Who Will Tell The People: The Betrayal Of American Democracy [Paperback]

Who Will Tell the Peopleexposes the hidden power dynamics in American democracy and inspires citizens to reclaim their voice and reshape the system for the greater good.

Who Will Tell the Peopleis a passionate, eye-opening challenge to American democracy. Here is a tough-minded exploration of why we’re in trouble, starting with the basic issues of who gets heard, who gets ignored, and why. Greider shows us the realities of power in Washington today, uncovering the hidden relationships that link politicians with corporations and the rich, and that subvert the needs of ordinary citizens.

How do we put meaning back into public life? Greider shares the stories of some citizens who have managed to crack Washington’s “Grand Bazaar” of influence peddling as he reveals the structures designed to thwart them. Without naiveté or cynicism, Greider shows us how the system can still be made to workfor the peopleand delineates the lines of battle in the struggle to save democracy. By showing us the reality of how the political decisions that shape our lives are made, William Greider explains how we can begin to take control once more.William Greider is the bestselling author of five previous books, includingOne World, Ready or Not(on the global economy),Who Will Tell the People(on American politics), andSecrets of the Temple(on the Federal Reserve). A reporter for forty years, he has written forThe Washington PostandRolling Stoneand has been an on-air correspondent for sixFrontlinedocumentaries on PBS. Currently the national affairs correspondent forThe Nation,he lives in Washington, DC.Chapter 1

MOCK DEMOCRACY

In a democracy, everyone is free to join the argument, or so it is said in civic mythology. In the modern democracy that has evolved, that claim is nearly meaningless. During the last generation, a new politics has enveloped l#Œ