Capitalism v. Democracy : Money in Politics and the Free Market Constitution / Timothy K. Kuhner.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Kuhner, Timothy K., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Campaign funds--Law and legislation--United States.
• Capitalism--United States.
• Constitutional law--United States.
• Democracy--United States.
• United States--Politics and government.
• United States. -- Supreme Court.

Local Subjects:

• Campaign funds--Law and legislation--United States.
• Capitalism--United States.
• Constitutional law--United States.
• Democracy--United States.
• United States--Politics and government.
• United States. -- Supreme Court.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (377 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, [2020]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

As of the latest national elections, it costs approximately billion to become president, 0 million to become a Senator, and million to become a Member of the House. High-priced campaigns, an elite class of donors and spenders, superPACs, and increasing corporate political power have become the new normal in American politics. In Capitalism v. Democracy, Timothy Kuhner explains how these conditions have corrupted American democracy, turning it into a system of rule that favors the wealthy and marginalizes ordinary citizens. Kuhner maintains that these conditions have corrupted capitalism as well, routing economic competition through political channels and allowing politically powerful companies to evade market forces. The Supreme Court has brought about both forms of corruption by striking down campaign finance reforms that limited the role of money in politics. Exposing the extreme economic worldview that pollutes constitutional interpretation, Kuhner shows how the Court became the architect of American plutocracy. Capitalism v. Democracy offers the key to understanding why corporations are now citizens, money is political speech, limits on corporate spending are a form of censorship, democracy is a free market, and political equality and democratic integrity are unconstitutional constraints on money in politics. Supreme Court opinions have dictated these conditions in the name of the Constitution, as though the Constitution itself required the privatization of democracy. Kuhner explores the reasons behind these opinions, reveals that they form a blueprint for free market democracy, and demonstrates that this design corrupts both politics and markets. He argues that nothing short of a constitutional amendment can set the necessary boundaries between capitalism and democracy.

Contents:

• Frontmatter
• Contents
• Preface
• 1 The Question Raised by America’s Design
• 2 Free Market Democracy
• 3 Corporations Speak
• 4 Consumer Sovereignty
• 5 Why Capitalism Governs Democracy
• 6 Plutocracy
• 7 Capitalism and Democracy Reconciled
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index

Notes:

• Description based upon print version of record.
• Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Jul 2020)

ISBN:

• 9780804791588
• 0804791589