Democracy in America? : what has gone wrong and what we can do about it / Benjamin I. Page, Martin Gilens.

"With a new afterword."

Includes bibliographical references (pages [325]-361) and index.

More democracy -- Unequal wealth distorts politics -- What has gone wrong -- Thwarting the will of the people -- The political clout of wealthy Americans -- Corporations and interest groups -- Polarized parties and gridlock -- What can be done -- Equal voice for all citizens -- Overcoming gridlock and democratizing institutions -- How to do it -- A social movement for democracy -- Signs of progress -- Afterword: A critical juncture -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix: Interest groups studied -- Notes -- References -- Index.

America faces daunting problems--stagnant wages, high health care costs, neglected schools, deteriorating public services. How did we get here? Through decades of dysfunctional government. In Democracy in America? veteran political observers Benjamin I. Page and Martin Gilens marshal an unprecedented array of evidence to show that while other countries have responded to a rapidly changing economy by helping people who've been left behind, the United States has failed to do so. Instead, we have actually exacerbated inequality, enriching corporations and the wealthy while leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves. What's the solution? More democracy. More opportunities for citizens to shape what their government does. To repair our democracy, Page and Gilens argue, we must change the way we choose candidates and conduct our elections, reform our governing institutions, and curb the power of money in politics. By doing so, we can reduce polarization and gridlock, address pressing challenges, and enact policies that truly reflect the interests of average Americans. Updated with new information, this book lays out a set of proposals that would boost citizen participation, curb the power of money, and democratize the House and Senate. --- Provided by publisher.