Democracy for the Few by Parenti, Michael -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Preface 1. Partisan Politics

Beyond Textbooks The Politico-Economic System Notes

2. Wealth and Want in the United States

Capital and Labor Accumulation and Expansion Who Owns America? Corporate Concentration Monopoly Farming Downsizing and Downgrading Profit-Price Inflation Market Demand and Human Need Productivity: A Mixed Blessing "Desirable” Unemployment The Hardships of Working America The Human Costs of Economic Injustice Notes

3. The Plutocratic Culture: Institutions and Ideologies

Rule by Corporate Plutocracy Promoting Ideological Orthodoxy Right, Left, and Center Public Opinion: Which Direction? Democracy: Form and Content Notes

4. A Constitution for the Few

Class Power in Early America Containing the Spread of Democracy Fragmenting Majority Power Plotters or Patriots? Democratic Concessions Notes

5. Rise of the Corporate State

Serving Business: The Early Years The War against Labor Law in the Service of Business The Not-So-Progressive Era War and Red Scares The New Deal: Hard Times and Tough Reforms Notes

6. Politics: Who Gets What?

Welfare for the Rich Federal Bailouts, State and Local Handouts Taxes: Helping the Rich in Their Time of Greed Unkind Cuts, Unfair Rates Deficit Spending and the National Debt Some Hidden Deficits Notes

7. Military Empire and Global Domination

A Global Kill Capacity Military Waste and Fraud Pentagon Profits The Military's Hidden Diseconomies Economic Imperialism The Terror State Notes

8. Health, Environment, and Human Services: Sacrificial Lambs

The Poor Get Less (and Less) Social Insecurity: Privatizing Everything How Much Health Can You Afford? Buyers Beware, and Workers Too Creating Crises: Schools and Housing "Mess Transit": What's Good for General Motors Toxifying the Earth Eco-Apocalypse Government for the Despoilers Notes

9. Unequal before the Law

Crime in the Suites Class Law The Crime of Prisons The Guilty Innocent Sexist Justice The Victimization of Children Bedroom Police Racist Law Enforcement Notes

10. Political Repression and National Insecurity

The Repression of Dissent Political Prisoners, USA Political Murder, USA Cozy with Right-Wing Violence The National Security Autocracy CIA: Capitalism's International Army or Cocaine Import Agency? Watergate and Iran-Contra Notes

11. Who Governs? Elites, Labor, and Globalization

The Ruling Class Labor Besieged Unions and the Good Fight Globalization, WTO, and the End of Democracy Notes

12. Mass Media: For the Many, by the Few

He Who Pays the Piper The Ideological Monopoly Official Manipulation Political Entertainment Room for Alternatives? Notes

13. Elections, Parties, and Voters

Republicrats and Demopublicans The Two-Party Monopoly Proportional Representation: Making Every Vote Count Rigging the Game Money: A Necessary Condition The Struggle to Vote Voter “Apathy” and Participation Democratic Input Notes

14. Congress: The Pocketing of Power

A Congress for the Money Lobbyists: The Other Lawmakers Grassroots Lobbying Helping Themselves: The Varieties of Corruption A Special-Interest Committee System Security, Secrecy, and Fast Track The Legislative Labyrinth Term Limits A Touch of Democracy Notes

15. The President: Guardian of the System

Salesman of the System The Two Faces of the President The President's Systemic Role A Loaded Electoral College The “New Federalism” Ploy The Growth of Presidential Power The Would-Be King The Conservative Context Notes

16. The Political Economy of Bureaucracy

The Myth and Reality of Inefficiency Deregulation and Privatization Secrecy, Deception, and Corruption Bureaucratic Action and Inaction Serving the “Regulated” Public Authority in Private Hands Monopoly Regulation versus Public-Service Regulation Notes

17. The Supremely Political Court

Who Judges? Conservative Judicial Activism Circumventing the First Amendment Freedom for Revolutionaries? As the Court Turns Influence of the Court Notes

18. Democracy for the Few

Pluralism for the Few The Limits of Reform Democracy as Class Struggle The Roles of the State What Is to Be Done? The Reality of Public Production Notes Cartoon Acknowledgments