Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America

by John Harrison Nichols, Robert W. McChesney, Bernie Sanders (Foreword)

Fresh from the first $10 billion presidential campaign, two award-winning authors show how unbridled campaign spending defines our politics and, failing a dramatic intervention, signals the end of our democracy.

Blending vivid reporting from the 2012 campaign trail and deep perspective from decades covering American and international media and politics, political journalist John Nichols and media critic Robert W. McChesney explain how US elections are becoming controlled, predictable enterprises that are managed by a new class of consultants who wield millions of dollars and define our politics as never before. As the money gets bigger—especially after the Citizens United ruling—and journalism, a core check and balance on the government, declines, American citizens are in danger of becoming less informed and more open to manipulation. With groundbreaking behind-the-scenes reporting and staggering new research on “the money power,” Dollarocracy shows that this new power does not just endanger electoral politics; it is a challenge to the DNA of American democracy itself.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Economics, Political Science, Social Issues, American History, Sociology

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

John Harrison Nichols (born February 3, 1959) is a liberal and progressive American journalist and author. He is the Executive Editor of The Nation Magazine and Associate Editor of The Capital Times.

He’s the author of several books, including The Death and Life of American Journalism, The Genius of Impeachment and The "S" Word, & Coronavirus Criminals.

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollarocracy is an important book about democracy and elections in America. If you are a political junkie, a lot of its content may already be quite familiar, but it is all presented in such a coherent and well-contextualized manner that I had a lot of revelatory "I never thought of it that way before" moments in every chapter. There was also a ton of compelling stuff covering a wide range of topics, including the creation of public media, FCC regulations, the constitutionality of voting, the transformation (and underfunding) of American journalism, dirty election tactics, the "cult of balance," online privacy, and the multi-billionaires who are buying elections. Dollarocracy also has a really great last chapter that doesn't lose steam, unlike the last chapters of many other books about Deep-Seated American Problems. Five stars for relevance and well-researched, interesting subject matter presented accessibly. Read it, citizen!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a book to read. There is opportunity to reform if a clear picture can be drawn as how even some third world countries have more democracy in their election processes than we do. Understanding that our elections were turned down by the Carter Center for monitoring because we didn't meet the minimum requirements of that organization that 23 other European and African countries have. No wonder countries that we are pushing toward democratic progress feel a dual standard as we ask for more compliance and processes of them than we adhere to ourselves.

[Michael Seward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book every American citizen needs to read. The public needs to be outraged before our democracy, and the free press that is supposed to hold those in power or who want to be in power accountable, will serve us rather than the wealthiest among us. This book will provide the needed outrage.

[Donald Shank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corporations, corporate media and the politicians who must beg them for money threaten our democracy. Here's how they do it, and the simple ways we can reclaim it.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This study of our quickly changing political landscape points out issues we may be vaguely aware of but seldom see gathered into a singular indictment, impacting each of us as citizens and voters. If money is power, then here we become focused on how clearly it has and is, corrupting our political system. The authors point out that partisanship is not the factor that fosters conflict in today's political scene, rather it's the slow erosion of our individual power over our own destiny that leads to our frustration. President Eisenhower warned us of the “military-industrial complex” but he couldn't foresee the Supreme Court's decision of the Citizens United case or the ever expanding power of corporations and the rise of TV political advertising, creating a “media election complex” that influences government policy for corporate profit. Nor could he foresee the collapse of political journalism and its replacement by pertinacious political blogs as digital communication has evolved. The packaging of candidates and the manipulation of information and data through unlimited funding and increasingly mind-boggling technological innovation, such as “microtargeting”, could well make our understanding of “the power of the vote”, a thing of the past. However, we're told, it's not all bad news--we are provided with possible realistic solutions to the path we've been set upon. But sadly, I found many of the issues so disheartening that I felt like giving up—that is until it was pointed out, that this is the hope of the manipulators. This is a fascinating book that should be read by all that are concerned about our nation's future and what might be done about saving democracy's promise.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most "progressive" ideals, the expansion of the right to vote (more accurately, an informed vote free of the undue influence of corporations and billionaires) is inherently "left leaning" so a number of the individuals cited in the text were of a Democratic persuasion and most of the prime examples of abuses were seen as perpetrated by those on the "right" ~ so I'm sure that critics will argue that this book is partisan propaganda. However, there is more than a fair amount of independent, peer-reviewed research sited to back up most of the more substantial arguments presented herein.

Unfortunately, the constant negative tone (despite the professed optimism for change / the future) in discussing how far we have fallen as a nation from our ideal was incredibly depressing and the barrage of decades of concentrated efforts from the "elites" to win institutionalized rights to exert undue influence made for a pessimistic view from here forward.

