-
Working Congress
- A Guide for Senators, Representatives, and Citizens
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
In 1964, as the polarizing Civil Rights Act made its way through the House and Senate, and Congress navigated one of the most tumultuous eras in American history, a Harris Poll put the institution's approval rating at 60%. Why then, 50 years later, has the public's approval of Congress eroded to an all-time low of 10%? Working Congress: A Guide for Senators, Representatives, and Citizens seeks to isolate the reasons for Congress's staggering decline in public opinion, and to propose remedies to reverse the grave dysfunction in America's most important political institution.
Aided by the input of retired members of Congress from both major parties, editor Robert Mann and his fellow contributors identify paralyzing partisan rancor as perhaps the most significant reason for the American public's declining support of its main representative body. The lack of mutual trust within Congress reflects (and creates) the suspicion and animosity of the great majority of Americans. Working Congress argues that members of Congress must find a path to cooperation if they are to function as the representative institution the founders intended.
Trenchant chapters by Mickey Edwards, Ross K. Baker, Frances E. Lee, Brian L. Fife, Susan Herbst, and Mark Kennedy analyze the problems and challenges facing Congress and suggest solutions to counteract partisan gridlock. Though these scholars and former members share a conviction that men and women of good will can and should work together, they do not assume that their solutions will herald a bipartisan utopia. Instead, they recognize that Congress is, and will always be, a work in progress.
The book is published by Louisiana State University Press.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Centrist Manifesto
- By: Charles Wheelan
- Narrated by: Charles Wheelan
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From debt ceiling standoffs to single-digit Congress approval ratings, America’s political system has never been more polarized - or paralyzed - than it is today. As best-selling author and public policy expert Charles Wheelan writes, now is the time for a pragmatic Centrist party that will identify and embrace the best Democratic and Republican ideals, moving us forward on the most urgent issues for our nation.
-
-
Must read for all rational americans
- By CM on 09-15-15
By: Charles Wheelan
-
Our Time Is Now
- Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America
- By: Stacey Abrams
- Narrated by: Stacey Abrams
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celebrated national leader and best-selling author Stacey Abrams offers a blueprint to end voter suppression, empower our citizens, and take back our country. A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams chronicles a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack.
-
-
Relevant civil inspirations fr. leg. knowhow
- By Lynne B. on 06-19-20
By: Stacey Abrams
-
The Courage to Be Free
- Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival
- By: Ron DeSantis
- Narrated by: Ron DeSantis, John Pruden
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A firsthand account from the blue-collar boy who grew up to take on Disney and Dr. Fauci, The Courage to Be Free delivers something rare from an elected leader: stories of victory. This book is a winning blueprint for patriots across the country. And it is a rallying cry for every American who wishes to preserve our liberties.
-
-
Informative and well-written, but slightly disappointing
- By Dash Dalrymple on 03-20-23
By: Ron DeSantis
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
How Democracies Die
- By: Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Democracies can die with a coup d'état - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the election of an authoritarian leader, the abuse of governmental power and the complete repression of opposition. All three steps are being taken around the world - not least with the election of Donald Trump - and we must all understand how we can stop them.
-
-
Connecting the Dots
- By Sharon F on 02-06-18
By: Steven Levitsky, and others
-
Democracy in Chains
- The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America
- By: Nancy MacLean
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Behind today's headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance. But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did.
-
-
A must read if you believe in democracy
- By H. L. Nelson on 10-11-17
By: Nancy MacLean
-
The Centrist Manifesto
- By: Charles Wheelan
- Narrated by: Charles Wheelan
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From debt ceiling standoffs to single-digit Congress approval ratings, America’s political system has never been more polarized - or paralyzed - than it is today. As best-selling author and public policy expert Charles Wheelan writes, now is the time for a pragmatic Centrist party that will identify and embrace the best Democratic and Republican ideals, moving us forward on the most urgent issues for our nation.
