Why Nothing Works

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The Book in 3 Sentences

• America has become remarkably good at stopping things, but much worse at building them. Whether it's housing, transit, clean energy, or infrastructure, projects that once took years now often take decades because of layers of rules, lawsuits, approvals, and competing veto points.
• Dunkelman traces this problem to a shift in how power is distributed. Many of the reforms created to prevent corruption and protect communities have also made it increasingly difficult for governments to make decisions and deliver public projects, even when there is broad agreement that they're needed.
• Rather than calling for less democracy, the book argues for more effective governance. the The challenge is finding a better balance between accountability and action—protecting public input without making meaningful progress nearly impossible.
• It resonated so hard with all the Californian problems that I see around me.. I believe in America to fix this but it is really messy.