The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans

by Mickey Edwards

America's political system is dysfunctional. While this is a widely held view, it is a problem that—so far—has proved intractable. After every election, voters discover yet again that political "leaders" are simply quarreling in a never-ending battle between the two warring tribes, the Republicans and Democrats. In this critically important book, a distinguished statesman and thinker identifies exactly how our political and governing systems reward intransigence, discourage compromise, and undermine our democracy. He then describes exactly what must be done to banish the negative effects of partisan warfare from our political system.

As a former congressman, Mickey Edwards witnessed firsthand how important legislative battles can devolve into struggles not over principle but over party advantage. He offers graphic examples of how this problem has intensified and reveals how political battles have become nothing more than conflicts between party machines. Edwards's solutions—specific, practical, fair, and original—show the way to break the stranglehold of the political party system. The Parties Versus the People offers hope for a fundamental renewal of American democracy.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, American, Political Science, History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Eric Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A former congressman discusses proposed reforms to the way our democracy works. Along the way, he opens up about his experience serving in the House, and includes anecdotes to support his arguments.

In reality this book was maybe 3 stars, but since the number of people who could have written this book is incredibly small, and the number of people who are willing to do so seems to be even smaller, I'm willing to give it an extra star.

Most books written by politicians have some sort of bias baked in. For presidential memoirs, there's usually some consideration of their legacy at play. Thankfully, this doesn't seem to be an issue with this book, as Edwards seems to have stepped away from the political arena, and gives honest criticism of both parties throughout this book. He is also surprisingly self-critical at times, describing his previous life as a politician who played the same partisan game as everyone else.

However, he didn't really explain a realistic alternative to the two party system we have in place right now, and it seems incredibly difficult to change, since the party system is really effective as a gatekeeper against any changes to it. I don't think anyone does though.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know saying "everyone must read this book" is a yawn-worthy cliché, but really? Every American must read this book.

If it were only a book describing how dysfunctional our political system is, I wouldn't say that. I already knew our system is dysfunctional, it makes me depressed, and I prefer not to think about it.

But the author not only describes the problem with a lot of insight into causes and history (he was a member of Congress himself) - he also gives ideas for solutions.

The fact that his solutions are so straightforward and simple in itself shows how deeply the problem has become imbedded and how much we take partisan fighting for granted. An example: instead of having a lectern just for Democrats in the House, and a lectern just for Republicans, have ONE lectern which everyone has to use.

The final chapter made me want to get up, go to my desk, and start emailing congresspeople, and I am about as un-activist as they come.

Strictly from a writing standpoint, the prose is a wee bit repetitive and wordy, but it's clear enough not to detract from the power of the author's ideas.

[Collin Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're like me, and reading/writing reviews of books on Goodreads, you probably think of yourself as a rather well-informed individual. Mickey Edwards' book turned all of what I thought I knew about politics and how well-informed I thought I was and turned it on its head. I feel not only better informed due to the extremely persuasive argument that the US Government is ran by people who put party-preservation ahead of the preservation of the nation and its citizens, but also reenergized. I know change in this country's political parties won't happen over night, but I believe that I (a rather zealous leftist... Sometimes) want to listen more a cutely to those who don't agree with me on everything. In the midst of this horrible political season, Edwards' point that democracy in America was founded on respectful compromise instead o vitriolic disgust of Side A vs Side B is particularly poignant, and something I can't properly do service to in this little review blurb.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is particularly apparent in this current election cycle, the 2 parties are running the show to the detriment of the voters and the worst of it is that by the middle of the summer, we will be left with only 2 candidates to choose from, possibly neither of whom many voters want as our next president. Mickey Edwards, a former Republican Representative from OK, has numerous suggestions for how to fix things, which are mainly caused by the political parties, their constant striving for power, and their demonizing of their opponents all of which lead to paralysis in our government. As we all know, currently, the Republicans refuse to pass anything President Obama wants simply because he wants it and not whether it is good for the country. When the Democrats were in power, they didn't go that far but they too fought against the Republicans rather than work with them.

