Welcome to the first issue of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s new magazine. Each quarter, BPC will share its take on the workings of American democracy. I would like to begin our inaugural edition by sharing that it’s bad out there—really, really, maddeningly bad. Congress continues to visit self-inflicted wounds on the fragile economy. The relationship between the executive and legislative branches is diminished and brittle. Most disconcerting, the destructive behavior of many politicians is a completely rational response to the demands of the small percentage of constituents who actually vote. When you roll this all together, BPC’s conclusion is:

Don’t Despair.