Synopses & Reviews
America's historic greatness is in decline, subverted by moneyed special interests and their lobbyists who game our political system to thwart the people's majority will to end military adventures undertaken as corporate boondoggles, curb global warming, make equitable minimum wage adjustments, foster stem cell research, and establish universal health care. Based on extensive and deep interviews, Moss portrays the motivations and modus operandi of each of the types of players in the corruption of the American political system to betray the legitimate interests of the American people. He quantifies the gains reaped by the system manipulators and by indirect beneficiaries, and measures the historic deterioration in the quality of our political candidates and elected officials as a function of campaign finance distortions. Selling Out America's Democracy focuses on composite types of the political players who are the tools of connivance and objects of control by the special interests: * Democratic congressional staff * Republican congressional staff * Washington lobbyists * media representatives * diplomats * non-profit citizen advocacy group staff Moss concludes by advancing a program of policy changes calculated to revive our democracy.
Review
"Economic consultant and former public servant Moss argues that American politics has been corrupted by special interests, moneyed lobbyists, and the system of campaign finance. He supports this argument through interviews with a variety of Washington actors, including a lobbyist, a European diplomat, and individuals on both sides of the Washington political divide. He then describes the deleterious impact of this corruption in failing to address global warming, raise the minimum wage, fix the health care crisis, or address inner-city crime. He also connects the systeM&Apos;s deteriorating political leadership to the tragedy of Iraq and offers a number of measures to solve the problem, including charging the American Political Science Association and other non-partisan groups with developing candidate information profiles, founding a Federation of Public Interest Organizations….providing public financing for all federal elections, and restoring Federal Service capabilities and expertise." - Reference & Research Book News
Synopsis
America's historic greatness is in decline, subverted by moneyed special interests and their lobbyists who take advantage of our system of campaign financing to thwart the will of the people. Monuments to the impact of factions include inadequate efforts to curb global warming, infrequent increases in the minimum wage, no universal healthcare, unchecked inner-city crime, and limited stem cell research. Ineffective political leadership, corroded by special interest manipulation, has landed the nation in foreign intervention that takes American lives and spends obscene amounts of U.S. resources. Moss portrays the motivations and methods of those who corrupt our political system and betray the legitimate interests of the American people. He quantifies the gains reaped by beneficiaries of lobbyist successes.
Selling Out America's Democracy focuses on Washington insiders who serve the interests of narrow factions that seek to control the national agenda. Telling interviews represent the views of Congressional and think tank staff, lobbyists, media experts, foreign diplomats, and nonprofit citizen advocacy groups. Moss concludes by advancing a program of policy changes calculated to revive our democracy.
Synopsis
America's historic greatness is in decline, subverted by moneyed special interests and their lobbyists who take advantage of our system of campaign financing to thwart the will of the people. Monuments to the impact of factions include inadequate efforts to curb global warming, infrequent increases in the minimum wage, no universal healthcare, unchecked inner-city crime, and limited stem cell research. Ineffective political leadership, corroded by special interest manipulation, has landed the nation in foreign intervention that takes American lives and spends obscene amounts of U.S. resources. Moss portrays the motivations and methods of those who corrupt our political system and betray the legitimate interests of the American people. He quantifies the gains reaped by beneficiaries of lobbyist successes.
Synopsis
Selling Out America's Democracy identifies how the forces of special interests, the system of campaign financing, and moneyed lobbyists work together to weaken political leadership, distort U.S. policy, and betray the legitimate interests of the American people.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Chapter 1 The Ideal of Americas Democracy
Chapter 2 The History of Political Influence in the U.S
Chapter 3 Views of Citizen Advocacy Staff
Chapter 4 Views of a Media Expert
Chapter 5 Views of a Thoughtful Washington Conservative
Chapter 6 Views of a Seasoned Washington Progressive
Chapter 7 Views of a Candid Washington Lobbyist
Chapter 8 Views of a European Diplomat
Chapter 9 Global Warming: The Specter of Climate Change
Chapter 10 Minimum Wage: Income Denied
Chapter 11 Stem Cell Cures Thwarted
Chapter 12 Health Care: Profit vs. Well-Being
Chapter 13 Inner City Crime Unabated
Chapter 14 Beneficiaries of Moneyed Interests
Chapter 15 Policy versus National Interest
Chapter 16 Deteriorating Political Leadership and the Tragedy of Iraq
Chapter 17 Why Americas Democracy Is Failing
Chapter 18 The Way Out
Bibliography