One of Edward's suggestions is to open primaries to all candidates for the entire state---California and Louisiana currently do this which allows all voters to choose candidates regardless of party which allows a true choice. In an instance I am particularly well informed about, in Utah where I was living at the time, Bob Bennett, a long-time moderate Republican was booted off the ballot for US Senate when radical supporters of Mike Lee gave him their vote in the state Republican convention. And since only 1 Republican and 1 Democrat candidate is allowed on the ballot for the November election, Utah voters could not vote for him even though he was a very popular Senator and would have easily won over Lee who was very far to the right. The same thing happened in TX with Ted Cruz, who was effectively elected by only 2% of TX voters because his supporters also managed to give him the most votes in their convention by only a tiny percentage of TX voters since they were the ones who voted at the convention. And hardly anyone is allowed to go to these state conventions since you need to be a delegate. Consequently, this is where the power resides not with the populace at large which is how a democracy ought to work.

Another of his ideas is to make redistricting the job of non-Congressional committees. As it currently is, Congressional leaders redraw districts every 10 years in order to maximize voters of their own party which results in weirdly shaped districts combing people of unconnected neighborhoods and preferences.

The Constitution states that all elected representatives actually represent the views of their constituents but currently, nearly all representatives represent the views of their party which dictates their vote and punishes anyone who votes their conscience or the preferences of their district. Congressional leadership appoint chairmen by loyalty so anyone who hasn't toed the party line is out of luck.

The animosity of the 2 parties towards each other has made this country no longer a democracy which tries to work together to the betterment of all of us. This has to change. I highly recommend this book.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one as the second book for the Civil Civics Book Group we have at my local public library. It basically focuses on politics. We had really been looking to try to find a book that would look at the political party system and how it plays a role with the governing process. This seemed like a really good fit.

The author is a former congressman who had an opportunity to experience how partisan politics can have an effect of the legislative process firsthand. He really takes a look at the history of political parties and how the Founding Fathers viewed them. He also compared our parties and representative republican government with the parliamentary systems so common in other countries. The result is a strong argument for his point of view that the parties are the problem because they are solely focused on gaining power rather than their work on actually governing.

I had some trouble with his arguments, mostly because I thought some of his core argument was based on what I thought was inaccuracies. Our Founding Fathers were adamant about being against having political parties, but that quickly crumbled with the almost immediate formation of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist parties, which really got their start while the Constitution was being formulated.

Edwards also states that our parties striving for power pollutes the system and that we would be in even more trouble if we had the parliamentary system which is more divided. I do agree that sometimes the parties get overwhelmed by the idea of beating "the other guy" (the recent election is a perfect example. With that said, the real problem is the structure of or electoral process, which supports the concept of a two-party system with solely two adversaries. The proof is in our own history. When one of the original parties died and the other party evolved into the Democratic Party and the Whig Party was formed. The Whigs struggled and eventually evolved into the modern Republican Party. We have only ever had two parties. Any third parties and third party candidates have struggled to be more than consequential.

In countries with a parliamentary system, there is a broad spectrum of parties that range from the far left to the far right. In America, we still have all those view points, but they end up being crushed into the middle with our two current parties. Despite what any of our politicians say, neither is radical left or right. They are quite centrist. Because parliamentary legislative bodies preserve seats for smaller parties and the formation of coalitions, it means wider representation and a need to build consensus.

The funny thing is that is what Edwards is fighting for even as he attacks the parliamentary system.

This was a really interesting read, and I am totally looking forward to the discussion about it because I know there will be some respectful disagreement, which is the best type of book to have with a book discussion group.

[Sheldon Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though the book is dated, the problems the author details have only become worse. The way he breaks down specific problems with a bit of historical reference to explain how the problems have evolved is quite easy to follow. Best of all, however, is that Edwards provides very specific solutions that he feels may solve, or least diminish, the negative effects of the problems with our current party system. He advocates for all of us to first think of ourselves as Americans and to put the best interests of the country as a whole rather than focus solely on individual issues. With that mindset, he promotes active involvement in our legislative process to force our representatives to act with that same overall mindset and step away from party pressure and bully tactics.
It is a good read to help open one's eyes to the party propaganda efforts that both parties employ. As he points out, any representative that votes with his or her party 90%+ is probably not really representing his or her constituents well.

[Omar Kassem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that anyone who is concerned about our dysfunctional political system should read. I learned a lot about how the political parties have gained control of our system, not for the people's benefit but for their own. He offers good suggestions for making changes, but we the voters have to be the initiators.

