Politics of the Possible

by Mary Ellen McCaffree, Anne McNamee Corbett

Using the lens of a citizen who entered politics to secure better funding for her children's schools, we journey through one dynamic decade that transformed an American state. We witness the inner workings of a government overhaul, led by citizens and politicians who enter at the bottom of the legislative heap and rise to become leaders of a sweeping program of bi-partisan reforms, culminating in the most productive legislative session in their state's history... and perhaps of all time. This 1960's government success story impels newer generations to take a more active citizen role - first by understanding how our government is designed, then by entering the process to problem-solve ever new challenges. The engaging narrative about real people, and the actual relationships required to legislate complex change, demystifies the gears of governing and empowers 'ordinary citizens' to speak up and take part in our governmental process.

Genres: Politics

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2011

Reviews

[Pamela Okano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in Washington State politics. The author, Mary Ellen McCaffree, chronicles her 4 terms (1962-70) as a state legislator during one of the most consequential periods in the history of Washington State government. Why was it such a momentous time? Because some moderate to liberal Republicans (yes, children, they used to exist), primarily but not exclusively from the Seattle area, decided that good government meant more to them than partisan politics. They happened to be able to work with some Democrats who shared their ultimate goals, although perhaps disagreeing as to some of the details. As a result, in a relatively short period of time, Washington State got the community college system, Evergreen State College, the Department of Ecology, open space legislation, statewide votes on abortion, tax reform, and the voting age, and--although this book doesn't specifically touch on them--the Shorelines Management and State Environmental Protection Acts, just to name a few. In these times of political gridlock, it's nice to remember that partisan obstructionism was not always inevitable and that government could accomplish something. This book also meant a lot to me personally as well, since I was able to meet and view many of the cast of characters in action in Olympia when I worked there just 4 years later.

[Victoria Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is a must read to understand how our United States government works. Mary Ellen McCaffrey was recruited by Dan Evans and Slade Gorton to run for the Washington State Legislature in the early 1960's. Involved with the League of Women Voters, she worked tirelessly in proposing legislation to redistrict the state to better represent the voters living within those boundaries.

Problems Mary Ellen faced still plague our state and country today, but she belonged to a group of lawmakers who decided the people of Washington state deserved a governing body who cared more about passing laws for the good of the people and the state than about their own careers.

A thoughtfully written book. Mary Ellen understood the importance of stepping across the aisle and working with those with different views to arrive at a compromise.

[Angela Gyurko · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend recommended this as a useful look into Washington State politics, and yes, while a useful compendium of progress during the emergence of the John Birch Society, I still have a hard time reading works that are tone-deaf to white privilege. I wonder how many native kids would have benefited from the opportunity to be a page on the legislature floor. I wonder how many kids growing up in poverty would have appreciated the chance to make the kind of connections her kids got to make because of who their mom was. But nothing in the text even hints that she considered this, preferring to bask in her successes without thinking about the myriad of ways she could have lifted up others.

The plight of the non-white population of Washington barely gets a mention, although she does a bit of hand-wringing over not having enough white settlers in her introduction to government in Washington. And yes, Democrats pushed for profound changes to the tax structure, because Washington has the most regressive tax structure in the nation. She mentions, in passing, that the entire tax code needs to be overhauled, and it still does. The minor tweaks in this little period of Republican cooperation didn't do nearly enough to fix the structural problems that existed then and persist today. So while much good was done, it could have gone further.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for learning about the works of the state legislature in WA in the 1960's - how legislators were able to come together to pass major legislation. It is interesting to note how both parties have changed in the ensuing years since then. We are still feeling the repercussions of the missed actions, especially around the state wide failure of the tax-reform proposals put to the citizens in the late 60's.