The Democracy Fix: How to Win the Fight for Fair Rules, Fair Courts, and Fair Elections

by Caroline Fredrickson

Overview

The former special assistant for legislative affairs to President Clinton, president of the American Constitution Society, and author of the "damn fine" (Elle) Under the Bus shows how the left can undo the right's damage and take the country back

Despite representing the beliefs of a minority of the American public on many issues, conservatives are in power not just in Washington, DC, but also in state capitals and courtrooms across the country. They got there because, while progressives fought to death over the nuances of policy and to bring attention to specific issues, conservatives focused on simply gaining power by gaming our democracy. They understood that policy follows power, not the other way around.

Now, in a sensational new book, Caroline Fredrickson—who has had a front-row seat on the political drama in DC for decades while working to shape progressive policies as special assistant for legislative affairs to President Clinton, chief of staff to Senator Maria Cantwell, deputy chief of staff to Senator Tom Daschle, and president of the American Constitution Society—argues that it's time for progressives to focus on winning. She shows us how we can learn from the Right by having the determination to focus on judicial elections, state power, and voter laws without stooping to their dishonest, rule-breaking tactics. We must be ruthless in thinking through how to change the rules of the game to regain power, expand the franchise, end voter suppression, win judicial elections, and fight for transparency and fairness in our political system, and Fredrickson shows us how.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620973899
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	04/23/2019
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Caroline Fredrickson is the president of the American Constitution Society (ACS) and the author of Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over. She has been widely published on a range of legal and constitutional issues and is a frequent guest on television and radio shows. Before joining ACS, Caroline served as the director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office and as general counsel and legal director of NARAL Pro-Choice America. In addition, Caroline was chief of staff to Senator Maria Cantwell and deputy chief of staff to the then Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. During the Clinton administration, she served as special assistant to the president for legislative affairs. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Table of Contents

1 The Fix 1

2 The Will to Power 9

3 Elections Have Consequences 37

4 The Least Dangerous Branch 105

5 The Rules of the Game 149

6 They Go Low 183

7 How Progressives Can Win by Rewriting the Rules of the Game 209

8 Public Memorandum: Advancing American Democracy 213

Acknowledgments 223

Notes 225

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Democracy Fix:
"Fredrickson does a persuasive job of making connections that span decades."
—Washington Post

"Offering a 'real world' blueprint for political success in the era of Trump and the forthcoming 2020 elections, The Democracy Fix should be on the personal reading list of every political activist seeking a restoration of American values."
—Midwest Book Review

"A call to action for her left-of-center colleagues. . . . Fredrickson pulls no punches about the amount of effort it will take for the progressive wing of the Democratic party to regain significant power at the national level in this well-conceived, timely offering on countering the current political environment."
—Library Journal

"Fredrickson exposes the powerful, wealthy string-pullers manipulating American politics with dark money, fake science, front groups, and—increasingly—amenable judges. Knowledge is power, and this book will help empower us to reclaim our country."
—Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, author of Captured: The Corporate Infiltration of American Democracy

"A cogent, timely, and urgent analysis of what ails American democracy, coupled with a thoughtful, effective prescription for how we defend this bedrock of our nation's value system."
—Stacey Abrams, former Georgia House Minority Leader and founder and chair of Fair Fight Action

"A timely, important book on a topic that has never been more relevant. Fredrickson uses her brilliant mind and legal expertise to make a compelling case for the urgency of democracy reform."
—Cecile Richards, former president, Planned Parenthood

"How can we make change to ensure access to the vote for all Americans, build a more equitable democracy, and win on progressive issues? The Democracy Fix offers provocative new ideas to achieve these goals and more. A must-read for anyone who cares about a progressive future."
—Vanita Gupta, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

"Caroline Fredrickson has devoted her life to righting wrongs. Her latest book provides a blueprint for others with a similar calling."
—Eva Paterson, president and co-founder, Equal Justice Society

"Caroline Fredrickson is the rare legal scholar whose research and insights are matched by practical experience in government and policy, which makes her ideas for revitalizing democracy especially relevant, whether one agrees with them or not. At a time when Americans across the spectrum are questioning how money, inequality and corporate power may undercut their voice, this is a book that confronts how the rules are being gamed—and what to do about it."
—Ari Melber, MSNBC host and chief legal correspondent

From the Publisher

2019-02-03

A plan for progressives "to unrig [the] system" created by power-hungry conservatives.

Relying on her experiences as a legislative affairs assistant for Bill Clinton, a staff member for two Democratic senators, and her role as a lawyer for groups advocating for the right to abortions and other civil liberties, Fredrickson (Under the Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over, 2015) illuminates how to wrest control of government away from current Republican Party domination. Readers who follow electoral politics will find little fresh rhetoric here, but the author is strong in her deconstruction of the successful Republican playbook. She then adapts legally and morally questionable techniques to a hoped-for progressive playbook that can roll back or erase many of the damaging Republican policies. Throughout the presentation of her agenda, Fredrickson maintains that her allies must forge ahead with the same ruthlessness as their adversaries. A large chunk of the book focuses on increasing the number of judgeships at all levels: federal, state, and municipal. Of course, as the author rightly points out, winning judicial posts means winning elections; most state-level judges run as partisan politicians in robes, and most federal judges rise through appointments from partisan politicians. Furthermore, winning elections requires years—sometime decades—of planning: raising money; recruiting qualified, electable candidates; and guaranteeing a strong turnout of sympathetic voters. Fredrickson offers useful examples of how Republican operatives have mastered such steps and how her own allies can do the same. At the close of the book, the author lists six concepts to "provide the foundation to protect and preserve American democracy for progressive values." Among others, these include the need to "embrace small-d democracy," "invest financial resources in progressive outcomes," and "win elections through long-term constituency building and presence in state houses."

With evident passion, Fredrickson mixes abstract concepts with specific procedures, making for a useful—but not groundbreaking—title for the progressive library.

Kirkus Reviews