Short Synopsis
While the hyper-partisanship in Washington that has stunned the world has been building for decades, Ira Shapiro argues that the U.S. Senate has suffered most acutely from the loss of its political center. In Broken, the former senior Senate staffer offers an expert's account of some of the most prominent battles of the past decade and lays out what must be done to restore the Senate's lost luster.

Full Synopsis
While the hyper-partisanship in Washington that has stunned the world has been building for decades, Ira Shapiro argues that the U.S. Senate has suffered most acutely from the loss of its political center. In Broken, Ira Shapiro, a former senior Senate staffer and author of the critically-acclaimed book The Last Great Senate, offers an expert's account of some of the most prominent battles of the past decade and lays out what must be done to restore the Senate's lost luster. With a narrative that runs right through the first six months of the Trump presidency, Broken is a must-listen book for all concerned about the state of our politics and the future of our country.

"By chronicling the dysfunction of contemporary American politics through the prism of the Senate and its role, Shapiro has given us important insights into what went wrong and why, and a roadmap to fix at least one vital part of a system gone awry." ---Norman J. Ornstein, coauthor of One Nation After Trump

"Broken is a worthy sequel to Ira Shapiro's wonderful first book, The Last Great Senate . . . Shapiro's deep knowledge of, experience with, and love for, the Senate makes this a rewarding read for college courses as well for those interested in the future of American democracy." ---Joel K. Goldstein, author of The White House Vice Presidency

"[Shapiro's] unflinching account is a call for the Senate to rise above partisanship rather than succumb to it." ---Madeleine K. Albright, former United States Secretary of State