Why are Rhode Islanders so frustrated about politics? The answers include questions about competence in state government – as demonstrated by the Washington Bridge, hyper-partisanship, the influence of money in politics, and other factors. This one-hour panel discussion, inspired in part by Fall River native E.J. Dionne Jr.,'s 1991 book, Why Americans Hate Politics, took place Oct. 8 at the Providence Athenaeum. It was moderated by Ocean State Media political reporter Ian Donnis and featured state Rep. Megan Cotter, a Democrat who represents a purple district based in Exeter, former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, who who left the GOP earlier this year to become an independent, and Eric Patashnik, director of the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University.