DC Public Library System

Nation on the take, how big money corrupts our democracy and what we can do about it, Wendell Potter and Nick Penniman

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Nation on the take

bibliography

907966104

Wendell Potter and Nick Penniman

how big money corrupts our democracy and what we can do about it

American democracy has become coin operated. Special interest groups increasingly control every level of government. The necessity of raising huge sums of campaign cash has completely changed the character of politics and policy making, determining what elected representatives stand for and how they spend their time. The marriage of great wealth and intense political influence has rendered our country unable to address our most pressing problems, from runaway government spending to climate change to the wealth gap. It also defines our daily lives: from the cars we drive to the air we breathe to the debt we owe. In this work of reportage, two vigilant watchdogs expose legalized corruption and link it to the kitchen-table issues citizens face every day. Inciting our outrage, the authors then inspire us by introducing us to the army of reformers laying the groundwork for change. The battle plan for reform presented is practical, realistic, and concrete. No one--except some lobbyists and major political donors--likes business as usual, and this book intends to help forge a new army of reformers who are compelled by a patriotic duty to fight for a better democracy. An impassioned, infuriating, yet ultimately hopeful call to arms, this book lays bare the reach of moneyed interests and charts a way forward, toward the recovery of America's original promise.--Adapted from dust jacket

Part 1. How we got here ; Rigged ; Oligarchy, gridlock, cronyism -- Part 2. Too big to beat ; Drugged ; Fuel follies ; Fat wallets, expanding waistlines ; Enough to make you sick -- Part 3. It's fixable ; The makings of an all-American movement