Hidden Power: What You Need to Know to Save Our Democracy

by Charles Derber

American democracy, argues Charles Derber, is being subverted in the name of democracy itself. Derber shows how the current regime has maintained power by intensifying the red/blue culture wars—supporting religious extremists, exploiting terrorism fears, and manipulating the electoral process. And he reveals our best hope for positive an alliance between the Democratic Party and another source of hidden power—the grass roots progressive movements that have always been catalysts for change. Thoughtful, eloquent, and compelling, Hidden Power offers real hope for restoring genuine democracy to America.

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Charles Derber is Professor of Sociology at Boston College and has written 17 books - on politics, economy, capitalism, war, the culture wars, culture and conversation, and social change. He writes for and has been reviewed in the NY Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Truthout, and other leading media. His books are translated into Chinese, Korean, Tamil, German and Polish- and he is a bestseller in South Korea, done extended book tours in German bookstores and blues coffee houses, and has lectured in Italy in June for seven years. Derber is a public intellectual who believes that serious ideas should be written in an accessible and entertaining style.His most recent book is Sociopathic Society: A People's Sociology of the United States. He is also a life-long social justice activist and a terrific public speaker - so contact him and try to lure him to a public talk. Check out his Youtube presentations. He is married and has a beautiful Wheaten Terrier dog named Mojo, who lives up to his name.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forget the goofy cover art and throw-away subtitle. This book loosely describes three major periods of big business dominance in American politics since the civil war: 1865-1901 "robber barons", 1920s "roaring twenties", and 1980-present "Reagan revolution". Derber's purpose is to reveal the system of hidden corporate power that dominates American politics (and, increasingly, world politics). In examining the rise and fall of corporate political dominance, he discovers some important lessons about how regime change away from corporate dominance can occur. He goes on to describe the current (as of 2005) state of Washington politics as a "money swamp", and points out Democrats complicit role in the perpetuation of Republican led big business (and the Democrats losing election platform). Needless to say, if you don't already see something wrong with the direction the Republican Party has been driving the bus, you won't like this book. However, the book also doesn't endorse the political stance of the Democratic Party. Instead Derber points out that Democrats have been losers because they have accepted the ruling corporate ideology instead of challenging it (and thus missing out on the millions of disenfranchised voters of all kinds who are waiting for some substantial political change). Finally, Derber suggests his own idea of what a healthy ruling system could be based on, and how social movements can work toward that end (or frighteningly, against it).

Overall, the book is an easy read (intended for a public audience, not academic) and gives great context in understanding the sweep of corporate power through our history, and it's possible trajectories in the future. And equally important are the suggestions for how that trajectory can be influenced by grassroots social movements co-opting a Democratic Party that is lacking in moral conviction.

The election of Obama to the presidency was of course unforeseen by Derber in 2005. His campaign certainly capitalized on peoples desire for change in Washington, but so far his presidency would certainly not qualify as a significant challenge to the current corporate ideology. Obama seems to be functioning (so far) as another Clinton-type democrat unwilling to challenge the underlying corporate status quo, and giving the Democratic Party false confidence that their "message" (really a cobbled-together platform lacking an underlying ideology or vision) has real traction with the American public.