Book by James T. Bennett, Manuel H. Johnson

Better Government at Half the Price : Private Production of Public Services

Politics & Social Sciences

James T. Bennett

Manuel H. Johnson

Politics & Government

Green Hill Pub

This is a book that's been around for 20 years, but still delivers a message worth considering and debating. My caveat to this book is that represents a form of ideology that is not fully agreeable to everyone in terms of the kind of government we want or the goals we have. But we all know that our political system is showing serious signs of stress and individual liberty diminished. Why is it happening? Unfortunately, there are those who would use talk up the best parts of this book and engage simultaneously in the worst political behavior in terms of funding their politics with government money. Talk conservative or libertarian, but buy votes by spending like radical Socialist. As a moderate, I lean toward government intervention in some areas that I consider essential for the national good. Social security is too important to be replaced by a ostensibly private system that would cause still more government interventions. LIbertarians tend not to agree witth some programs I owuld support. But federal spending to whatever level there is, should be based on the national good, not which pig can fatten itself the most. J-3

Destroying Democracy : How Government Funds Partisan Politics

Thomas J. DiLorenzo

UNKNO

Not Invited to the Party: How the Demopublicans Have Rigged the System and Left Independents Out in the Cold

Not Invited to the Party demonstrates how the dominant political parties--the Democrats and Republicans--have co-opted the system to their advantage. James Bennett examines the history and array of laws, regulations, subsidies and programs that benefit the two major parties and discourage even the possibility of a serious challenge to the Democrat-Republican duopoly. The American Founders, as it has been generally forgotten, distrusted political parties. Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution are parties mentioned, much less given legal protection or privilege. This provocative book traces how by the end of the Civil War the Republicans and Democrats had guaranteed their dominance and subsequently influenced a range of policies developed to protect the duopoly. For example, Bennett examines how the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (as amended in 1974 and 1976), which was sold to the public as a nonpartisan act of good government reformism actually reinforced the dominance of the two parties. While focused primarily on the American experience, the book also considers the prevalence of two-party systems around the world (especially in emerging democracies) and the widespread contempt with which they are often viewed. Featuring incisive commentary on the 2008 election, and a foreword by third-party iconoclast, Ralph Nader, the book considers the potential of truly radical reform toward opening the field to vigorous, lively, contentious independent candidacies that might finally offer alienated voters a choice, not an echo.

History

Americas

Copernicus

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Books by James T. Bennett