racism
- The Politics of Morality in America
- By: Anthea Butler
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 3 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The American political scene today is poisonously divided, and the vast majority of white evangelicals plays a strikingly unified, powerful role in the disunion. These evangelicals raise a starkly consequential question for electoral politics: Why do they claim morality while supporting politicians who act immorally by most Christian measures? In this clear-eyed, hard-hitting chronicle of American religion and politics, Anthea Butler answers that racism is at the core of conservative evangelical activism and power.
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As a White Evangelical ... or Formally So ...
- By Wigwam on 05-09-21
By: Anthea Butler
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The Making of Donald Trump
- By: David Cay Johnston
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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The culmination of nearly 30 years of reporting on Donald Trump, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston takes a revealingly close look at the mogul's rise to power and prominence. Covering the long arc of Trump's career, Johnston tells the full story of how a boy from a quiet section of Queens, New York, would become an entirely new and complex breed of public figure. Trump is a man of great media savvy, entrepreneurial spirit, and political clout. Yet, his career has been plagued by legal troubles and mounting controversy
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A horrifying must read for every voter
- By Tim on 08-15-16
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Trump/Russia
- A Definitive History
- By: Seth Hettena
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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There is growing evidence that Trump has spent decades cultivating ties to corrupt Russians and the post-Soviet state. In Trump/Russia: A Definitive History, Seth Hettena chronicles the many years Trump has spent wooing Russian money and power. From the collapse of his casino empire - which left Trump desperate for cash - and his first contacts with Russian deal makers and financiers, on up to the White House, Hettena reveals the myriad of shady people, convoluted dealings, and strange events that suggest how indebted to Russia our 45th president might be.
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GRIFTER, DEBUNKED Conspiracy Theorist, propagandist etc.,
- By Anthony West on 08-12-21
By: Seth Hettena
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The Scheme
- How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to Capture the Supreme Court
- By: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Jennifer Mueller
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Following his book Captured on corporate capture of regulatory and government agencies, and his years of experience as a prosecutor, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse here turns his attention to the right-wing scheme to capture the courts, and how it influenced the Trump administration's appointment of over 230 "business-friendly" judges, including the last three justices of the United States Supreme Court.
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Dysfunctional democracy explained
- By Mark on 10-25-22
By: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and others
What listeners say about It's Even Worse Than It Looks
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- David
- 09-24-12
A book not bound by false "balance"
I like this which puts the current situation in a historical context. I appreciate the comparison to parlamentary democracy where we seem to have taken the worst of our two party system and imported the worst of parlamentary politics. I do hope we move to reform. Well read. Had trouble setting this aside.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Matt
- 11-19-12
Too Short
This book has some great information as to why our government is disfunctional and how we got to this point. I didnt look at how short the book was which feel the price is steep for such a short book.
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- Aaron
- 09-25-12
Great story, even better Narration
Where does It's Even Worse Than It Looks rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Among political nonfiction it is one of the best.
Has It's Even Worse Than It Looks turned you off from other books in this genre?
Not at all. It has actually made me want to learn more.
What about William Hughes’s performance did you like?
Just about everything. I have heard him read other books and he is one of the best!
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
There was a lot to process, so I found it helpful to break it up in order to think about what I'd been hearing.
Any additional comments?
Enjoyed this very much and plan on a second listen.
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4 people found this helpful
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- lisa
- 06-23-13
No wake up calls and a Democratic lean
The prologue makes a statement to the effect that the public's outrage and tendency to vote out long standing politicians when angered, thereby making the political situation worse (Americans, get out of the way and let the professionals handle this) is in direct conflict with the next statement that republicans voted down their own bill because the president liked it - McCain being one of them. McCain is far from being a junior member of Congress who was newly voted in and creating havoc due to inexperience.
The problem is simple: Politics has become a self-serving job for those involved, not a public service. They're in office to support their party, not the American people. While the authors of this book definitely understand how this dysfunctional system works (or doesn't), they're too close to that system to offer a real solution. The fingers are still pointing. It doesn't take much reading between the lines to see how the author feels about those troublesome people who keep quoting the Constitution. The American public is in the way - they just don't understand what the democrats are trying to accomplish.
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- Julie Schatz
- 07-30-15
Worth a listen
The narrator is good. Good analysis and contains plenty of useful advice, tips, and comparisons.
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- MLSreality
- 04-01-17
Important for every American to understand
Find the beginnings of our political dysfunction and suggestions of what to do. Well researched and well written.
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- Steven
- 03-02-22
There’s is hope
“The people who are elected to public office, with rare exception, can no longer solve our problems; they are more a symbol of the problems than a solution!”
Steven Trueblood
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- Rob
- 07-01-12
Even the well-informed will learn something here
Mann and Ornstein have done the country a great service with this book. I follow politics relatively closely and there were some eye-openers for me in this thoughtful and well-written book. While it is not a surprise that both Mann and Ornstein (a liberal and conservative) share a common view about just how seriously dysfunctional the federal government is, what is a surprise is that they place most of the blame squarely on the extremism in the Republican party. They note that Republican extremism is not directed toward advancing their policies so much as toward advancing personal interest of their leaders or the political (not ideological) interests of their party. Multiple examples of how Republicans in the Senate have used the filibuster and other parliamentary tools to delay votes on bills or on appointments - taking up huge amounts of valuable time that should be spent on the important business of the country - that ultimately passed with votes along the lines of 95-2. What could the point of this be? Only to make the government and the majority party look ineffective. Shame on the Republicans.
Mann and Ornstein offer a variety of ideas to address the problems.They look for ideas that have been tried around the world but they have been in this business for a long time and have a clear-eyed view of what is likely to fly in the U.S. and what probably won't. They propose a range of ideas that can at least begin to counter the Republican's "gum up the works" efforts.
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17 people found this helpful
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- Scott
- 09-03-12
A No-Nonsense Look at our Current Political Crisis
If you REALLY care about this country, regardless of party affiliation you should get this book. Filibusters and secret "holds" are being put on perfectly decent Senate legislation just to gum up the works by both parties. It is all for partisan or personal gain and has already caused a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating for the first time in history.
It's not all doom and gloom. The authors offer some powerful ideas to get us out of this mess including ways to get MORE of us to vote, not less. Required reading for anyone who puts country before party as they should.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Adrian Drummond
- 06-02-16
Good but not great
I learned a lot from listening to this book but it also left me with the feeling that most of my assumptions were wrong. The author did not provide compelling alternatives in the face of legislative paralysis. The book was good but not great.
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