-
-
Must read for all rational americans
- By CM on 09-15-15
By: Charles Wheelan
-
Our Time Is Now
- Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America
- By: Stacey Abrams
- Narrated by: Stacey Abrams
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celebrated national leader and best-selling author Stacey Abrams offers a blueprint to end voter suppression, empower our citizens, and take back our country. A recognized expert on fair voting and civic engagement, Abrams chronicles a chilling account of how the right to vote and the principle of democracy have been and continue to be under attack.
-
-
Relevant civil inspirations fr. leg. knowhow
- By Lynne B. on 06-19-20
By: Stacey Abrams
-
The Courage to Be Free
- Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival
- By: Ron DeSantis
- Narrated by: Ron DeSantis, John Pruden
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A firsthand account from the blue-collar boy who grew up to take on Disney and Dr. Fauci, The Courage to Be Free delivers something rare from an elected leader: stories of victory. This book is a winning blueprint for patriots across the country. And it is a rallying cry for every American who wishes to preserve our liberties.
-
-
Informative and well-written, but slightly disappointing
- By Dash Dalrymple on 03-20-23
By: Ron DeSantis
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
How Democracies Die
- By: Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Democracies can die with a coup d'état - or they can die slowly. This happens most deceptively when in piecemeal fashion, with the election of an authoritarian leader, the abuse of governmental power and the complete repression of opposition. All three steps are being taken around the world - not least with the election of Donald Trump - and we must all understand how we can stop them.
-
-
Connecting the Dots
- By Sharon F on 02-06-18
By: Steven Levitsky, and others
-
Democracy in Chains
- The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America
- By: Nancy MacLean
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Behind today's headlines of billionaires taking over our government is a secretive political establishment with long, deep, and troubling roots. The capitalist radical right has been working not simply to change who rules but to fundamentally alter the rules of democratic governance. But billionaires did not launch this movement; a white intellectual in the embattled Jim Crow South did.
-
-
A must read if you believe in democracy
- By H. L. Nelson on 10-11-17
By: Nancy MacLean
-
Understanding Trump
- By: Newt Gingrich, Eric Trump - foreword
- Narrated by: Newt Gingrich, Eric Trump
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Donald Trump is unlike any president we've ever had. He is the only person ever elected to be commander in chief who has not first held public office or served as a general in the military. His principles grow out of five decades of business and celebrity success - not politics - so he behaves differently from traditional politicians.
-
-
Newt's Brilliant But It's Not The Title
- By David on 07-10-17
By: Newt Gingrich, and others
-
The Assault on Reason
- Our Information Ecosystem, from the Age of Print to the Age of Trump - 2017 Edition
- By: Al Gore
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is a visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith have combined with the public sphere's degradation to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason. Never has there been a worse time for us to lose the capacity to face the reality of our long-term challenges, from national security to the economy, from issues of health and social welfare to the environment. As The Assault on Reason explains, we have precious little time to waste.
-
-
A few good nuggets
- By R. Hilton on 05-26-07
By: Al Gore
-
One Nation After Trump
- A Guide for the Perplexed, the Disillusioned, the Desperate, and the Not-Yet Deported
- By: Norman J. Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann, E. J. Dionne Jr.
- Narrated by: E. J. Dionne Jr., Norman J. Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American democracy was never supposed to give the nation a president like Donald Trump. We have never had a president who gave rise to such widespread alarm about his lack of commitment to the institutions of self-government, to the norms democracy requires, and to the need for basic knowledge about how government works. We have never had a president who raises profound questions about his basic competence and his psychological capacity to take on the most challenging political office in the world.
-
-
Pleasurable Factual Density, much needed
- By David on 09-21-17
By: Norman J. Ornstein, and others
-
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: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. But they offer a panoply of useful ideas and reforms, endorsing some solutions, like greater public participation and institutional restructuring, while debunking others, like independent or third-party candidates. Above all, they call on the media as well as the public to focus on the true causes of dysfunction rather than just throwing the bums out every election cycle.