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a place where there are two groups of people. They sit on opposite sides of the room, divided by a wide aisle. When they want to address the group, they walk up to a podium in the front of the room but there are separate podiums, one for each group. If they want to leave for awhile, there are two separate doors, each leading to a separate room on opposite sides of the main room. If someone from one group should go into the other group's room, they are looked upon suspiciously. You might think this room is in an Orthodox Jewish synagogue or in a deeply segregated community, but it isn't. The room is in Washington DC and is the home of the US Congress, in the case of the podium, the House of Representatives.
Former Congressman Mickey Edwards describes this scene in chapter eight of his new book, THE PARTIES VERSUS THE PEOPLE: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans. In it, he points out several reasons that the political situation today is so divisive and suggests ways for it to change for everyone's benefit. His main point is it's the system that's broken and until it's repaired, there won't be change because the current method rewards the extremists while doing nothing to encourage cooperation. Imagine just seating people in order of seniority regardless of their political label. They would have a chance to get to know each other as people and talk about issues not as enemies on the other side of a battle zone.
He writes of how our Founding Fathers warned against political parties. In his farewell address, George Washington stated, "They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community."
Today, that fear is a reality. Primary elections allow a small group of people, usually those who are focused on the party and one or two key (for them) issues, rather than the citizens as a whole to choose whose names appear on the ballot. In states where the nominees are selected through a caucus, that may be just a couple hundred people making that decision for the entire state. If the best candidates are from the same party or are not either a Democrat or Republican, the chances of them appearing on the ballot, let alone being elected, are very slim. He proposes open primaries to overcome that obstacle.
In addition, the legislative districts are usually established every decade by a group representing the party in control of the state government. Too often its main concern is expanding the number of office holders from its party and protecting the seats of incumbents. Gerrymandering is a typical result.
He recognized that it currently takes a lot of money to run for office, more than the office itself pays. Many of the donors are seeking access to the official and expect to get their money's worth. Appointments are sometimes given as rewards for raising the most money, not for the ability or interest of the official. In addition, the time spent raising money takes away from the time the official is spending doing the job. A lot of money is given by people are not constituents and may live thousands of miles from the district.
The Supreme Court decision saying that corporations are people has had a tremendous impact on who is able to run and get their message out. Think of the Nevada man donating $100,000,000 to help his candidates win this year.
The controlling party uses its power to prevent the other side's ideas from being part of the debate both by picking who can sit on a committee, who can speak, and who can offer amendments.
Members of Congress, as part of their oath, say, "....I take this obligation freely, without any reservation of purpose of evasion...." In reality, many have already made up their minds about how they are going to vote on issues, some even have signed an oath before they were placed on the ballot, before they take the oath and totally ignore this part of it.
Too often members are told how to vote by the senior members of their party and act as a rubber stamp. They should be using their own knowledge and judgement and voting to represent their constituents and their county, not their party.
He points out that Congress and the President are equal branches of the same tree (with the Supreme Court as the third equal branch). When a person is elected President, he/she is not the head of the party but the head of the government and should be serving the interests of all Americans, not just those of his/her party.
Our country talks about being the best democracy in the world Our country talks about being the best democracy in the world and “we promote democracy in other countries but have surrendered it here.” Too many people don’t vote because they think their vote doesn’t count. THE PARTIES VERSUS THE PEOPLE places blame on both parties and provides suggestions on how to improve the situation.

[Jonah Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great commentary and although it is quite old the lessons are still extremely current and present in our political system

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve apparently been waiting for this book to be written for the last 12 years. As I’ve become more depressed by our political processes, my response has been to detach myself from it further. Fortunately The Parties Versus The People gives me hope.

For those with short memories, Mickey Edwards was a GOP congressman from Oklahoma who served in the House from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s. He has written here a very compelling book that looks at our current political climate and offers some novel proposals that could serve to help dislodge us from a very dysfunctional political process at both the federal and state levels.

Edwards focuses primarily on the role that the two parties have made for themselves in securing an all-or-nothing stranglehold on power. From controlling the processes to carve out congressional districts, how House and Senate committees are selected and operate, the role of the filibuster and hold threats, suppressing individual thought and opinion for the sake party unanimity, etc., the reader is given what I think is a confirming picture of why our politics has become broken. He paints an accurate portrayal of the winner-take-all mentality that permeates every action of both the majority and minority parties at any given time. He spares neither party, specifically criticizing the policies, for example, of House Speakers Jim Wright and Newt Gingrich for their autocratic and obsessive control over their majorities. And it only got worse from there (i.e. the “Hastert Rule” on introducing legislation and the resulting all-or-nothing speakerships of Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner).

