Third Parties

Washington seemed to have forgotten how to work. In the summer of 2011, the nation was on the brink of defaulting on its debts. Faced with the unpleasant task of raising the debt ceiling, Democrats and Republicans in Congress played “chicken” on the issue before kicking the can down the road once again. Public approval ratings of Congress dipped to an all-time low, hovering between only 11 percent to 13 percent. Analysts demanded answers to the question, “What is wrong with the American government, and how can it be fixed?”