-
-
Even the well-informed will learn something here
- By Rob on 07-01-12
By: Thomas E. Mann, and others
-
Republic, Lost
- How Money Corrupts Congress - and a Plan to Stop It
- By: Lawrence Lessig
- Narrated by: Lawrence Lessig
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an era of ballooning corporate campaign expenditures, unleashed by the Supreme Court in Citizens United, trust in our government is at an all time low. More than ever before, Americans believe that money buys results in Congress - and that our Republic has been lost.Using examples that resonate as powerfully on the Right as on the Left, Republic, Lost not only makes clear how the economy of influence defeats the will of the people, but offers cogent strategies to correct our course....
-
-
Periods. Where there. Should. Not. Be. Periods.
- By Richard Nielsen on 01-18-12
By: Lawrence Lessig
-
It's Time to Fight Dirty
- How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics
- By: David Faris
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The American electoral system is clearly falling apart - as evidenced by the 2016 presidential election. In It's Time to Fight Dirty, David Faris offers accessible, actionable strategies for American institutional reform which don't require a constitutional amendment, and would have a lasting impact on our future. With equal amounts of playful irreverence and persuasive reasoning, Faris describes how the Constitution's deep democratic flaws constantly put progressives at a disadvantage, and lays out strategies for "fighting dirty" though obstructionism and procedural warfare.
-
-
Voiced frustrations of a long time liberal
- By Penguin on 10-15-18
By: David Faris
-
The Politics Industry
- How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy
- By: Katherine M. Gehl, Michael E. Porter
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Politics Industry, Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis - and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework - to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does, and how the duopoly has led to the devastating outcomes we see today. Using this competition lens, Gehl and Porter identify the most powerful lever for change - a strategy comprised of a clear set of choices in two key areas: how our elections work and how we make our laws.
-
-
Must read
- By Komiljon A. on 09-08-20
By: Katherine M. Gehl, and others
-
Working Class Republican
- Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism
- By: Henry Olsen
- Narrated by: Derek Shetterly
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Conventional political wisdom views the two most consequential presidents of the 20th century - FDR and Ronald Reagan - as ideological opposites. FDR is hailed as the champion of big-government progressivism manifested in the New Deal. Reagan is seen as the crusader for conservatism dedicated to small government and free markets. But Henry Olsen argues that this assumption is wrong.
-
-
Refreshing and insightful
- By Thomas Marks on 12-16-19
By: Henry Olsen
-
The Great Suppression
- Voting Rights, Corporate Cash, and the Conservative Assault on Democracy
- By: Zachary Roth
- Narrated by: Zach Villa
- Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Control of the country is up for grabs - and Republicans have been rigging the game in their favor. Twenty-two states have passed restrictions on voting. Ruthless gerrymandering has given the GOP a long-term grip on Congress. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has eviscerated campaign finance laws, boosting candidates backed by big money. It would be worrying enough if these were just schemes for partisan advantage. But the reality is even more disturbing.
-
-
great read
- By stephen on 08-28-16
By: Zachary Roth
-
Frank
- A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage
- By: Barney Frank
- Narrated by: Barney Frank
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did a disheveled, intellectually combative gay Jew with a thick New Jersey-Massachusetts accent become one of the most effective politicians of his time? In this candid and witty political memoir, Barney Frank relates his journey from the outskirts of New York City to Boston's City Hall and the Massachusetts legislature, and then to the US Congress, where he played a vital role in the struggle for personal freedom and economic fairness over four decades.
-
-
WOW
- By Gino on 03-23-15
By: Barney Frank
-
A More Perfect Union
- An Introduction to American Government and Politics
- By: J. Tony Litherland
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A More Perfect Union is a college level introductory audio textbook for American Government, Political Science, and American History courses. Materials cover the history and philosophy of government and their influence on the Founding Fathers. It traces the development of the American Republican Democratic system of government from colonial times to today, and explains the components of the federal government.
-
-
Great CLEP American Government Prep
- By Bradley Walters on 04-03-18
-
Enlightened Democracy
- The Case for the Electoral College, 2nd Edition
- By: Tara Ross
- Narrated by: Tara Ross
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enlightened Democracy traces the history of the Electoral College from the Constitutional Convention to the present. The Electoral College protects our republic and promotes our liberty. Americans should defend their unique presidential election system at all costs.
