Why Nothing Works

Reviews

“Friends of democracy typically hold two honorable impulses in tension: Power should be widely dispersed, and citizens should control the decisions affecting their lives; and democratic government should be able to accomplish big things and undertake big projects. Dunkelman’s provocative, well-argued thesis is that errors made in the name of the first objective have prevented democracy from achieving the second. Why Nothing Works is a spirited and thoughtful intervention in the debate progressives need to have.”—E.J. Dionne Jr., author of Why Americans Hate Politics “A powerfully argued book that ably clarifies and takes on America’s deep cultural aversion to power.”—Gordon Wood, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution “Provocative reading for anyone with a stake in public works writ large.”—Kirkus “Why America can’t build is the central economic and political question of our time. In Why Nothing Works Marc Dunkelman asks progressives to reflect on how their own ideas have stymied the nation’s ability to address the housing and climate crises and slashed national ambition in public works projects. A fantastic thinker, Dunkelman has written an essential book for anyone seeking to understand how Americans have lost faith in democratic institutions that over-promise and under-deliver.”—Jerusalem Demsas, The Atlantic “America is living the truth of the old saying: Any old jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one. Today, it feels like anyone can stop progress, but nobody’s capable of starting it. I got into politics because when I was a kid, government delivered big things for my little corner of Louisiana—roads, and canals, and electricity. If you want to know why that happened back then, why it’s not happening now, and how we can start doing and building big things again, then this is the book for you.”—James Carville “Anyone who has been frustrated with the inefficiency of government must read this book. Dunkelman takes us on a sweeping investigation of how, over the course of the twentieth century, the public sector has been increasingly paralyzed from exercising authority, demonstrating convincingly that the Progressive Left has been as much at fault in undermining popular trust as the Conservative Right. This beautifully written book cuts to the central dilemma of our day: how to empower a strong central government that works while still respecting the will of the people and inviting democratic participation. Dunkelman has confidence that we can do better—and he shows us how.”—Lizabeth Cohen, Howard Mumford Jones Professor of American Studies, Harvard University, and author of Saving America’s Cities “For progressive politics to work, the public must have an affirmative view of government and its effectiveness. This book is essential reading to appreciate how sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.”—Rahm Emanuel “Dunkelman has written a terrific book that both illustrates the extent of America’s public sector dysfunction and explains how that dysfunction emerged. From housing to public transportation to energy infrastructure, Dunkelman explains what went wrong and what to do about it. This book is a crucial addition to the national discussion of how to make our country more productive and affordable.”—Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University, and author of Triumph of the City “Politicians debate policy but ignore that America’s governing framework is often ‘authentically incompetent.’ With vivid stories laced with historical feuds and fears, Dunkelman shows how democracy descended into a state of rigor mortis. The cure is clear but bold—to largely abandon the procedural framework and put humans in charge again.”—Philip K. Howard, author of The Death of Common Sense “Why can’t the United States do big things anymore? Dunkelman tackles that question in this brilliant book, which takes a deep dive into why the well-meaning ideals of progressivism became unexpected obstacles to progress. Through a series of illuminating case studies, Dunkelman presents a thorough examination of what went wrong and offers ideas for a path forward.”—Jonathan Lemire, cohost, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, and author of The Big Lie “So much hinges on understanding what Dunkelman so clearly explains in this book—why we got stuck in a pattern of blocking everything from housing, to transportation, to green energy infrastructure and the price we’re paying for it now. Getting unstuck must become the most urgent priority of the left if we value our democracy. Everyone who reads this engaging, revealing book will want to be part of this much-needed change.”—Jennifer Pahlka, author of Recoding America “In this richly researched, compellingly argued, and sparklingly entertaining book, Dunkelman shows how American liberals—once builders and innovators par excellence—lost touch with their own mission and forgot how to build. This is a book for anyone who cares about putting progress back into progressivism and restoring government’s capacity to solve problems. In other words, it’s urgent reading for everyone.”—Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow, Brookings Institution, and author of Government’s End “Why Nothing Works is the best book to date on the biggest political issue that nobody is talking about, but everyone feels—a palpable and basically accurate sense that American society has lost the capacity to plan and execute large projects in the physical world. How can it be that the richest country on earth and the home to so many globe-straddling companies is saddled with second-rate infrastructure and endemic housing shortages?”—Matthew Yglesias Expand reviews