City of Rivals
Restoring the Glorious Mess of American Democracy
Published on 9. September 2014
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-7627-9158-3 (ISBN)
Description
Forty years ago the Watergate scandal deeply wounded Americans' faith in government. Since then, good-government reformers and big-government opponents have been on a shared mission to make everything transparent. The problem is that too much light is scaring Congressmen away from making the tough choices necessary to govern in the national interest. It's no secret that the backrooms are where things get done and where politicians can collaborate without reprisal. In City of Rivals, Grumet boldly argues that the answer lies in harnessing partisanship, not spinning in its mud.
America is once again gripped by fear that we are falling behind and fast. Unlike the Soviet threat that shook our nation a half century ago, the menace today is homegrown. On issues of national importance, the two parties in Congress appear incapable of working together. Whether the threat is competition from China, crumbling infrastructure, or rising debt, Washington's legitimacy to govern and capacity to solve problems are in doubt.
The Bipartisan Policy Center's president, Jason Grumet, tackles this issue head-on by challenging the conventional diagnosis of the current gridlock. Rather than lamenting our differences, Grumet offers practical steps to govern a polarized nation, and he explores the unintended consequences of past reform movements. It's a must-read for all who care about our country's future.
America is once again gripped by fear that we are falling behind and fast. Unlike the Soviet threat that shook our nation a half century ago, the menace today is homegrown. On issues of national importance, the two parties in Congress appear incapable of working together. Whether the threat is competition from China, crumbling infrastructure, or rising debt, Washington's legitimacy to govern and capacity to solve problems are in doubt.
The Bipartisan Policy Center's president, Jason Grumet, tackles this issue head-on by challenging the conventional diagnosis of the current gridlock. Rather than lamenting our differences, Grumet offers practical steps to govern a polarized nation, and he explores the unintended consequences of past reform movements. It's a must-read for all who care about our country's future.
Reviews / Votes
"In this valuable and judicious book, Jason Grumet explores the root cause of our political dysfunction, which is that the culture of collaboration that was once the foundation for American democracy has been denigrated and eroded. Fortunately, he's an optimist, and his book describes a virtuous cycle that could restore, step by step, our government's ability to solve problems."-Walter Isaacson, award-winning author and president and CEO of the Aspen Institute "This is one book that was so hot that it had to be held until after Labor Day. You need to pick up the fun and insightful read of Jason Grumet's City of Rivals. As one half of a bipartisan couple, I know partisan politics pretty well and Grumet's skillful handling and master of the subject matter in City of Rivals highlights the hope for bipartisan solutions."-James Carville "Kudos to City of Rivals for embracing constructive partisanship. Jason Grumet understands that the secret of American politics is the ability to advocate with passion and grace. This book captures the essence of America Strength. Let the best ideas win."-Mary Matalin "When it comes to exploring potential solutions for today's historic levels of congressional dysfunction, Jason Grumet brings a unique and compelling vantage point as founder and leader of the only Washington 'think tank' that actively promotes bipartisanship to address America's most monumental challenges. City of Rivals offers a fascinating perspective on the origins of the current, crippling hyper-partisanship, and provocative recommendations for fostering the kind of cross-party collaboration that is essential to enabling Congress to produce results once again."--Senator Olympia Snowe"Jason Grumet's provocative book shows how conventional wisdom can steer us in the wrong direction and how reformers acting with the best of intentions have unintentionally paved the way to our present dysfunction. But his timely, important, and refreshingly optimistic book also maps a way forward with a compelling defense of 'principled compromise' among party leaders who regard each other as worthy rivals rather than bitter enemies."-Larry Kramer, president of William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and former dean of Stanford Law School"City of Rivals traces how the elements that make the BPC so effective are being driven out of the federal government. America's leaders today don't know each other well enough and they don't trust one another deeply enough to harness the sort of collaboration we need to succeed as a nation...City of Rivals boldly explores how many well intentioned and popular efforts to make government work better are doing just the opposite." -Senator Tom Daschle, from the Foreword"The unconventional insights offered...provide a practical and optimistic vision of how to get America back on track. It is good reading for anyone who wants to understand what's gone wrong in the nation's capital--and required reading for anyone who wants to do something about it." -Senator Bob Dole, from the ForewordMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Guilford
United States
Publishing group
Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN-13
978-0-7627-9158-3 (9780762791583)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jason Grumet, founder and president of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), has worked at the intersection of policy and politics throughout his career. In 2007, with the leadership of former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, he founded the BPC to develop and promote bipartisan solutions to the country's most difficult public policy challenges. From 2001 to 2011 Grumet directed the National Commission on Energy Policy (NCEP), which is now a former BPC project. Prior to leading the Energy Commission, Grumet was the Executive Director of NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management), a nonprofit association of air quality agencies in the Northeast.Grumet has worked at the intersection of policy and politics throughout his career. A frequent witness at Congressional hearings, he has written about the challenge of bipartisan collaboration in The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Hill, Roll Call and many other publications. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University and his Juris Doctorate from Harvard University. He lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their three children in Washington, D.C