-
-
Hold your breath
- By Ein on 03-13-20
By: Tara Ross
Related to this topic
-
Working Class Republican
- Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism
- By: Henry Olsen
- Narrated by: Derek Shetterly
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Conventional political wisdom views the two most consequential presidents of the 20th century - FDR and Ronald Reagan - as ideological opposites. FDR is hailed as the champion of big-government progressivism manifested in the New Deal. Reagan is seen as the crusader for conservatism dedicated to small government and free markets. But Henry Olsen argues that this assumption is wrong.
-
-
Refreshing and insightful
- By Thomas Marks on 12-16-19
By: Henry Olsen
-
Enlightened Democracy
- The Case for the Electoral College, 2nd Edition
- By: Tara Ross
- Narrated by: Tara Ross
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enlightened Democracy traces the history of the Electoral College from the Constitutional Convention to the present. The Electoral College protects our republic and promotes our liberty. Americans should defend their unique presidential election system at all costs.
-
-
Hold your breath
- By Ein on 03-13-20
By: Tara Ross
-
Rule and Ruin
- The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party
- By: Geoffrey Kabaservice
- Narrated by: Michael Bulter Murray
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The chaotic events leading up to Mitt Romney's defeat in the 2012 election indicated how far the Republican Party had rocketed rightward away from the center of public opinion. Republicans in Congress threatened to shut down the government and force a U.S. debt default. Tea Party activists mounted primary challenges against Republican officeholders who appeared to exhibit too much pragmatism or independence. Moderation and compromise were dirty words in the Republican presidential debates. The GOP, it seemed, had suddenly become a party of ideological purity. Except this development is not new at all.
-
-
Kabaservice doesn't make the case
- By MJE on 01-22-16
-
Why the Right Went Wrong
- Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond
- By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater's worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. Since 1968, no conservative administration could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics 50 years ago.
-
-
Outstanding, refreshing, inspiring
- By James Adams on 03-19-16
By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
-
Broken Government
- How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches
- By: John W. Dean
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his eighth book, Dean takes the broadest and deepest view yet of the dysfunctional chaos and institutional damage that the Republican Party and its core conservatives have inflicted on the federal government. He assesses the state of all three branches of government, tracing their decline through the presidencies of Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II.
-
-
Attention Policy Wonks - This is the book for you
- By Neal on 09-19-09
By: John W. Dean
-
They Don't Represent Us
- Reclaiming Our Democracy
- By: Lawrence Lessig
- Narrated by: Lawrence Lessig
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In They Don’t Represent Us, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig charts the way in which the fundamental institutions of our democracy, including our media, respond to narrow interests rather than to the needs and wishes of the nation’s citizenry. But the blame does not only lie with “them” - Washington’s politicians and power brokers, Lessig argues. The problem is also “us.”
-
-
All Americans should read/listen to this.
- By Christopher W Catron on 03-22-20
By: Lawrence Lessig
-
Working Class Republican
- Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism
- By: Henry Olsen
- Narrated by: Derek Shetterly
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Conventional political wisdom views the two most consequential presidents of the 20th century - FDR and Ronald Reagan - as ideological opposites. FDR is hailed as the champion of big-government progressivism manifested in the New Deal. Reagan is seen as the crusader for conservatism dedicated to small government and free markets. But Henry Olsen argues that this assumption is wrong.
-
-
Refreshing and insightful
- By Thomas Marks on 12-16-19
By: Henry Olsen
-
Enlightened Democracy
- The Case for the Electoral College, 2nd Edition
- By: Tara Ross
- Narrated by: Tara Ross
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enlightened Democracy traces the history of the Electoral College from the Constitutional Convention to the present. The Electoral College protects our republic and promotes our liberty. Americans should defend their unique presidential election system at all costs.
-
-
Hold your breath
- By Ein on 03-13-20
By: Tara Ross
-
Rule and Ruin
- The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party
- By: Geoffrey Kabaservice
- Narrated by: Michael Bulter Murray
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The chaotic events leading up to Mitt Romney's defeat in the 2012 election indicated how far the Republican Party had rocketed rightward away from the center of public opinion. Republicans in Congress threatened to shut down the government and force a U.S. debt default. Tea Party activists mounted primary challenges against Republican officeholders who appeared to exhibit too much pragmatism or independence. Moderation and compromise were dirty words in the Republican presidential debates. The GOP, it seemed, had suddenly become a party of ideological purity. Except this development is not new at all.