The following from Edwards in particular resonated with me: “The problem becomes even more intractable in the context of a Congress divided between rival teams, each operating from its own “facts” and each in a position to come down hard on any teammate who thinks for himself and begins to question the accepted orthodoxy.” (p. 164).

While not all of his proposals passed my own sniff-test, I did find myself shaking my head in agreement with Edwards’ reasons in offering each of them. I recommend this book to everyone who is tired of the constant flame-throwing that passes for dialogue these days. If there’s a chance that real compromise can actually rear its head again, it’s going to be from the kind of ideas offered by Edwards and other like-minded people.

[Zac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Representative Mickey Edwards, a long-time Republican, outlines the steps he believes necessary to end the divisive partisanship that plagues the nation's preeminent governing body: the Congress of the United States and, by extension, our entire system of government. It's fitting that he focuses on the Congress as that body is the real source of governing power in our system as opposed to the presidency. Our political parties, our media, and we the people imagine the president to wield far more power than the office actually holds constitutionally. Edwards recognizes that the key to returning to a governing system in which governing is actually accomplished lies in reforms that diminishes the power of the Democratic and Republican parties to control the electoral system and the administration of Congress. Suggested reforms range from the systemic to the symbolic and include, most importantly, the removal of party control over elections and opening elections to a broader array of candidates as well as the removal of party control over the redistricting that takes place after every census. The rest of his reforms largely focus on changing the way Congress does business and include changes as fundamental as making the Speaker of the House a nonpartisan position to as symbolic as ending the seating of members in the legislative chambers into rigid Republican and Democratic sides. Basically, Edwards seeks to address the fact that "Ours is a system focused not on collective problem-solving but on a struggle for power between two private organizations. Party activists control access to the ballot through closed party primaries and conventions; partisan leaders design congressional districts. Once elected to Congress, our representatives are divided into warring camps. Partisans decide what bills to take up, what witnesses to hear, what amendments to allow." Want to read some of his ideas and solutions without reading the entire book, read his article that appeared in "The Atlantic" and out of which the book grew. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/a...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very important book about the dysfunctions of Congress and some practical solutions for fixing them, written by a former Congressman and co-founder of the group No Labels. He believes that the biggest problem in politics is the stranglehold of the party system that forces politicians to put party ahead of their personal beliefs and the interests of their constituents. The increasing strength of the party also forces more polarization. He notes that he was one of the more conservative Republicans in the House in the late 1970s and into the 1980s, but he would hardly fit with the current House Republicans.

He proposes:
(1) an open primary system (which some states have adopted) so that small groups of party loyalists have less control over who gets on the ballot
(2) nonpartisan redistricting
(3) campaign finance reform that requires only donations from real people, not corporations and unions. Donations would also have to come from a politicians' constituents, not outsiders. Make campaigns less expensive by requiring stations to give free ads
(4) reduce the hold of the Speaker of the House and the party in power on every bit of business that happens. One idea is to make the Speaker a non-Congressperson or require a potential Speaker to be nominated by members of both parties. Establish nonpartisan Congressional committees and change their leadership structure
(5) fix the filibuster
(6) eliminate the separate lecterns and dining rooms for House members
(7) eliminate the separate budget committee

All in all, I highly recommend this book for practical solutions to our current political problems.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that the constitution does not specify that the Speaker of the House be a congressman?

Did you know that a Senator who filibusters is not required to speak to the subject he is attempting to block? He or she can recite Julia Child's cookbook if they want to. All they have to do is keep talking to block legislation from ever coming to a vote.

Did you know that when members of Congress rise to address the body, they must go to the lecturn designated for their political party? There are two different lecturns!!!

The Parties Versus the People is a well thought-out dissertation on the current gridlocked government in the US today. The author, a former Republican Congressman, has expanded an article originally published in The Atlantic Monthly (Jun-July 2011 (How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans - an insider's six-step plan to fix Congress).

