The Republic of Virtue : How We Tried to Ban Corruption, Failed, and What We Can Do About It
By F. H. BuckleyPublic corruption is the silent killer of our economy. We've spawned the thickest network of patronage and influence ever seen in any country, a crony capitalism in which business partners with government and transfers wealth from the poor to the rich. This is a betrayal of the Framers' vision for America, and of the Constitution they saw as an anti-corruption covenant. Most Americans get it, and this explains the otherwise improbable rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.
When a country is corrupt, legislative efforts to make things better can actually make them worse. That's what has happened with our campaign finance laws, says the conservative, and not entirely without reason. We've criminalized political speech and sent the message that it's unsafe to get involved in politics without a lawyer at one's side. Donor disclosure requirements have also unleashed Internet mobs that attack political opponents.
We'd be better off without any of them, Buckley argues in this provocative book. They're a net with the curious feature that the big fish swim through safely while only the little fish are caught, and those with the wrong political beliefs. All such rules are a disaster, and should be replaced by a different set of laws that focus on crony capitalism and the nexus of legislators and lobbyists that prey on our economy.
Book details
- Hardcover
- 272 pages
- English
- 1594039704
- 9781594039706
About F. H. Buckley
f.h. buckley is a foundation professor at george mason university’s scalia school of law. he is a frequent media guest and has appeared on morning jo Read More about F. H. Buckley
More Books By F. H. Buckley
People who bought this also bought
Stopping the Clock: Why Many of Us Will Live Past 100 and Enjoy Every Minute!
Used Book
The Middle Mind: Why Americans Don't Think for Themselves by Curtis White
Used Book
Spreading the Fire : New Look at Acts - God's Training Manual for Every Christian
Used Book
Juggling Twins : The Best Tips, Tricks, and Strategies from Pregnancy to the Toddler Years
Used Book
Holding On To Your Dream When You're Living A Nightmare
Used Book
Cancer As a Turning Point: A Handbook for People with Cancer, Their Families, and Health Professionals
Used Book
Beating the Dow Completely Revised and Updated: A High-Return, Low-Risk Method for Investing in the Dow Jones Industrial Stocks with as Little as $5,000
Used Book
You Mean I Don't Have to Feel This Way? : New Help for Depression, Anxiety, and Addiction
Used Book
Nation Building And Ethnic Integration In Post-soviet Societies: An Investigation Of Latvia And Kazakstan
Used Book
From Cover to Cover : Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books
Used Book
The Skeptical Feminist: Discovering the Virgin, Mother, and Crone
Used Book
Life 2.0 : How People Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness
Used Book
Behind the Cosmic Curtain: The Further Writings of Suami Rudrananda
Used Book
Mwakenya : The Unfinished Revolution: Selected Documents of the Mwakenya - December Twelve Movement (1974-2002)
New Book
Mego Action Figure Toys: With Values (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Used Book