-
-
Kabaservice doesn't make the case
- By MJE on 01-22-16
-
Why the Right Went Wrong
- Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond
- By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater's worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. Since 1968, no conservative administration could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics 50 years ago.
-
-
Outstanding, refreshing, inspiring
- By James Adams on 03-19-16
By: E. J. Dionne Jr.
-
Broken Government
- How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches
- By: John W. Dean
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his eighth book, Dean takes the broadest and deepest view yet of the dysfunctional chaos and institutional damage that the Republican Party and its core conservatives have inflicted on the federal government. He assesses the state of all three branches of government, tracing their decline through the presidencies of Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II.
-
-
Attention Policy Wonks - This is the book for you
- By Neal on 09-19-09
By: John W. Dean
-
They Don't Represent Us
- Reclaiming Our Democracy
- By: Lawrence Lessig
- Narrated by: Lawrence Lessig
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In They Don’t Represent Us, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig charts the way in which the fundamental institutions of our democracy, including our media, respond to narrow interests rather than to the needs and wishes of the nation’s citizenry. But the blame does not only lie with “them” - Washington’s politicians and power brokers, Lessig argues. The problem is also “us.”
-
-
All Americans should read/listen to this.
- By Christopher W Catron on 03-22-20
By: Lawrence Lessig
-
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents
- From Wilson to Obama
- By: Steven F. Hayward
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Academics, journalists, and popular historians agree: our greatest presidents are the ones who confronted a national crisis and mobilized the entire nation to face it. That’s the conventional wisdom. The chief executives who are celebrated in textbooks and placed in the top echelon of presidents in surveys of experts are the bold leaders - the Woodrow Wilsons and Franklin Roosevelts - who reshaped the United States in line with their grand “vision” for America. Unfortunately, along the way, these “great” presidents inevitably expanded government - and shrank our liberties.
-
-
Really enjoyed it
- By Jkc-007 on 02-15-17
-
The People vs. Democracy
- Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It
- By: Yascha Mounk
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world is in turmoil. From India to Turkey and from Poland to the United States, authoritarian populists have seized power. As a result democracy itself may now be at risk. Two core components of liberal democracy - individual rights and the popular will - are at war with each other. As the role of money in politics soared and important issues were taken out of public contestation, a system of "rights without democracy" took hold. Populists who rail against this say they want to return power to the people. But in practice they create a system of "democracy without rights."
-
-
Not worth it
- By DailyShopper on 06-07-18
By: Yascha Mounk
-
The Party Is Over
- How Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got Shafted
- By: Mike Lofgren
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There was a time, not so very long ago, when perfectly rational people ran the Republican Party. So how did the party of Lincoln become the party of lunatics? That is what this book aims to answer. Fear not, the Dems come in for their share of tough talk - they are zombies, a party of the living dead. Mike Lofgren came to Washington in the early eighties - those halcyon, post-Nixonian glory days - for what he imagined would be a short stint on Capitol Hill.
-
-
A Great Analysis
- By Dan D on 09-04-12
By: Mike Lofgren
-
The Impostors
- How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics
- By: Steve Benen
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The award-winning producer of The Rachel Maddow Show exposes the Republican Party as a gang of impostors, meticulously documenting how they have abandoned their duty to govern and are gravely endangering America.
-
-
Three Card Monte Politics
- By J.B. on 06-19-20
By: Steve Benen
-
Why We're Polarized
- By: Ezra Klein
- Narrated by: Ezra Klein
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Why We’re Polarized, Klein reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics.
-
-
Good as an intro, skip if you’re a wonk
- By Tony on 01-29-20
By: Ezra Klein
-
Temptations of Power
- Islamists & Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East
- By: Shadi Hamid
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1989, Francis Fukuyama famously announced the "end of history." The Berlin Wall had fallen; liberal democracy had won out. But what of illiberal democracy - the idea that popular majorities, working through the democratic process, might reject gender equality, religious freedoms, and other norms that Western democracies take for granted? Nowhere have such considerations become more relevant than in the Middle East, where the uprisings of 2011 swept the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups to power.
