It's Even Worse Than It Looks
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
| Website | www |
It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism is a political study published in 2012, authored by Thomas E. Mann from the Brookings Institution and Norman J. Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, and released by Basic Books. The writers contend that the extreme political polarization and rigid ideological stances have so debilitated the United States Congress that effective governance within the federal framework is nearly impossible. They particularly single out the U.S. Republican Party, portraying it as controlled by a dogmatic far-right faction and labeling it "an insurgent outlier" in the landscape of American politics.
The publication garnered acclaim from outlets such as The Economist and The Hill.
An updated paperback version from 2016, entitled It's Even Worse Than It Was, features additional reflections on political developments since the initial edition.
Background
Both Norman Ornstein at the American Enterprise Institute and Thomas Mann at the Brookings Institution had already earned recognition as authoritative political commentators. Their previous joint effort, The Broken Branch, was well received. Ornstein brings over four decades of experience in Washington D.C., contributing columns to Roll Call and serving as an election analyst for CBS News. As reported by NPR, they are "noted for their carefully nonpartisan stances."
Synopsis
The book examines the current state of the U.S. Congress, concluding it functions with near paralysis. This dysfunction stems from a profound clash between the two leading parties, the Democrats and Republicans, which have become intensely antagonistic, complicating majority-driven legislative action.
Mann and Ornstein focus on the Republican Party’s rightward trajectory, emphasizing its employment of administrative and parliamentary maneuvers designed to circumvent transparent voting processes. They characterize this party faction as "an insurgent outlier – ideologically extreme; dismissive of established social and economic frameworks; unreceptive to compromise; skeptical of facts, evidence, science, and political opponents."
Reception and reviews
Released shortly before the 2012 United States presidential election, the book highlighted disparities in party strategies and criticized media tendencies toward false equivalence in coverage. The authors were frequently cited by national media as impartial authorities.
The Economist offered a generally positive critique, commending Mann and Ornstein’s "constructive proposals" for systemic reform. Juan Williams of The Hill described the work as perceptive, emphasizing its analysis of media coverage obscuring the GOP’s ideological shift.
Michael Brissenden from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation praised the book for challenging prevailing narratives, attributing most responsibility to Republicans. He called it "both fascinating and alarming."
Interest in the book resurfaced in 2021 due to its continued relevance to ongoing political trends.
See also
External links
- 2012 non-fiction books
- American history books
- American political books
- Basic Books books
- Books about politics of the United States
- Books critical of conservatism in the United States
- Books critical of modern liberalism in the United States
- Books about United States legal history
- Books about political extremism
- English-language non-fiction books