Edwards focuses on the role that political parties play in running elections, managing the flow of legislation through Congress and distorting (and destroying?) democracy as it was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Many facts presented were surprising and it is an indication of just how cynical we have become that my reaction to many of his suggestions for improving were of the "good luck Charlie" variety. I sincerely hope his proposals have some chance of working.

His suggestions--clear, concise, short, easily readable and straight-forward-- include:

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stand up and take a bow, Mr. Edwards. Stand up and take a bow!! Good God, I loved this book!!

I love it when a book is so good that it sucks me in right away that it doesn't make it to my Nook. That was one of these books. I have read similar books to this that state that they are non-partisan but then shove either Republican or Democratic agendas down the readers throats. I loved that it stuck true to its' word and described how Americans are currently getting screwed by the two party system who is more concerned in slitting the throats of their counterparts than doing what is best for the American people, who elect them.

Unfortunately, like books similar to it, mainly I think of Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America by Bob Beckel and Cal Thomas, I think resolutions offered are fantasies. Until Americans truly get fed up with the political process, we will continue to be the children in the middle while Mommy and Daddy fight. I don't see that changing anytime soon because I don't think Americans get it yet and both parties count on that continued ignorance!

BTW...I reviewed this book for Yale Press through Netgalley.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

this former member of congress has many practical suggestions for improving the gridlock in washington. He points out that the Speaker is normally the senior member of the majority party and controls which proposals are brought to the floor for a vote. The minority party has virtually no chance of getting bills introduced. He points out that there is no rule stating the Speaker must be a member of Congress and could and should be a neutral person whose responsibility is making sure all important legislation is introduced. Ditto for those who determine whether bills can be open or closed to amendments and who gets on what committees. This takes a very fair and reasoned approach with blame for all, including citizens who put up with the lack of representation we are currently getting. I don't think many would argue with his call for members of congress to spend more time in Washington working. Good points about how long this has gone on and how it has become entrenched and will take action to fix. a good quick read.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of my work I think a lot about the system in which we all function in the United States. Though not a perfect system, it's compelling and powerful in terms of the power the individual and groups of like-minded individuals can wield. Former Congressman Mickey Edwards and others are pointing out that in our systems current stage of maturity, the "like-minded" groups of individuals organized as political parties are having a corrosive effect on the system and our belief in the integrity of what we've built. He poses thoughtful, some very radical, ideas for reform.

I'm lucky to be chosen to participate over the next 18-24 months in the Rodel Fellowship program Edwards describes in the book. The goal is to get elected reps to treat each other not as machinistic adversaries, but like people with hopes, dreams, and sometimes difficult (sometimes offensive) ideas and opinions. It's a great honor and I'm really looking forward to talking with Edwards and the rest of the cohort. Then I have to figure out what to do with what I learn.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.0) Refreshing perspective, but not sure he offers enough direction/hope for change

As I mentioned in progress update, I don't see why he dismisses instant run-offs out of hand. His argument (not justified) seemed to be that the second candidate can sometimes win in a staged run-off....Well, that can definitely happen in instant run-off as well. And I'm not so sure that it's a good thing that candidates can change their stances between votes. This is what primaries get us right now....

But that aside, it's interesting to see a former member of Congress be so open about what's wrong. It's kind of refreshing. Trick is that when we get to "how do we fix it", he relies on all of us getting all grassroots and calling our congresspeople and demand that they improve. Sorry to be so cynical, but that's going to be a difficult sell. Apathy and (guilty here) cynicism seem like they'll really get in the way.

Would love to hear more thoughts about this one. Perhaps book club of some kind?

[Terry Earley · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Terry Gross "Fresh Air":
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/1605419...

A nice follow-up read to "Reclaiming Conservatism". Although he and I are in different political parties, we are both conservative, and I agree with much of what he proposes.

If you ever wondered what in the world happened that caused such rancor and anger between the parties; Why would a political party be perfectly satisfied, even smugly happy, that the credit rating of the United States was reduced over their refusal to agree to continue existing bond payments. Many of the leaders of that party were willing to let the country go into full default.

