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To overcome the political deadlock that overshadows the pressing problems facing the United States, the academies top scholars address the causes and consequences of polarization in American politics, and suggest solutions for bridging the partisan divide.

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Foreword; Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein Introduction; Scott A. Frisch and Sean Q Kelly PART I: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF PARTISAN POLARIZATION 1. Appropriations to the Extreme: Partisanship and the Power of the Purse; Geoffrey W. Buhl, Scott A. Frisch and Sean Q Kelly 2. The Gingrich Senators, the Tea Party Senators, and Their Effect on the U.S. Senate; Sean Theriault 3. The Weaponization of Congressional Oversight: The Politics of the Watchful Eye, 1947-2010; David C.W. Parker and Matthew Dull 4. Party Polarization, Member Incivility, and Legislative Productivity: A Two-Dimensional Perspective on Conflict and Moderation in Congress; Lawrence C. Dodd and Scot Schraufnagel 5. Let´s Play Hardball: Congressional Partisanship in the Television Era; Douglas Harris 6. Profile Politics: Examining Polarization through Congressional Member Facebook Pages; José Marichal 7. Necessary and Damaging: Presidential Base Electoral Strategies and Partisan Polarization; Lara Brown 8. A Polarizing Supreme Court? Judicial Decisions in a Red/Blue America; Kevin J. McMahon PART II: BRIDGING THE PARTISAN DIVIDE 9. Growing Apart: ´Civilista´ Attempts to Bridge the Partisan Rift; Frank Mackaman 10. Can Polarization be Mitigated? California´s Experiment with the Top-Two Primary; Seth Masket 11. How to Turn Democrats and Republicans into Americans; Mickey Edwards

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"The dysfunctional gridlock of the modern Congress is on display for even the most casual observers. The bad behavior in Congress reflects deep divisions across the political environment including the media and other institutions- even the Supreme Court. In Politics to the Extreme some of the nation´s most savvy observers explain and explore how extreme partisan polarization is undermining effective government. Thoughtful and illuminating books like this one are necessary if we are to find our way to the difficult solutions." Richard A. Arenber, Adjunct Professor at Brown University, USA and co-author of Defending the Filibuster

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Lara M. Brown, Villanova University, USA Geoffrey Buhl, California State University Channel Islands, USA Lawrence C. Dodd, University of Florida, USA Matthew Dull, Virginia Tech University, USA Mickey Edwards, Aspen Institute, USA Douglas B. Harris, Loyola University, USA Seth E. Masket, University of Denver, USA Frank H. Mackaman, The Dirksen Congressional Center, USA Thomas E. Mann, The Brookings Institution, USA Jose Marichal, California Lutheran University, USA Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College, USA Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), USA David C.W. Parker, Montana State University Bozeman, USA Scot Schraufnagel, Northern Illinois University, USA Sean M. Theriault, University of Texas at Austin, USA

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