It's harder than ever to get a GP appointment. Burglaries go unpunished. Wages have been stagnant for years, even as the cost of housing rises inexorably. Why is everything going wrong at the same time? It's easy to point the finger at dysfunctional or even corrupt politicians. But in reality it's more complicated. Politicians can make things better or worse, but all work within our state institutions. And ours are irrevocably broken and outmoded. In 'Failed State', respected political analyst Sam Freedman offers a devastating analysis of where we've gone wrong. Speaking to politicians of all stripes, civil servants, workers on the frontline and key thinkers across the world, this book bursts with insight on the real problems that are so often hidden from the front pages.