The PARTISAN DIVIDE: Congress in Crisis

by Tom Davis, Martin Frost, Richard E. Cohen, David Eisenhower

Overview

"Martin Frost and Tom Davis are uniquely qualified to examine how constant conflict in Washington keeps too many good things from happening. The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a smart book that asks the right questions and offers some intriguing solutions." — President Bill Clinton

During their 40 years in Congress, Martin Frost and Tom Davis were the field generals for their respective parties, each serving two terms as chair of the Democratic and Republican House campaign committees. Now they have joined forces — along with columnist Richard Cohen — in an effort to save Congress from itself.

According to the authors, Congress is incapable of reforming itself without a good kick in the seat from the American public. Frost and Davis, with great insight and skill, along with a wealth of anecdotes and photos, dissect the causes of legislative gridlock and offer a common sense, bipartisan plan for making our Congress function again.

The Preface by Pulitzer Prize finalist David Eisenhower sets the stage for this powerful behind-the-scenes narrative that uncovers the past road to the present political gridlock — and then offers thought-provoking insights and possibilities for the way out.

A wide array of Republicans, Democrats, former presidents, and congressional colleagues, as well as many of today’s most highly respected news correspondents and analysts, have come together in broad, bi-partisan, consensus support for this book and its message.

The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a fascinating "must-read" for the historically and politically curious — as well as every citizen of the United States!

"As bipartisan progress becomes ever scarcer in Washington, Frost and Davis have come together to present thought-provoking ideas and insights from four decades of collective experience in Congress. 　In their powerful insiders’ account of the road into political gridlock, readers will find both the full extent of the problem and new possibilities for a way out." — Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader and 60th Speaker of the House

"This book by two veteran politicians — one a Democrat and one a Republican — shows just how broken our political system is and how difficult it is going to be to get it back on track." — Bob Schieffer, Moderator of Face the Nation and Chief Washington Correspondent CBS News

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619331280
Publisher:	FastPencil, Inc.
Publication date:	12/19/2014
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	999,578
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Tom Davis served in Congress from 1994 to 2008 representing Virginia's 11th district. During that time, he served as House GOP campaign chairman for two cycles (2000 and 2002), and chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight before retiring, undefeated in 2008. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia Law School. Mr. Davis currently serves as a Director at Deloitte LLP and resides in Vienna, Virginia. He is also a co-founder of "No Labels."

Martin Frost served 26 years in Congress representing the Dallas–Ft. Worth area in North Texas. During that time he served four years as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and four years as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. He has undergraduate degrees in journalism and history from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Frost is a senior partner in the Washington office of the Polsinelli law firm and resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Richard Cohen has written about Congress for National Journal, Politico and Congressional Quarterly. He is the author of several books, including Washington at Work: Back Rooms and Clean Air, a case study of the 1990 Clean Air Act, and Rostenkowski: The Pursuit of Power and the End of the Old Politics. He has been co-author of The Almanac of American Politics. Mr. Cohen received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Cohen resides in McLean, Virginia.

David Eisenhower, grandson of general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is a historian and the Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. He serves as a senior research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and is a fellow in the International Relations Department at the University. Mr. Eisenhower is the author of Eisenhower: At War, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history in 1986. He is the co-author with wife, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, of Going Home to Glory.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Chapter 1 The Mess We're in: How Did We Get Here, and Where Do We Go From Here? 1

Chapter 2 Qualifying the Expert Witnesses 7

Chapter 3 The New Normal: Divided Government 31

Chapter 4 The Continuing Role of Race in American Politics 47

Chapter 5 Redisricting and the Art of Gerrymandering 61

Chapter 6 Moneyball 75

Chapter 7 All Politics Is No Longer Local 95

Chapter 8 Do Independents Matter?, and the Collapse of the Middle 147

Chapter 9 Relying on Base Voters Makes Compromise Much Harder 159

Chapter 10 The New Media: Polarized and Segmented 171

Chapter 11 House Elections: A Science Unto Themselves 183

Chapter 12 Senate Elections: Voters Still Matter 199

Chapter 13 When Congress Was Fun… and Productive 219

Chapter 14 Committee Selections and Leadership Elections 235

Chapter 15 The Big Punt 253

Chapter 16 The Way Forward 271

Endnotes 287

About the Authors 293

Index 299

Editorial Reviews

Democrat Martin Frost and Republican Tom Davis knew how to work together effectively as Congressional leaders. In this important book, they describe how the decline of bipartisanship has brought about a government that seems incapable of addressing the serious problems that affect our nation, and they suggest how this might be reversed.

President Jimmy Carter

Martin Frost and Tom Davis are uniquely qualified to examine how constant conflict in Washington keeps too many good things from happening. The Partisan Divide: Congress in Crisis is a smart book that asks the right questions and offers some intriguing solutions.

President Bill Clinton

It doesn’t take a Washington insider to know that Congress is broken right now. In The Way Forward (final chapter), Martin and Tom identify the primary causes of and potential solutions to this dysfunction. From campaign finance to the 24/7 news media to demographic trends, their explanation of congressional gridlock is wide-ranging and comprehensive.

Donna Brazile

Tom Davis, Martin Frost along with Rich Cohen have written a book that desperately needed to be written and arguably no other three people are better qualified to write it. Not a textbook or a 'tell-all' book, but really a first-hand, behind the scenes account and explanation of what has gone terribly wrong in Washington and politics, and why.

Charlie Cook

Martin Frost and Tom Davis are two of the savviest members of Congress to have served in recent decades, comfortable with both politics and policy, and immersed enough in our recent political turmoil to have great perspective on causes and consequences. One doesn't have to agree with all their viewpoints and recommendations to appreciate their terrific contribution in this book to our understanding of Congress and political dysfunction.

Norm Ornstein

Put plainly, this is the most significant political book I have read in a decade or longer. Our system of self-government is manifestly in crisis and the stakes could not be higher. For over a decade, the public has awaited explanations and recommendations, which are provided by the book.

David Eisenhower

As bipartisan progress becomes ever scarcer in Washington, Frost and Davis have come together to present thought-provoking ideas and insights from four decades of collective experience in Congress. In their powerful insiders’ account of the road into political gridlock, readers will find both the full extent of the problem and new possibilities for a way out.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

Tom Davis and Martin Frost are two men that have been in the pits of the great partisan battles of the past yet were able to join with their leaderships to bridge the politics and get real things done in the legislative arena. Their book brings unique insights and answers on how our Nation’s political discourse can begin to yield positive results.

Dennis Hastert

Martin Frost and Tom Davis have offered their readers an insight into our nation's current crisis in the 21st century - our system of governance. Their thoughtful analysis and recommendations will provide the American people with solutions in restoring faith and confidence in today's political climate.

r - Dick Gephardt