Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress--And How to Bring It Back

A provocative exploration about the architecture of power, the forces that stifle us from getting things done, and how we can restore confidence in democratically elected government.

America was once a country that could do big things – building the world’s greatest rail network, a vast electrical grid, interstate highways, abundant housing, Social Security, NASA, and more. But today, on issues that touch us each and every day, from housing to clean energy to high-speed rail, we feel stuck, unable to move the needle, ruled by a vetocracy that uses its power to stifle progress.

Marc Dunkelman’s provocative analysis of the architecture and use of power investigates how we moved from a can-do culture to one in which new red tape is added to a world already hampered by it—and how we can find our way back. While Progressives blame the right, it’s actually Progressive reforms that curtail anyone who wields power - from bureaucrats and politicians to financiers, and corporate executives - from getting things done. Guardrails placed around power brokers so that they don’t interfere with our individual autonomy or oppress us with its coercive authority have worked all too well – so well that government has been rendered incompetent, stifling the very tool needed to fight for justice and equality.

As Americans confront massive crises like climate change, rising healthcare costs, crumbling infrastructure, and failing schools, Americans need quick and decisive action. In this book Dunkelman shows how progressives can rediscover their roots, end gridlock, and do the crucial work of serving the people.