FIXING AMERICA

An engineer surveys America’s political landscape in this debut nonfiction book.

“We are in a time when people take positions on subjects and defend them as part of their ‘tribe,’” writes Taggart, who argues that hyper-partisanship not only excludes more than one-third of Americans who consider themselves independents, but also threatens democracy itself, as the election denialism of 2020 demonstrates. With more than three decades of experience as an engineer for corporate industries, the author hopes to offer a nonpartisan, “factual, data-driven approach” to America’s pressing political issues, from education and the economy to prescription drugs and energy. While admitting that “hard data” can be misinterpreted, he contends that ultimately “hard data won’t lie to you.” For instance, no amount of political spin can change the quantitative link between poverty and gun violence, a correlation that, to Taggart, offers alternative strategies to combat this phenomenon that don’t involve unattainable policies such as “disarming America.” Similarly, according to the book, the undeniable statistical data that African American men are more likely “to be killed by law enforcement, even when unarmed,” points to the continued legacy of systemic racism. Given the volume’s expressed “hope for moderation,” its centrist solutions to hot-button issues may not satisfy those on the two ideological poles. On dealing with systemic racism, for instance, the author rejects the possibility of reparations as unfeasible, and instead offers more tepid alternatives, such as a national database that shares information about police employment history and incidents. Alternately, the author’s belief that America needs “solutions to be simple” may not satisfy the more revolutionary aspirations of the left or the right. But those looking for evidence-based, centrist positions on polarizing issues will find a well-argued book that eschews ad hominem attacks and hot takes generated to maximize emotional engagement. Even if readers disagree with all of the author's conclusions, he provides more than a dozen tables and charts as well as over 100 endnotes for the audience to explore the evidence. For full transparency, the work’s data is provided to readers via the author’s website in the form of Excel spreadsheets.

A timely, levelheaded analysis of America’s most polarizing political issues.