-
-
A new perspective
- By Dave114 on 08-06-18
By: Shadi Hamid
-
Power Grab
- The Liberal Scheme to Undermine Trump, the GOP, and Our Republic
- By: Jason Chaffetz
- Narrated by: Jason Chaffetz
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Power Grab, Chaffetz pulls back the curtain on the world of hypocrisy, political intrigue, and procedural malfeasance that is Washington, DC. With stories you won't hear anywhere else, he shows how the left weaves false narratives, drums up investigations in search of a crime, and refuses to direct congressional oversight towards its appropriate target: the government. Democrats weaponize nonprofit advocacy groups and monetize partisan anger to line the pockets of their political allies.
-
-
Power Grab
- By Margaret on 10-01-19
By: Jason Chaffetz
-
The Centrist Manifesto
- By: Charles Wheelan
- Narrated by: Charles Wheelan
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From debt ceiling standoffs to single-digit Congress approval ratings, America’s political system has never been more polarized - or paralyzed - than it is today. As best-selling author and public policy expert Charles Wheelan writes, now is the time for a pragmatic Centrist party that will identify and embrace the best Democratic and Republican ideals, moving us forward on the most urgent issues for our nation.
-
-
Must read for all rational americans
- By CM on 09-15-15
By: Charles Wheelan
-
The Fierce Urgency of Now
- Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society
- By: Julian E. Zelizer
- Narrated by: Andrew Garman
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Fierce Urgency of Now animates the full spectrum of forces at play during these turbulent years, including religious groups, the media, conservative and liberal political action groups, unions, and civil rights activists. Above all, the great character in the audiobook whose role rivals Johnson's is Congress - indeed, Zelizer argues that our understanding of the Great Society program is too Johnson-centric.
-
To End a Presidency
- By: Laurence Tribe, Joshua Matz
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser, Laurence Tribe - preface
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history and future of our democracy's ultimate sanction, presidential impeachment, and a guide to how it should be used now. To End a Presidency addresses one of today's most urgent questions: when and whether to impeach a president. Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz provide an authoritative guide to impeachment's past and a bold argument about its proper role today. In an era of expansive presidential power and intense partisanship, we must rethink impeachment for the 21st century.
-
-
A Primer on Impeachment and our Present Dilemma
- By J.B. on 05-20-18
By: Laurence Tribe, and others
-
Kill Switch
- The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy
- By: Adam Jentleson
- Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every major decision governing our diverse, majority-female, and increasingly liberal country bears the stamp of the US Senate, yet the Senate allows an almost exclusively White, predominantly male, and radically conservative minority of the American electorate to impose its will on the rest of us. How did we get to this point? In Kill Switch, Adam Jentleson argues that shifting demographics alone cannot explain how Mitch McConnell harnessed the Senate and turned it into a powerful weapon of minority rule.
-
-
Don't bother, narration intolerable!
- By Joseph on 03-08-21
By: Adam Jentleson
-
Our Divided Political Heart
- The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent
- By: E. J. Dionne
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our Divided Political Heart will be the must-listen book of the 2012 election campaign. Offering an incisive analysis of how hyper-individualism is poisoning the nation's political atmosphere, E. J. Dionne Jr., argues that Americans can't agree on who we are because we can't agree on who we've been, or what it is, philosophically and spiritually, that makes us Americans.
-
-
Good points and lots of good information
- By Jamie B on 08-15-12
By: E. J. Dionne
What listeners say about Working Congress
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kingsley
- 07-03-17
Politic experts give thoughts on fixing politics
"Working Congress" brings together several retired Congressmen to look at how the current congress works, or doesn't work. In a series of essays (the individual retirees don't interact with each others writing) the ex-Congressmen point out flaws in how things are currently done, and make suggestions on how they could be fixed.
