Political dysfunction. Partisanship at record levels. Attack politics run amok. And public approval of Congress scraping the single digits (Sen. John McCain is fond of saying it's down to blood rlatives and paid staff).

In "It’s Even Worse Than It Looks," congressional scholars Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution and Norman Ornstein of AEI identify two overriding problems that have led Congress — and the United States — to the brink of institutional collapse. Mann and Ornstein call on the media as well as the public at large to focus on the true causes of dysfunction.

We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.

The prospect of an attack on the Supreme Court and other institutions of government is sobering. The Continuity of Government Commission has identified recommendations to ensure that the presidential succession system functions to produce a legitimate president in a timely fashion and that Congress can continue to operate even shortly after a catastrophic terrorist attack.

An independent or third-party candidate, whether an ideological one such as George Wallace or a non-ideologue such as John Anderson or Ross Perot, would fall short. But consider three ways a third candidate can affect the outcome of a presidential contest.

The flawed redistricting process in the United States allows representatives to choose their voters. The Public Mapping Project coming to Virginia could fix the problem.

U.S. Election administration has changed dramatically since the controversial Florida vote count in the 2000 presidential election and additional changes in technology, election law and administrative practices might further strengthen future American elections.