What do you think?
Rate this book
The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work Again
Senator Joseph Lieberman offers a master class in effective government by probing his forty years in elective office―from the Vietnam War era to the Presidency of Barack Obama―and by shining a light on historic acts of centrism and compromise, extracting productive and problem-solving lessons and techniques we need now more than ever.
In this era of extremism, our largest problems remain unsolved and our international leadership is compromised. Having two fiercely opposed political parties is what John Adams, the second President of the United States, dreaded “as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”
If American government is to work, it must do so in the center―where open discussion, hard negotiation, and effective compromise take place. No living politician knows this better than former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who served for forty years in state and national government, including twenty-four in the United States Senate and a campaign for the Vice Presidency.
In this vivid account of his political life, Senator Lieberman shows how legislative progress and all-inclusive government occurs when politicians reject extremism and embrace productive compromise. In The Centrist Solution , he shines a light on ten milestones of centrist success during his time in government―from the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the repeal of the military’s anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, along with a Vice Presidential run with Presidential Candidate Al Gore, and being vetted by John McCain to be his potential running mate on the 2008 Republican Ticket.
In the telling, Senator Lieberman extracts clear lessons and proven methods of centrist collaboration that can carry us forward after years of partisan warfare and legislative inaction. The centrist solution leads to government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people―a citizenry looking for solutions, not extremist standoffs.
In this era of extremism, our largest problems remain unsolved and our international leadership is compromised. Having two fiercely opposed political parties is what John Adams, the second President of the United States, dreaded “as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”
If American government is to work, it must do so in the center―where open discussion, hard negotiation, and effective compromise take place. No living politician knows this better than former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, who served for forty years in state and national government, including twenty-four in the United States Senate and a campaign for the Vice Presidency.
In this vivid account of his political life, Senator Lieberman shows how legislative progress and all-inclusive government occurs when politicians reject extremism and embrace productive compromise. In The Centrist Solution , he shines a light on ten milestones of centrist success during his time in government―from the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the repeal of the military’s anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, along with a Vice Presidential run with Presidential Candidate Al Gore, and being vetted by John McCain to be his potential running mate on the 2008 Republican Ticket.
In the telling, Senator Lieberman extracts clear lessons and proven methods of centrist collaboration that can carry us forward after years of partisan warfare and legislative inaction. The centrist solution leads to government truly of the people, by the people, and for the people―a citizenry looking for solutions, not extremist standoffs.
- GenresPolitics
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 19, 2021
53 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 9, 2021
I picked this book up because I don't find centrism to be a particularly compelling approach to politics. I thought I'd give it a chance with Lieberman's book. Unfortunately, it's mostly the same, old same-old. He recites the same arguments for politics in the "middle" that I've heard before. On top of that, most of the book isn't argument at all. It's mostly stories of Lieberman's life and political career. That's not bad material for a book, but it's not what I look for in a book called The Centrist Solution.
August 22, 2022
Just because you are sure you have the perfect answer, that is not a reason you will prevail in a negotiation. Hence the saying, "perfect is often the enemy of the good"!
Senator Joe Lieberman, the author, addresses that idea when he states that "The centrist ideal that is the theme of this book is based on the foundational belief that the national interest is more important than partisan or person interest."
In his career he developed trust because he practiced that ideal! As a result, he, at different times, ran as a democrat, a Republican and an independent. The trust he built followed him over four decades!
(Trust is the most valuable asset a politician can own!)
(MY COMMENT!)
He now is chairman of a NO LABELS organization composed of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents whose mission is to "usher in a new era of focused problem solving in American Politics."
He advises that you should spread your dependency. Never allow yourself to become overly dependent on one individual, one group, or one special interest. He says:"that is the road to losing your independence"-- tying your hands!
He describes what he called the Kennedy strategy! In negotiating legislation 1) take off the table an issue that is not negotiable, 2) agree on those issues that are agreeable and could pass, 3) work hard on issues that both sides think they might be negotiable to a compromise agreement!
