Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy

(Hardback)

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Paul Perry is an ideal candidate for the Democratic Party. He's a young Black man with an Ivy League education and a compelling life story who is running on a platform of affordable healthcare and better salaries for teachers. But he finds that it takes more than determination, hard work, and a political science degree to defeat his opponents-it takes deep pockets. His campaign comes to a screeching halt, not because of a scandal or a lack of community support, but because he couldn't raise enough funds. This is one of the many stories in Unrig. Using short histories, biographical sketches, and current events, journalist Daniel G. Newman and artist George O'Connor paint a complex picture of how wealth and influence are used to shape our democracy.

Reviews

Dramatic and inspiring tales of champions of democracy fighting for and implementing practical solutions. It's a great read--with important lessons for any citizen who gives a damn.
--David Corn, Washington bureau chief, Mother Jones

By clearly illustrating the toughest problems that threaten our system of government, Unrig has the potential to be this generation's most influential book on American democracy. It is a must read.
--Spencer Overton, author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression

Everyone knows that our democracy is broken, but what's less clear is how we got into this mess and what we should do about it. Newman's Unrig explains both in an accessible and entertaining way, leaving the reader equipped and inspired to get involved in unrigging our democracy and putting it to work for people and the planet.
--Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

Unrig is, simply, the unmissable book... This should be required reading (and luckily, it's engaging, powerful reading) for every student and every citizen.
--Naomi Wolf, bestselling author of The Beauty Myth and The End of America

The point of the book is not to bog you down with details; it's to inspire you to action by teaching you about ranked choice voting, clean elections, and more. And if those are things you're interested in--or interested in sharing with others--I highly recommend it. --Boing Boing

A no-holds-barred look at the various ways wealthy interests influence and control multiple aspects of American governmental policies and institutions, Unrig is both timely and devastating to read when the country is facing a global pandemic as well as nationwide demonstrations for racial justice.--Booklist

Unrig makes a compelling case for why our participation matters, and who controls the levers of power when we don't engage. --San Francisco Chronicle

This cogent plea for democracy is fueled with an urgency that should initiate debate and inspire action. --Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Daniel G. Newman is a national expert on government accountability and money in politics. He is president and co-founder of MapLight, a nonpartisan nonprofit that promotes transparency and political reform. Newman has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including CNN, CBS, MSNBC, FOX Business News, and NPR. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. George O'Connor is a New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of the Olympians series as well as such graphic novels as Journey into Mohawk Country and Ball Peen Hammer. In addition to his graphic novel career, O'Connor has published several children's picture books. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.