Hyperpartisanship has gridlocked the American government. Congress' approval ratings are at record lows, and both Democrats and Republicans are disgusted by the government's inability to get anything done. Ornstein present a grim picture of how party polarization and tribal politics have led Congress-and the United States-to the brink of institutional failure. In this revised edition, the authors bring their seminal book up to date in a political environment that is more divided than ever. The underlying dynamics of the situation-extremist Republicans holding government hostage to their own ideological, antigovernment beliefs-have only gotten worse, further bolstering their argument that Republicans are not merely ideologically different from Democrats, but engaged in a unique form of politics that undermines the system itself.