It is all about "tribal warfare", a battle for power between 2 "clubs". Edwards makes some important and reasonable suggestions for Americans to take back government from hyper-partisan idiots in both major political parties who cannot work together. Another must-read from Mickey Edwards.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former Republican Congressman Mickey Edwards advocates some ideas to change the way in which the two major political parties dominate American politics. He blames the power now claimed by the parties for the gridlock in congress. He offers a number of practical ideas for changing the system. For example he says the current system of redistricting allows the political party in power to alter the map so that the politicians are choosing their constituents rather than the voters choosing their representatives. So I would guess he would favor Ohio's current Issue 2. Generally I welcome his ideas and tone and the fact that some people are pointing out what is wrong with American politics - they are controlled by political parties and politicians are loyal to their parties more than to the country.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read. A lot of Edwards' proposals, especially in part 3, are very bold, and he is very good at conveying the structural issues involved in today's dysfunctional political system. If there's one thing maybe I fault him for in the book, it's that I think he could have cited a wider variety of sources a bit further out on the political spectrum, because I think there are many out there who could get behind a lot of these ideas, not just centrists. While I don't necessarily agree with all of his suggestions, I'd still generally really recommend this book, if nothing else for thought fuel.

[Juneau Public Library]

(In which we learn that the Constitution does not stipulate that the Speaker of the House of Representatives must be a member of the House.) Edwards, an Aspen Institute vice-president and former six-term Congressman, has written a tract arguing that the political parties, private clubs, have illegitimately taken over functions that belong to governments, to the detriment of the actual business of governing. He makes his case clearly and succinctly and offers concrete suggestions for putting the parties back in the corral - he does not want to do away with them - and restore a workable representative democracy. An invigorating call to citizen action.

Recommended by Dian

[Skip Kilmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwards, a former Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, offers realistic suggestions to get us out of the partisan stalemate that is crippling the federal government. Some, such as promoting open primaries, work on the election side, which currently favors the extremists of both parties. Others focus on the way congress works, especially the modern silent filibuster and the too powerful committee structure. I suspect the former approach stands a better chance of making a difference in the near term. This is a book all voters should be familiar with as we confront our political officials.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mickey Edwards is a conservative who thinks clearly. His great knowledge of the U.S. Congress enabled him to produce a book that I found engaging and startling. I had no idea why the US House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have become unproductive. Edwards identifies problems and offers solutions that should be implemented immediately! I strongly favor a return to the practice of electing competent congressmen who can exercise their own free will and use their best judgment when they address big policy issues and vote on legislation. Read this book. It is well worth your time.

[Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart guy. First heard about this when Bill Moyers had Mickey Edwards on his show. As a Liberal thinker, I like to get the perspective of conservatives to balance the debate. Unfortunately we are more and more exposed to only the fringe. Edwards, like Andrew Bacevich and Neil Barofsky, (other conservative thinkers I have read) shows that there can be civil discourse and exchange of ideas from both sides of the political philosophical divide.

[John Hash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would be a good supplemental reading to Political Science 101. The former congressman correctly describes the present logjam brought about by hyper-partisan politics. The steps he recommends to make government more responsive and accountable to voters are viable and sufficiently argued; but they are lofty, given the dearth of civic mindedness among the electorate, and the unlikelihood of well-financed politicians to unbind the tethered ropes enclosing the glorious ring of power.

[Bernard Farrell]

I just started reading a pre-release version of this excellent book. The author was a long-term Republican representative. He has a number of great explanations why people no longer align themselves with the two major political parties in the US.

I'll update this review once I've finished the book. So far I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in the degeneration of American politics.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former Congressman and Harvard prof Mickey Edwards creates an engaging thought experiment as he explores what he sees as the root cause of political divisiveness in America - the party system itself. He observes that politicians are rewarded for party loyalty, not loyalty to their constituents, to the organizations (Congress) to which they belong.

[Steve Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry, but offers good ideas about divorcing political parties from the ability to control the electoral process and decide who gets on ballots, where district lines get drawn and which ideas actually one up for discussion or votes in Congress. Most of it will never happen, of course, because partisanship has already gone too far and genies rarely go back into their bottles.

[Malin Friess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can we overcome partisanship? Can Republicans and Democrats compromise and get things done?

Edwards is a proponet of term limits and stopping all the nasty changing of congressional districts as a few solutions to make politicians more accountable.

Just 2 stars. Short book..but I can't say I'll read another book by Mickey Edwards.

[Brian Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview of the current political problems stemming from hyper-partisanship, with many suggestions for how to address them. I only wish that I had more confidence that his proposed reforms would be enacted.