Abolddefenseofournation’slegislatureanditsabilitytoworkthroughthecountry’sdeepestdivisions,andastarkwarningofwhatourpoliticalfutureholdsifweallowCongresstodecay.Likeitornot,ourcountry’sfuturedependsonCongress.TheFoundingFathersmadearepresentative,deliberativelegislaturetheindispensablepillaroftheAmericanconstitutionalsystem,givingitmorepowerandresponsibilitythananyotherbranchofgovernment.Yettoday,contemptforCongressisnearlyuniversal.Toalargeextent,evenmembersofCongressthemselvesareunabletoexplainanddefendthevalueoftheirinstitution.WhyCongresstakesonthischallengesquarely,explainingwhyourincreasinglydividedpoliticsdemandalegislaturecapableofpittingfactionsagainsteachotherandforcingthemtoworkoutaccommodations.Thisbookcoversthepast,present,andfutureoftheinstitutiontounderstandhowithasbecomesodysfunctional,butalsotosuggesthowitmightberestored.ThebookvividlyshowshowahealthyCongressmadeitpossibleforthecountrytoworkthroughsomeofitsmostdifficultchallenges,includingWorldWarIIandthestruggleforcivilrights.Buttransformationsthatbeganinthe1970sultimatelyempoweredcongressionalleaderstosuppressdissentwithintheirownpartiesandframeamaximallydivisiveagenda.Instarkcontrasttotheearlierepisodes,wherelegislatorssecureddurablepoliticalresolutions,infacingcontemporarychallenges,suchasimmigrationandCOVID-19,Congresshasexacerbateddivisionsratherthansearchingforcompromiseswithbroadappeal.ButCongress’powertoorganizeitselfsuggestsawayout.WallachdeftlyexplainsthatwhileCongresscouldacceptitsdescentintodecrepitudeorcedeitspowertothepresident,aMadisonianrevivalofdeliberationcanyetrestoreoursystemofgovernment’sabilitytoworkthroughdeepdivides.
