How America Works... and Why It Doesn't - by William Cooper (Paperback)

About the Book

An accessible guide to the US political system which provides a rational and compelling explanation of the ongoing threat to American democracy.

Book Synopsis

Twenty-first-century America isn't working the way it's supposed to. This book explains why.

Americans in the twenty-first century are becoming increasingly untethered from both reality and the essential principles and traditions that have shaped the nation's historic success. A big part of why America isn't working is because far too many Americans neither know nor care how it's supposed to work.

Cooper explains key aspects of recent US political history to give the background to dangerous developments, including how political groups have reshaped since the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the rise of Newt Gingrich and the Tea Party, the profound impact of the internet and social media, and the threats posed to the electoral system by the growth of extreme polarization and growing irrationality.

Cooper shows how these recent developments have their roots in the deeper past, with the establishment of the political system in the first place and all the knocks and tweaks to it along the way. He also reveals how, as a result of increasing politicization, the US Supreme Court is now exacerbating polarization instead of acting as an effective check on executive power.

How America Works...and Why It Doesn't is an accessible guide to the US political system which provides a rational and compelling explanation of the ongoing threat to American democracy.

Review Quotes

Praise for William Cooper ,

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“, A compelling and sensible overview of America’, s emerging democratic crisis . . . the book’, s reasoned tone and bipartisan critiques are a welcome perspective in an increasingly polarized and heated political landscape.”, —, Kirkus Reviews ,

", A timely and invaluable contribution to the conversation on America, the Middle East, and the world.", —, Mohamed ‘, Arafa, Cornell Law School ,

", In How America Works ... And Why it Doesn't, William Cooper gives a thoughtful, readable guide to what ails American Democracy. Required reading for any student of political science.", —, Uri Kaufman, author of Eighteen Days in October

", Partisanship fuels personal convictions more than ever in our society, and convictions fuel ‘, mysided’, thinking and other cognitive biases. At no time have we needed this discussion of bias and partisan thinking more than now.", —, Keith E. Stanovich, author of The Bias That Divides Us ,

", William Cooper has seen the future, and it is—, or can be—, a lot better than our recent past. Reading How America Works ... And Why It Doesn’, t and inhaling his wisdom is taking a resolute step toward a better democracy for us all.", —, Michael McKinley, bestselling author of Yardley’, s Ace: Making and Breaking American Military Intelligence ,

", William Cooper is an insightful and thought-provoking writer about US politics. He deserves to be widely read.", —, Thomas Plate, Editorial Page Editor (former) LA Times ,

", William Cooper logically and authoritatively takes you step by step through all the reasons a President Trump couldn’, t imprison his enemies, pardon his friends, overrule judges, weaponize the Department of Justice, prosecute Joe Biden, or order the military to enforce his unconstitutional actions.", —, Cleveland Plain Dealer ,  ,

", William Cooper presents an insightful, sensitive, and accessible account of the trials that face American democracy in the twenty-first century. This fair- and broad-minded volume makes compelling reading for those who are looking to build a better democracy.", —, Alexander Yen, The University of Oxford ,

", William Cooper’, s writing about American politics is such a great tool for classrooms or for any place where people would like to have a civil conversation about things.", —, Robin Colucci, host of Authors’, Corner ,

“, A compelling rallying cry for democratic institutions under threat in America [and] perfect for readers eager for a non-partisan analysis of the threat to American democracy.”, —, Publishers Weekly ,

“, An excellent short historical and predictive account of where America stands today and how recent history will inform its future.”, —, Manhattan Book Review ,  ,

“, Essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of our democracy.”, —, Readers’, Favorite (five-star review) ,

“, Riveting and insightful.”, —, City Book Review ,

“, Thoughtful”, —, Ben Burgis, columnist, The Daily Beast ,

“, William Cooper brilliantly identifies and organizes important touchstones in the great American experiment and illustrates how everything from the framing of the Constitution to the current impact of social media have shaped where we find ourselves today. Some events and observations are generally known but provide the reader’, s memory a prod. Cooper injects his own powers of journalist and historian to show how the pieces fit together. This book is a must-read.”, —, Michael Leonard, award-winning columnist, Bloomington Herald Times ,

About the Author

William Cooper is an attorney and columnist. His writings have appeared in hundreds of publications globally including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle, Baltimore Sun, Dallas Morning News, USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times, Jerusalem Post, and Huffington Post. He is the author of Stress Test: How Donald Trump Threatens American Democracy.