Wedged: How You Became a Tool of the Partisan Political Establishment, and How to Start Thinking for Yourself Again

Description

For over a decade the pundits of America have decried the dysfunction of American politics, and politicians have promised that, if elected, they'll bring about the change we need. We've grown rightly cynical to such promises, and we watch, seemingly helpless, as the state of politics in the US spirals further into partisan gridlock and mutual antipathy.Dozens of solutions have been proposed to heal the partisan divide and get American politics back on track. But most come ultimately to some form of, "the other party should be more reasonable and agree with me," or, "politicians should just stop fighting and work together." These solutions haven't worked because they have failed to address the root cause of the problem.A wedge has been driven into American politics by powerful political, social, and economic incentives that are very difficult to overcome.  The middle ground has fallen out of the political process, leaving power in the hands of hard-line partisans that frame the national agenda and direct our political energy towards emotionally satisfying--but politically unproductive--tribal warfare.In Wedged, authors Erik Fogg and Nathaniel Greene take readers through a compelling, thorough, and accessible explanation of how Americans--from voters to politicians to media--participate in the process that is tearing the nation apart. Readers will understand the history and process behind growing partisan gridlock, and explore the wedge issues used to hijack us into being tools for the political machine.Americans can right the ship of our political system, but it requires a change in culture that starts with each of us. Greene and Fogg leave readers with both the inspiration and strategy necessary for each of us to begin the hard work of extracting the wedge from American politics.Wedged is meant to to reverse the trend of polarization in the United States by helping Americans become less susceptible to wedging. The authors want people who read Wedged to respond differently to wedging tactics--to say, "hang on a minute," when wedging tactics are used on them. That moment of realization is step one to the American people taking our power back.This book will help you become aware when wedging is happening to you, illustrate what wedging tactics look like, and provide alternative ways to think about problems that aren't sensationalized, black and white extremes. The breakdown and polarization of American politics has been driven by identity politics, and the way to overcome it is to create a culture that rejects this false identity and re-centers itself on the core values that Americans share.CONTENTSIntroduction: How American Political Dialogue Fell ApartPart 1: The Wedge in American PoliticsThe Dire State of American Political DysfunctionHow the Wedge WorksPart 2: The Wedge IssuesGunsAbortionWealth and TaxesDriving the Wedge Into Bigger IssuesPart 3: How Wedge Issues DieGay Marriage: A Case StudyPart 4: Overcoming the WedgeStarting With YourselfChanging the Soil