The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy) by Thomas E. Mann (PDF)

Description

The Broken Branch offers both a brilliant diagnosis of the cause of Congressional decline and a much-needed blueprint for change, from two experts who understand politics and revere our institutions, but believe that Congress has become deeply dysfunctional. Mann and Ornstein, two of the nation’s most renowned and judicious scholars of government and politics, bring to light the historical roots of Congress’s current maladies, examining 40 years of uninterrupted Democratic control of the House and the stunning midterm election victory of 1994 that propelled Republicans into the majority in both House and Senate. The byproduct of that long and grueling but ultimately successful Republican campaign, the authors reveal, was a weakened institution bitterly divided between the parties. They highlight the dramatic shift in Congress from a highly decentralized, committee-based institution into a much more regimented one in which party increasingly trumps committee. The resultant changesin the policy process–the demise of regular order, the decline of deliberation, and the weakening of our system of checks and balances–have all compromised the role of Congress in the American Constitutional system. From tax cuts to the war against Saddam Hussein to a Medicare prescription drug benefit, the Legislative process has been bent to serve immediate presidential interests and have often resulted in poorly crafted and stealthily passed laws. Strong majority leadership in Congress, the authors conclude, led not to a vigorous exertion of congressional authority but to a general passivity in the face of executive power.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “The Broken Branch…reveals their relationship with the national legislature to be much more profound than mere observation. Frankly, it’s love. And they are deeply distressed by Congress’s current low esteem. Urging reform at every opportunity, they seem like the loyal spouse of an alcoholic or drug addict, desperately pushing their beloved into rehab.”–The New York Times Book Review”Two of the most knowledgeable congressional scholars.”–washingtonpost.com”Mann and Ornstein document a litany of abuses so excruciating that their reaction to the impeachment debacle of 1998 is this: ‘We didn’t think they could sink any lower. We were wrong.’ Examples abound. Minority Democrats are routinely given only hours to read the text of thousand-page bills before they’re brought up for a vote. Conference committees are stacked exclusively with friendly members. Oversight committees lie dormant and cabinet secretaries treat congressional inquiries with open contempt. Lobbying and pork-barrel spending are at record highs.”–Kevin Drum, Washington Monthly”It is easy to recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Congress, how it works and how it should work.”–Robert G. Kaiser, Washington Post Book World”Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein have few peers as Congress watchers, but their affection for this very human institution drives their analyses in The Broken Branch as much as their experience. You don’t have to agree with every point in their criticism to feel renewed respect for their lifetime of devotion to helping make the people’s branch of government a better functioning and more constructive tribune of the public interest.”–U.S. Senator John McCain”Poll after poll shows a dramatic decline in public esteem for the Congress. In the opinion of many Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, the institution simply does not work. Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein, two of the nation’s very finest Congressional scholars, have shown in sharp, clean prose what has gone wrong and why and refreshingly suggest ways to get the First Branch of government back on track. This book is essential reading for Americans concerned about our country and our government.”–Thomas S. Foley, Former Speaker of the House”The Constitution makes the legislative branch Article 1. It precedes the presidency and the judiciary by design. Today the legislative branch is too weak, too dysfunctional, and too out of touch with modern times to fulfill its constitutional duties. Mann and Ornstein understand well the glaring gap between the framers’ design and today’s reality. The Broken Branch is a serious step toward strengthening the Congress and moving America back toward a more stable and safer system.”–Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House”This book confirms what many of us have long known. Norm Ornstein and Tom Mann are two extremely admired and knowledgeable students of the United States Congress. It is a ‘must-read’ not only for Members of Congress, but for all Americans who care about the success of this vital institution of our Republic in these troubled times.”–Tom Daschle, Former Senate Majority Leader”If you have ever worried about the declining influence of Congress in American political life, listen up! This timely book is for you. A first-rate, close up story of congressional problems and institutional decline…historically informed, institutionally sophisticated, told by two of Washington’s best informed observers of American politics.”–Richard F. Fenno, Jr., University of Rochester”For anyone wondering why they should vote out the Republicans, this book provides the answer.”–The Morning Call”An important new book…”–Cox News Service About the Author Thomas E. Mann is the W. Averell Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution. The author of numerous books on American government, and a contributor to major magazines and newspapers like Washington Post and New York Times, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.Norman J. Ornstein is a Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. An election analyst for CBS News, he writes a weekly column called “Congress Inside Out” for Roll Call. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs, and he appears regularly on television programs like The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, and Charlie Rose. Like Mann, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐The notion of the smooth operating machinery of government was always a myth at best, but today it has become a dream of another era. There was always partisanship in Congress, but there was also respect for the institution and its responsiblities. This is no longer the case: party and ideology take precedence above everything else. The traditional rules and norms of conduct that made policy-making balanced and effective are no longer being followed. Getting results – ends justifying the means – is the only thing that matters today.Respected policy wonks and congressional observers Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein have been watching the broken branch for decades, and in this book they give an excellent history of its demise as a respected institution. They assert that both parties are responsible for its downfall; however, they emphasize that things have gotten much worse since 1994, the year the Republicans took control. Even though the Democrats were high-handed and arrogant toward the end of their reign, the Republicans have since gone far beyond.One of the most famous examples of violation of congressional conduct was the disregard of the “15 minute” rule by Jim Wright back in 1987. Congress was allowed 15 minutes to vote on bills, but Speaker Wright kept the vote open for an extra 10 minutes since they were short one vote on an important piece of legislation. The Democrats got their vote, but there were howls of disapproval from the Republican minority.Fast forward to 2003. With the passage of the Medicare prescription drug bill hanging in the balance, congressional Republicans are holding the vote open for 3 hours applying all sorts of pressure and barely legal coercion to get the required votes – and this was taking place at 3 in the morning. The sad part is that this is no longer the exception, this is how bills are now passed.Aside from the policy-making process turning into an excercise in arm-twisting and bribery, the role of Congress as a check to presidential powers has also suffered under Republican stewardship. The leaders of Congress have become nothing more than yes-men for the executive branch. The detrimental consequences are becoming more obvious by the day. Not only are we mired in a poorly planned and executed war in two countries, we have an administration that can get away with torture and warrantless wiretapping. Lack of congressional oversight is putting it nicely, dereliction of duty would be more accurate.Mann and Ornstein elaborate on a number of reforms that need to take place in order for Congress to reclaim its honorable tradition. Now that the Democrats have retaken control there is the hope that they can do some of these reforms before they too take for granted their position of power. Unfortunately optimism was also present when the Republicans gained power in 1994. The adage about power corrupting still applies and the Democrats should take note. Mann and Ornstein call upon Congress to rise above petty partisanship and once again become a strong and respectable institution that can temper a powerful and aggressive executive branch. This book is a timely contribution to much needed congressional reform.