Things discussed include gerrymandering of districts, the lack of familiarity between Congressmen of different parties (the viewing them as 'enemy'), non-representative districts, the lack of middle ground as parties move to the extremes, the lack of compromise and discussion replaced the reliance on a sound bite, the work towards defeating the other party rather than governing, and the continual focus on the next election cycle. Each of these (and others) are discussed, often with examples, quotes and research data to back up the claims, before providing possible solutions.
Some solutions are much more plausible than others, but even if the solutions are not likely to happen (in some cases the horse has bolted and we will never get it back) having the discussion about the issues and the solutions is important. This book creates some great points of discussion.
Narration by Jim Seybert is good and what I would hope for from a non-fiction book. He is clear and well paced, occasionally changing the flow to provide emphasis where the text requires it. He manages to convey the message and the feeling of the written word very well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- K.Curtis
- 06-25-17
should be required reading if running for office!
This is a well researched and reasonably accessible book that describes the history and current working conditions of Congress. While academic in prose, there is a lot of good information and useful recommendations that could have positive impact on our nation if implemented. The narrator, Jim Seybert, does a great job of making a somewhat complicated text easy to understand.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christine Newton
- 07-17-17
Ideas worth hearing
Any additional comments?
There are numerous reasons why I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. First, I appreciate that it was written with contributions from both Republicans and Democrats who offered shared points of view as well as different perspectives. This book represents what I would hope to see in functional government - people with different political perspectives contributing different ideas and identifying common ground between the perspectives. Second, this book identifies a variety of structural and procedural weaknesses in the Congressional system, which help explain hyper-partisanship and the continuation of the status quo (the book was copyrighted in 2014). In other words, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the organizational culture of Congress; a simple fix isn't easy to identify. Third, I was delighted to read about the importance of rhetoric, argumentation, and persuasion. I'm suffering from partisan propaganda fatigue, so whenever I encounter objective or bi-partisan political discourse I feel refreshed and optimistic. Finally, I appreciated the reminder that politics can be as rude and violent as WWE wrestling. I recall one of the early chapters of Shelby Foote's first volume on the civil war, where he describes how a Senator (Sumner?) was brutally attacked with a cane by a fellow politician (Brooks?) on the Senate floor prior to the Civil War. I read more recently (in the magazine called 'Canada's History') that one of the reasons why Canadian women were not allowed to vote was because of the violence and drunken chaos that often occurred during the voting process. The history of decorum in politics is vastly interesting and it's helpful to be reminded that, although things could be better, things could definitely be worse!
I encourage anyone who wants a good distraction from the sensationalism of current political events to read this book. It's a relatively short audiobook, but I suggest that you listen to it one chapter at a time in multiple sittings rather than all at once.
As with most of the other non-fiction audiobooks that I've enjoyed in the past, I regret that I don't have access to references and source material, in case I wanted to explore these topics further.
The narration is excellent, no complaints whatsoever!
I provided my opinion in exchange for a complimentary copy of the audiobook from the author, narrator, or publisher.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- EP
- 07-21-18
Reasonable Men, Unreasonable System
This audiobook is at once relevant, timely, thought-provoking and important. The author starts by describing the vital role that Congress plays in keeping the U.S. political system functioning properly (i.e. by creating laws). The author shows why modern-day Congress is having such difficulty getting things done, explaining in detail the legislative steps that have led to today's congressional gridlock. Each subsequent chapter provides the listener with a series of suggestions on what can be done to get Congress back on track.
This book is refreshingly non-partisan, providing input and offering suggestions from both Republicans and Democrats. I LOVED how well the author shows us that today's problems in Congress have almost NOTHING to do with the individuals in Congress- or their political affiliations- and nearly EVERYTHING to do with the structural and procedural weaknesses in the Congressional system. This helps the listener to understand why Congress has become so partisan and why it's so difficult to get anything done in Congress. We have created a system that is perfectly designed for giving us what we're currently getting: nearly nothing. If the People want different congressional outcomes, the People will need to change the congressional system! This audiobook offers listeners-and Congress-a roadmap for changing the system with which Congress operates.
The narration of this audiobook is good; the narrator speaks clearly and has a pleasant voice.
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!