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The Outrageous Barriers to Democracy in America
Melville House
September 2008
On Sale: September 1, 2008
224 pages ISBN: 1933633603 EAN: 9781933633602 Paperback
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Non-Fiction
"This book lays bare the malfunctions of our democracy and
the solutions in a superb literary style and a convincing
manner." George McGovern, Democratic candidate for
President, 1972
It seems like an historic election: A
woman almost won the nomination to run for President of the
United states—losing to an African-American, who will run
against the oldest candidate ever! It’s the realization of
one of the core beliefs of our democracy: Anyone can be
president.
Or is it? What if a close analysis showed
that the candidates were, for the most part, getting their
financing from the same corporations and lobbyists … that
they all went to the same schools … that their votes were
remarkably similarly on most issues …?
In a
rollicking piece of journalism based on years of reporting,
John R. MacArthur, the publisher of Harper’s
Magazine, talks to truly independent
candidates—including the first ever post-election interview
of Joe Lieberman nemesis Ned Lamont—about what they were up
against. He gives the most detailed breakdown yet of
campaign financing sources. He analyzes the parameters of
the two party system, what the Constitution has to say about
that, and how the media treats independent politicians. And
he also discusses how all this influences issues of local
democracy.
It’s an edgy, fascinating look at the
system that’s a must-read to understand whether the most
historic election in American history is really going to be
about change … or not.
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