Democracy Derailed: Initiative Campaigns and the Power of Money

Description

"Where once most state laws were passed by legislatures, now voters decide directly on such explosive issues as medical marijuana, affirmative action, casino gambling, assisted suicide, and human rights through a new form of "direct democracy," the very form of government the Founders feared most.". "In this book, David Broder tells how the initiative revolution came about. A movement that started with Proposition 13 in California is now a multimillion-dollar business in which lawyers, campaign consultants, signature gatherers, and advertising agencies sell their expertise to interest groups or to do-gooders with private agendas. Broder takes the reader into the heart of these battles as he talks with the field operatives, lobbyists, PR spinners, labor leaders, and business executives - all of whom can profit from the manipulation of the political process."--BOOK JACKET.