Why This Is Not Just 'Washington Breakdown,' in 3 Graphs (and 1 Story){images warning}

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http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/09/why-this-is-not-just-washington-breakdown-in-3-graphs-and-1-story/280099/

Tea Party members say they are expressing the public's will. Gee, if only there were some way to judge popular sentiment in a democracy.


The unfortunate story that leads the WaPo today, with the photo and headline shown here, represents a step backwards from an increasing mainstream-journalistic willingness to discard reflexive "isn't gridlock terrible" hand-wringing and explain what is really going on.

For instance, in the past few days we have seen headlines like this one in the Wall Street Journal, emphasizing that the shutdown and debt-ceiling threats arise not from usual party divisions but from a war within the Republican party:

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1. K&R nt