Dangerous Convictions: What's Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress by Tom Allen (

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By virtually all measures, polarization in Congress has increased dramatically over the course of the past two decades. Former Democratic Congressman Tom Allen lived through this era, serving six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Drawing from his own experiences in the Congressional trenches, he tackles the root cause of why Democrats and Republicans arrived at a point where they barely speak to each other.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

The rhetoric of the 2012 presidential campaign exposed the deeply rooted sources of political polarization in American. One side celebrated individualism and divided the public into "makers and takers;" the other preached "better together" as the path forward. Both focused their efforts on the "base" not the middle. In Dangerous Convictions, former Democratic Congressman Tom Allen argues that what's really wrong with Congress is thewidening, hardening conflict in worldviews that leaves the two parties unable to understand how the other thinks about what people should do on their own and what we should do together. Members of Congressdon't just disagree, they think the other side makes no sense. Why are conservatives preoccupied with cutting taxes, uninterested in expanding health care coverage and in denial about climate change? What will it take for Congress to recover a capacity for pragmatic compromise on these issues?Allen writes that we should treat self-reliance (the quintessential American virtue) and community (our characteristic instinct to cooperate) as essential balancing components ofAmerican culture and politics, instead of setting them at war with each other. Combining his personal insights from 12 years In Congress with recent studies of how human beings form their political andreligious views, Allen explains why we must escape the grip of our competing worldviews to enable Congress to work productively on our 21st century challenges.

Author Biography

Tom Allen is President and CEO of the American Association of Publishers. He is a former U.S. Congressman representing Maine's 1st District from 1997 to 2009.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Early Lessons in CongressChapter Two: The Federal Budget: Faith-Based EconomicsChapter Three: Iraq: Evidence Doesn't MatterChapter Four: Health Care: Principle before PeopleChapter Five: Climate Change: Denial as Public PolicyChapter Six: The Sources of PolarizationChapter Seven: Finding a Path to Recovery

Review

"With historically low ratings, Congress is regarded as 'dysfunctional' by Americans of all political persuasions. Why that is so, and what can be done to reduce excessive partisanship, is the subject of Tom Allen's well-informed and provocative book." -Former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell"This is an extraordinarily valuable examination of the most troubling concern of our time: the inability of our leaders in Washington to find consensus and forge compromise in the public interest. Readers will discover here a deeply penetrating analysis by an author who had unique opportunities to observe from the inside the causes and consequences of our current polarization. Anyone who wants to understand why contemporary politics so often results in failurecannot afford to miss this essential book." -G. Calvin Mackenzie, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of Government, Colby College"Allen, a former Democratic congressman from Maine and current president and CEO of the American Association of Publishers, offers a panoramic critique of Congress based on his 12 years in office (1997-2009), covering policy areas from the budget to health care....Allen's pragmatism and reason help frame major issues for Americans hungering for some legislative wisdom after the election." --Publishers Weekly

Promotional

A six-term member of the House of Representatives offers an inside look at how ideological rigidity and polarization threaten American democracy

Long Description

The rhetoric of the 2012 presidential campaign exposed the deeply rooted sources of political polarization in American. One side celebrated individualism and divided the public into "makers and takers;" the other preached "better together" as the path forward. Both focused their efforts on the "base" not the middle. In Dangerous Convictions, former Democratic Congressman Tom Allen argues that what's really wrong with Congress is thewidening, hardening conflict in worldviews that leaves the two parties unable to understand how the other thinks about what people should do on their own and what we should do together. Members of Congress don't just disagree, they think the other side makes no sense. Why are conservatives preoccupied withcutting taxes, uninterested in expanding health care coverage and in denial about climate change? What will it take for Congress to recover a capacity for pragmatic compromise on these issues?Allen writes that we should treat self-reliance (the quintessential American virtue) and community (our characteristic instinct to cooperate) as essential balancing components of American culture and politics, instead of setting them at war with each other. Combining his personalinsights from 12 years In Congress with recent studies of how human beings form their political and religious views, Allen explains why we must escape the grip of our competing worldviews to enable Congress to work productively on our 21st century challenges.

Review Text

"With historically low ratings, Congress is regarded as 'dysfunctional' by Americans of all political persuasions. Why that is so, and what can be done to reduce excessive partisanship, is the subject of Tom Allen's well-informed and provocative book." -Former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell"This is an extraordinarily valuable examination of the most troubling concern of our time: the inability of our leaders in Washington to find consensus and forge compromise in the public interest. Readers will discover here a deeply penetrating analysis by an author who had unique opportunities to observe from the inside the causes and consequences of our current polarization. Anyone who wants to understand why contemporary politics so often results in failurecannot afford to miss this essential book." -G. Calvin Mackenzie, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of Government, Colby College"Allen, a former Democratic congressman from Maine and current president and CEO of the American Association of Publishers, offers a panoramic critique of Congress based on his 12 years in office (1997-2009), covering policy areas from the budget to health care....Allen's pragmatism and reason help frame major issues for Americans hungering for some legislative wisdom after the election." --Publishers Weekly

Review Quote

"With historically low ratings, Congress is regarded as 'dysfunctional' by Americans of all political persuasions. Why that is so, and what can be done to reduce excessive partisanship, is the subject of Tom Allen's well-informed and provocative book." -Former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell "This is an extraordinarily valuable examination of the most troubling concern of our time: the inability of our leaders in Washington to find consensus and forge compromise in the public interest. Readers will discover here a deeply penetrating analysis by an author who had unique opportunities to observe from the inside the causes and consequences of our current polarization. Anyone who wants to understand why contemporary politics so often results in failure cannot afford to miss this essential book." -G. Calvin Mackenzie, Goldfarb Family Distinguished Professor of Government, Colby College "Allen, a former Democratic congressman from Maine and current president and CEO of the American Association of Publishers, offers a panoramic critique of Congress based on his 12 years in office (1997-2009), covering policy areas from the budget to health care....Allen's pragmatism and reason help frame major issues for Americans hungering for some legislative wisdom after the election." --Publishers Weekly

Feature

Selling point: Combines a clear and compelling argument about the major source of dysfunction in American politics with the observations and insights of an insider.Selling point: Provides a scholarly, readable, revealing picture of life in Congress in these polarized times, and an inspiring challenge to the public.Selling point: Draws on a variety of intellectual sources including the work of Robert Putnam, George Lakoff, the several authors of Habits of the Heart, Thomas Merton, Isaiah Berlin, Tom Mann, and Norm Ornstein.

Details ISBN0199392870 Author Tom Allen Year 2014 ISBN-10 0199392870 ISBN-13 9780199392872 Format Paperback Media Book Subtitle What's Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress Short Title DANGEROUS CONVICTIONS Language English Affiliation Private Practitioner, Patterson, MO Place of Publication New York Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2014-10-23 NZ Release Date 2014-10-23 US Release Date 2014-10-23 UK Release Date 2014-10-23 Edited by Anton du Plessis Birth 1928 Position Professor of Communication Qualifications Ph.D. Publisher Oxford University Press Inc Publication Date 2014-10-23 Imprint Oxford University Press Inc DEWEY 320.47304 Audience General Pages 252 We've got this

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