Divided We Fall

"I decided to write this book because I am as frustrated, concerned, and even fearful about American politics and governance today as I have ever been before."America, the polarized. That was not the country Alice Rivlin wanted to live in. In Divided We Fall, Rivlin and her coauthors, Sheri Rivlin and Allan Rivlin, delve deep into the American body politic to try to tease out what it is that has led to the hard-edged, opposing views that threaten the future of democracy in the United States.One of the country's most influential economists, Rivlin served in in three presidential administrations. She knew firsthand the importance of reaching across the aisle to find bipartisan support for legislation. And as the head of Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget, and as the vice chair of the Federal Reserve, she reinforced the nonpartisan nature of the work they produced. The hyperpolarization of American politics during the last years of Rivlin's life, along with the election of Donald Trump, drove Rivlin to try to understand what had changed in American political life to unleash such unyielding attitudes. Looking back at her long career, Rivlin saw that sharply opposing perspectives have always been part of the political landscape in the United States. But it has been possible for the seemingly most recalcitrant senator and congressperson to reach consensus when it came to fiscal matters, especially the national budget, and Alice Rivlin was there to see it happen, especially during the Clinton and Obama years. She shows us how agreement was reached--or not, in some cases--and what it takes to bring those divided together.Divided We Fall offers a way forward to unwind difference and restore a shared sense of appreciation for working together to move the country forward as a whole.