I hope that some of the changes advocated will come to pass. I hope that we will have true election and media reforms that serve to educate the citizenry, encourage greater INFORMED participation and encourage everyone to take an active role in the governance of our nation in a less hyper-partisan manner ~ but time will tell if we can live up to our own high ideals in the face of such relentless opposition.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book really opened my eyes to what kind of democracy we have left in the US (short version: not much) and made it clear just how critical it is that we, at the very least, amend the constitution to redefine people as only the real kind. Campaign spending limits also wouldn't hurt, not to mention limiting TV campaign advertising and creating some transparency around Internet campaign advertising. I wish I could get everyone I know to read this book.

[Mike Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, well written examination of the heart of America's current malaise, the "complex" of Big Money and Big Media. I especially liked the forward by Senator Bernie Sanders, and the chapter of public broadcasting, it's history, the main players, and how PBS/CPB/NPR continues to be financially tied to corporations and Congress, unlike it's European counterparts.

[Roberto Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shatters the myth that the USA has a perfect democracy as its leaders boast when they travel overseas. In a certain way some third world countries have a better functioning democracy than the US.

[Kathy Nealen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would love to see an update by the author that includes the 2016 election circus. We consider our country to be the greatest democracy in the world yet we pale in comparison to other nations with more rules that reduce the time and money spent campaigning.

[Nationalmemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.nationalmemo.com/weekend-r...

[Joe Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an important book especially for any readers harboring the illusion that America is a democracy.

[Taveri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a rehash of articles and events that happened around the 2012 election. If readers are not familiar with them then no wonder democracy is not up to standard. The authors, in the last chapter provide a list of changes needed including: protection against gerrymandering; inclusion of minority parties in the debates; the FCC to require broadcasters to provide free time to parties and candidates and more coverage of issues and campaigns; using instant runoff voting and proportional repesentation; including the right to vote in the constitution; elimination of the Electoral College; the words "people, person, citizen" not to include corporations; shorter cheaper elections; non-partisan election commissions; and independent journalism that guards against polutical propaganda.

What is missing is an analysis of why these changes have not occured and what can be done about it. Also a sensitivity analysis of which changes are the most critical would be helpful as there are a lot of changes needed and where to start. For instance right to vote may not be a priority; Canada has it and it doesn't have very good voter turnout. Whereas inclusion of Liberterian, Green and othe party leaders in televised debates (an inexpensive, non government thing) could have great benefits.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollarocracy tells the details behind campaign financing–from the Supreme Court rulings on campaign spending, to the advertising agencies creating campaign ads, to the television stations receiving enormous revenues, and how this affects the tenure of elected officials. For me, some of it felt dry (for example, the legal stuff started to lose me a bit) but I certainly got a lot from this book. I’d recommend it, with the caveat that you may find yourself skipping chapters that lose your interest. It’s worth it–you’ll still get something new out of it.

[Chris Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good look at the direct effects of Citizens United on the elections of America. A must read for anyone interested in politics.

[Justin Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollarocracy by John Nichols and Robert McChesney (2013) is a thoroughgoing analysis of the interrelationship between money, media, and modern politics. Written in the aftermath of the 2012 elections, which at that time were the most expensive in American history, this book blows the lid off of all the ways money and media corrupt American democracy. The chapter devoted to the aforementioned elections is particularly enlightening. Added all together, the 2012 elections, from the presidential race all the way down to local races, cost $10 billion, mostly from wealthy individuals and corporations. It was also the first election after the disastrous Citizens United decision from the Supreme Court, which allowed for unmitigated flows of dark money into elections, as the court affirmed definitively that money was a form of speech. Not a promising sign of democracy meaning “one person, one vote.”

So, how does the media play into all this? Local TV stations, whose owners are mostly media conglomerates disconnected from the communities they serve, amass most of their revenue through political advertising. As a result, the majority of information that viewers receive is through advertising rather than political reporting. This leaves most citizens left to figure out anything about the candidates vying for their vote, since public broadcasting isn’t large enough to be a countervailing force and local journalism is at an all-time low.

To remedy this crisis, they call for constitutional reforms that limit political advertising, curtail corporate influence in elections, and codify voting rights for all citizens— which the United States still doesn’t have. These reforms would go a long way to rehabilitate democracy in America, but they also require large social movements to get them done.

I really liked this book and it’s a great companion book to classic works on the media like Chomsky and Herman’s Manufacturing Consent and Michael Parenti’s Inventing Reality. While their examples are dated, their arguments are more relevant than ever. We need a society of engaged citizens, not consumers choosing candidates like they would toothpaste. That would be a real democratic society.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is from 2013 and, once again, points out the problem with no solutions or organizations to protest the problem. It is now 2023 and the problems just keep getting worse, all the while authors and political entertainers continue to make money by rubbing our nose in it. I'm ready for the next step... action.

[Alex Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for everyone who claims or wants to be “woke” about what’s happening in American politics. This book is not about left vs right. It’s about top vs bottom and it provides in depth information and facts in a clear manner.