His book is also an argument supported by his personal history "that we can return to a future of country-first problem solving."
His current focus is on instituting a culture of problem solving through his NO LABELS intuitive!
This is a great book to read to become convinced that there is hope!
Senator Joe Lieberman, the author, addresses that idea when he states that "The centrist ideal that is the theme of this book is based on the foundational belief that the national interest is more important than partisan or person interest."
In his career he developed trust because he practiced that ideal! As a result, he, at different times, ran as a democrat, a Republican and an independent. The trust he built followed him over four decades!
(Trust is the most valuable asset a politician can own!)
(MY COMMENT!)
He now is chairman of a NO LABELS organization composed of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents whose mission is to "usher in a new era of focused problem solving in American Politics."
He advises that you should spread your dependency. Never allow yourself to become overly dependent on one individual, one group, or one special interest. He says:"that is the road to losing your independence"-- tying your hands!
He describes what he called the Kennedy strategy! In negotiating legislation 1) take off the table an issue that is not negotiable, 2) agree on those issues that are agreeable and could pass, 3) work hard on issues that both sides think they might be negotiable to a compromise agreement!
His book is also an argument supported by his personal history "that we can return to a future of country-first problem solving."
His current focus is on instituting a culture of problem solving through his NO LABELS intuitive!
This is a great book to read to become convinced that there is hope!
July 17, 2022
Despite the title, this is mostly a perfectly respectable, mildly interesting political memoir, with the added hook that most chapters are based around stories of compromise and bipartisanship.
Although Sen. Lieberman thinks it would be great if legislators were free to vote their conscience and/or compromise more, I'm not sure that he really has any idea how to get there. His last chapter talks about a few examples of noncontroversial legislation being enacted. However, this doesn't really solve the core problem limiting bipartisanship, which is this: when Lieberman's political career began, Democrats and Republicans watched the same TV news (NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN in the 1990s) and read the same hometown newspapers. Today, hyperpartisan media oligopolies have supplanted these news sources -- Fox and AM radio for the right, the New York Times and MSNBC on the left. Because primary voters in both parties get their information from these oligopolies (or websites that parrot them, or Facebook friends that parrot them) primary voters get more extreme every decade. As a result, Congresspeople who compromise lose their jobs. I don't have any idea how to solve the problem without a boatland of constitutional amendments- and I'm not sure Sen. Lieberman does either.
Although Sen. Lieberman thinks it would be great if legislators were free to vote their conscience and/or compromise more, I'm not sure that he really has any idea how to get there. His last chapter talks about a few examples of noncontroversial legislation being enacted. However, this doesn't really solve the core problem limiting bipartisanship, which is this: when Lieberman's political career began, Democrats and Republicans watched the same TV news (NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN in the 1990s) and read the same hometown newspapers. Today, hyperpartisan media oligopolies have supplanted these news sources -- Fox and AM radio for the right, the New York Times and MSNBC on the left. Because primary voters in both parties get their information from these oligopolies (or websites that parrot them, or Facebook friends that parrot them) primary voters get more extreme every decade. As a result, Congresspeople who compromise lose their jobs. I don't have any idea how to solve the problem without a boatland of constitutional amendments- and I'm not sure Sen. Lieberman does either.
May 5, 2025
The late Joe Lieberman gave his life to public service, working tirelessly on behalf of the American people. I greatly enjoyed parts of the book centered around his life in the Senate and his involvement in presidential campaigns; however, I find that his advice on Centrism falls rather flat in today's political climate. Though certainly a valuable goal to strive toward, bipartisanship is becoming and increasing rarity with each passing day. Rather than simply supporting more moderate candidates, it is my opinion that bipartisanship can be fostered more effectively through Senate rules reforms and limiting the influence of money in politics. Listened to the audiobook.
March 7, 2024
Excellent book for people who want to gain some insights into how politics should work but unfortunately doesn't. I highly recommend that everyone read this book.
January 23, 2025
A bit more autobiographical than I was expecting
June 13, 2024
I enjoyed it, but thought it could have used more specific solutions.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews