The Corruption of American Politics: What Went Wrong and Why - Softcover

Drew, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1585670499 ISBN 13: 9781585670499

Publisher: Overlook Books, 2000

Synopsis

Examining twenty-five years of American politics since the Watergate scandal, the former New Yorker Washington correspondent concludes that big money and vicious politics have eroded American faith in the political system and bred a generation of substandard leaders. Reprint.

About this title

Review

Elizabeth Drew, longtime Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, provides an up-close look at the scandalous roots of America's political culture. With its focus on campaign-finance reform, The Corruption of American Politics is not a flashy read but a surprisingly engrossing one, full of vivid characterizations and sly observations (one senator, for example, is described as "unburdened by brilliance"). Drew places her subject in the larger context of what has happened to American political life since Watergate. The public has lost most of its faith in government, she writes, warning: "Lack of trust creates the risk of susceptibility to demagoguery, or of abuses of the democratic process." Her behind-the-scenes descriptions are a real strength--she has incredible access to Washington's movers and shakers--but they also give rise to a weakness: the politicians who double as sources tend to come off well, while the reverse is true for those who didn't invite Drew into their confidence. In addition, readers who lean conservative may detect a whiff of liberal bias on these pages; yet they need not agree with all of Drew's judgments to appreciate her journalism. For a glimpse at how Washington really works--from the naked partisanship of Congress to the White House spin machine--Elizabeth Drew is hard to beat. --John J. Miller

From the Back Cover

Acclaim for The Corruption of American Politics, by Elizabeth Drew:

"One of our wisest and most acute observers of the Washington scene turns her formidable skill on the current American predicament and how we got here. The Corruption of American Politics is a deft and original work, combining a devastating critique with strong reasons to be hopeful about our future."--Michael Beschloss

"This is a truly important book. In a compelling narrative style, Elizabeth Drew sets out not just what went wrong with American politics, but why, and offers concrete answers on how to fix it. Anyone who had an uneasy feeling about the state of our political life and of political leadership will find both an incisive analysis of the problem and a prescription for change."--Arianna Huffington

"The Corruption of American Politics is fresh proof that there is no one better on Washington than Elizabeth Drew--to read her meticulous and richly informed reporting is to hit clear water in the swamp of opinion that obscures our political life."--Joan Didion

"I'm a long-time fan of Elizabeth Drew. No one writes more accurately or entertainingly about the mess of American politics. She finds stuff nobody else finds and she knows how to put it together. This is her best book. Read it."--Warren Beatty

Edition details

• Publisher: Overlook Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1585670499
• ISBN 13: 9781585670499
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 278