⭐In 2003 Gallup conducted a survey that asked the public to rank professions according to honesty and ethics. Members of Congress ended up with a 17% approval rating in this regard. This was, of course, before Mann and Ornstein wrote this book. Having now read the book I would tend to give them a 7% rating which would tie them with used car salesmen.This is not a highly partisan book. It was written by two Washington think tank men who have worked with congress for over 30 years. Democrats and Republicans share in the disgrace that is recounted here. The horror of it is that it is getting worse each year. The authors start the book with a history of congress and how it evolved. It is interesting to note that Party power struggles were part of the congressional system throughout the history of the republic.Rules are frequently changed to strengthen the party that is in power. There was a rule that vote counts were to take 15 minutes, yet when the Medicare drug plan came up for a vote three hours passed while Republican leaders went around threatening, and even bribing members to change their vote. Members often spend only two days a week in Washington. Thousand page bills are brought up on the floor with no notice. Conference reports are changed in the middle of the night, and rules are used to suppress debate.Committee chairmen, in a certain sense, buy their chairs insofar as they often go to the biggest money raisers, and not the most senior or the most competent. Congressional staffers come and go in revolving door manner so they can go work for lobbying firms, which firms are required to employ only those belonging to the party in power. Congressional members even shake down lobbying firms for money. There is no true, properly functioning ethics committee.This was a very painful and depressing book to read. The fact that this book also ranks down around 11,000 on Amazon’s best seller list is also sad. I think that high school civics teachers should make this book required reading in their classes so that our youth can see how our democracy really runs. What kind of government do we end up with when no one has the time or inclination to read the bills that end up for a vote which sometimes is taken at 3 AM. First there were the books on the Iraqi war that I finished reading, and now this sad book. If I read many more books on the world situation I’m going to have to start taking Prozac.

⭐Interesting and easy to read. Great for undergraduate US politics students.Some problems with the cover otherwise the book is in great condition.

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