Corruption of American Politics: What Went Wrong and Why

Drawing on her superb skills as a probing journalist and shrewd analyst, Washington reporter Elizabeth Drew details precisely how money and ideology, as well as a lower quality of politicians and lower standards of political behavior, have debased American politics over the past twenty-five years. Wise, insightful, and timely, The Corruption of American Politics offers invaluable suggestions as to how we can restore our government to be responsive to the needs of its citizens.

"[Drew] nimbly brings to life the machinations on Capitol Hill and the White House with fresh perspective, behind-the-scenes detail and convincing analysis. . . . In fact, Drew's examination of campaign finance makes a compelling narrative."--Richard L. Berke, The New York Times Book Review

". . . one of the most skillfully written, as well as insightful, looks inside the Beltway to appear in a very long time."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"There is no one better on Washington than Elizabeth Drew."--Joan Didion

"What Rachel Carson was to the nascent environmental movement of the 1960s, Drew is to the campaign finance reform movement of the 1990s. . . . [A] profoundly important and disturbing work . . . Elegant, magisterial, and persuasive, this book establishes Drew as the political conscience of the nation."--Library Journal

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