Democracy in America? What has gone wrong and what we can do about it

Democracy is ailing because wealth inequality, corporate power, and the interest groups that represent the wealthy minority have led to a diminishment of the will of the majority and its policy effectiveness in the US, according to Page (Northwestern) and Gilens (Princeton). The causes and effects of the current problems with democracy, the means to close the democratic gap, and a historical remedy for change are examined. The case for inequality is well-crafted, leaving little doubt that the majority is politically stymied. Prescriptions offered are largely conventional, targeting electoral and institutional reform. The "how to" section, however, is limited and disappoints based upon the expectations created in the book's first part. A social movement on par with earlier crusades in American history, such as the Civil Rights Movement and Progressivism, and New Deal-like policy changes are recommended. The authors note that some precursory signs of reform are currently present, providing hope. Readers will find the first part logical and worthwhile reading; the remainder lapses into liberal idealism. As the authors indicate, however, reform has largely occurred through social movements, so the solution may eventually emerge through such action. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Kimberly Lynn Casey, Northwest Missouri State University

Page (Gordon Scott Fulcher Professor of Decision Making, Northwestern Univ.; coauthor, Class War?) and Gilens (politics, Princeton Univ.; Why Americans Hate Welfare) describe how democracy in America has been perverted into an oligarchy by the flood of money in politics. That flood became a deluge after the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United gave corporations "free speech rights" to funnel unlimited amounts of cash into politics. Billionaires limit political choice, denying funding to candidates who do not champion their interests. They fund campaigns without substance by extremist candidates, often in gerrymandered districts. Once elected, politicians are even more dependent on the uberrich for reelection funds. Thus, Americans who overwhelmingly favor single-payer health insurance end up with congressional bills that seek to destroy Obamacare and gut other federal health programs. Readers may despair at the bleak picture in this work, but the authors believe that partisan gridlock, economic inequality, and dirty money can only be corrected with public campaign finance, reforms to limit the two-party dictatorship of Republicans and Democrats, and reengagement of ordinary citizens. VERDICT Recommended for college and university libraries and anyone interested in the transformation of America from a democracy to an autocracy.- Duncan Stewart, Univ. of Iowa Libs., Iowa City © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.