Democracy and the Common Wealth
Paperback edition
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| Author | Michael E. Arth |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Politics, New Pedestrianism, Florida gubernatorial election, 2010, voting, Michael E. Arth, Economics, Taxation, gun control, military industrial complex, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, War on Drugs, Global warming (Climate change), Health Care, Homelessness, Futurism, Alternative Energy, BP Oil Spill, Driverless Car |
| Publisher | Golden Apples Media |
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Publication date
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May 7, 2010 |
| Media type | Paperback and ebook |
| Pages | 480 pp. |
| ISBN | |
Democracy and the Common Wealth: Breaking the Stranglehold of the Special Interests is a 2010 book by urban designer, policy analyst and artist Michael E. Arth. Arth attempts to expose what he calls the "dirty secrets" of America's electoral system, and provides a list of solutions that he believes will result in a "truly representative democracy." This democracy would be led by effective, trustworthy leaders, who would be elected by a majority, and who would not have to spend their time raising campaign funds, or catering to paid lobbyists.
It also tells the story of the first year of Florida's 2010 gubernatorial race, from his point of view as an outsider, lacking in personal wealth or party backing. In the main text, and in the postscript, Arth writes about how he became an independent candidate for governor after being "frozen out" of the "undemocratic" Florida Democratic Party for not having millions of dollars, and for suggesting that campaigns be about issues instead of money.
The first edition of the book has 480 pages including 72 illustrations and charts and was first published in both e-book and print in May 2010. The e-book version also includes a postscript about the BP Oil Spill and energy policy, and a section on Arth’s switch to No Party Affiliation.
The first sixteen chapters are about how to break up the "oligarchy" and make "a more perfect union" that creates what Abraham Lincoln called a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." To do this, he writes, would require trading the winner-takes-all voting system for ranked choice voting in single member elections, and replacing single-member congressional districts for multi-member congressional districts, which would use proportional representation and a form of ranked choice voting called single transferable voting. It would also require doing away with private campaign financing, paid lobbyists, and most campaign advertising; and replacing influence-buying and propaganda with highly regulated public campaign financing that would cost a tiny fraction of what is spent now. "Pre-voting," by the electorate, with publicly financed micro-payments during the campaign, would determine both placement and ranking on the ballot in order to simplify the process and get voters more involved in thinking about the issues.
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