For almost 200 years, political parties have managed the American political system. They have played a major role in selecting and electing candidates, mobilizing voters, financing political campaigns, identifying political issues, supplying government employees, providing government services, and enlisting citizens' support for candidates and public positions that secure the approval of the citizenry. This is no longer true. Primary elections choose candidates, pollsters supply the impetus for electing them, civil services supply government employees, business interests and citizen groups with special interests supply money, and the political parties have become fundraising tools for political campaigns. It is not clear what, if anything, has replaced the political parties: money? pollsters? reporters? political commentators? Who will manage our governmental processes? Edward Costikyan explores what happened to the 150- to 200-year-old political system, what this has done to our governmental systems, where we are headed, and what might be done to provide a new management system of our political and governmental institutions.