The Columnist Manifesto

I haven't read their book yet, but Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson have what I take to be a short introduction to the book in today's Sunday NYTimes Magazine. In "The Center No Longer Holds," Hacker and Pierson outline their argument about show how the Republicans have succeeded in breaking the political pendulum that has somewhat reliably swung back to the center in American politics after getting pushed too far (for Americans) left or right. By seizing and expanding certain structural advantages they can impose unpopular right-wing policies that even median swing voters don't like, without suffering electoral backlash.

Read it and weep...