Today some 80 nations can be described as fully democratic. Yet in numerous countries around the world, democracy has failed or is tottering, and in the United States its principles are increasingly under siege from corporate and other forces. I enjoyed this book for its insights regarding pressures to privatize government functions, the huge influx of corporate money and influence in government, and the diminishing influence of "we the people." The author describes the contemporary definition of "conservative",, and offers insight into the Jefferson/Madison differences. The Boston Tea Party was a protest of tax exemption for the East India Company tea import monopoly to the colonies, crippling local dealers, and quite interesting in an era when corporations pay historically low taxes.

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