The cash ceiling : why only the rich run for office, and what we can do about it / Nicholas Carnes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carnes, Nicholas, author.

Series:

Princeton studies in political behavior.

Princeton Studies in Political Behavior ; 16

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Campaign funds--United States.

Campaign funds.

Elections--United States.

Elections.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 321 pages) : illustrations.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Why working-class Americans almost never become politicians, what that means for democracy, and what reformers can do about itWhy are Americans governed by the rich? Millionaires make up only three percent of the public but control all three branches of the federal government. How did this happen? What stops lower-income and working-class Americans from becoming politicians? The first book to answer these urgent questions, The Cash Ceiling provides a compelling and comprehensive account of why so few working-class people hold office-and what reformers can do about it.Using extensive data on candidates, politicians, party leaders, and voters, Nicholas Carnes debunks popular misconceptions (like the idea that workers are unelectable or unqualified to govern), identifies the factors that keep lower-class Americans off the ballot and out of political institutions, and evaluates a variety of reform proposals.In the United States, Carnes shows, elections have a built-in "cash ceiling," a series of structural barriers that make it almost impossible for the working-class to run for public office. Elections take a serious toll on candidates, many working-class Americans simply can't shoulder the practical burdens, and civic and political leaders often pass them over in favor of white-collar candidates. But these obstacles aren't inevitable. Pilot programs to recruit, train, and support working-class candidates have the potential to increase the economic diversity of our governing institutions and ultimately amplify the voices of ordinary citizens.Who runs for office goes to the heart of whether we will have a democracy that is representative or not. The Cash Ceiling shows that the best hope for combating the oversized political influence of the rich might simply be to help more working-class Americans become politicians.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

1. GOVERNMENT BY THE PRIVILEGED

2. THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM (IS WRONG)

3. WHY DON'T WORKERS RUN?

4. WHAT'S STOPPING THEM?

5. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

6. MOVING THE NEEDLE

Appendix

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Previously issued in print: 2018.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780691184203

0691184208

OCLC:

1043913648