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Republic, Lost 2.0
Book

Republic, Lost 2.0

The Corruption of Equality and the Steps to End It

Lawrence Lessig
Twelve, 2015

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Innovative
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig sounds the alarm about the flood of money in US politics. He explains that these rivers of cash exacerbate inequality, encourage extreme political views and shut average voters out of the process. This book is titled as the 2.0 version of Lessig’s 2011 analysis of the same name, but he has updated and revised the contents, and his impassioned tone has grown even more dire. This is a very different version, more than just an update. Conservatives will disagree with Lessig, but his diagnosis of the ills caused by money will resonate with readers of all ideological stripes. While politically neutral and while the opinions expressed are those of the author, getAbstract recommends his spirited study of why and how the United States risks losing its political way.

Take-Aways

  • Money has hijacked the ideal of representative democracy in American politics.
  • From 1974 to 2014, the cost of mounting a Congressional re-election campaign soared from $56,000 to $1.4 million.
  • The primacy of cash creates an “inequality of citizens”: the rich have more influence.

About the Author

Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig taught at Stanford and the University of Chicago. His books include Remix, Free Culture and The Future of Ideas as well as the first edition of Republic, Lost.

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