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So Damn Much Money: The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Government

Condition: BRAND NEW ISBN: 9780307385888 Author(s): Robert G. Kaiser Format: Paperback Publisher: Vintage Books USA Dimensions: 140 x 204 x 22 (w x l x h) Pages: 406 Series: Vintage

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Description: The startling story of the monumental growth of lobbying in Washington, D.C., and how it undermines effective government and pollutes our politics. A true insider, Robert G. Kaiser has" "monitored American politics for "The" "Washington Post" for nearly half a century. In this sometimes shocking and always riveting book, he explains how and why, over the last four decades, Washington became a dysfunctional capital. At the heart of his story is money—money made by special interests using campaign contributions and lobbyists to influence government decisions, and money demanded by congressional candidates to pay for their increasingly expensive campaigns, which can cost a staggering sum. In 1974, the average winning campaign for the Senate cost $437,000; by 2006, that number had grown to $7.92 million. The cost of winning House campaigns grew comparably: $56,500 in 1974, $1.3 million in 2006. Politicians' need for money and the willingness, even eagerness, of special interests and lobbyists to provide it explain much of what has gone wrong in Washington. They have created a mutually beneficial, mutually reinforcing relationship between special interests and elected representatives, and they have created a new class in Washington, wealthy lobbyists whose careers often begin in public service. Kaiser shows us how behavior by public officia