The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House

Top political insider Douglas E. Schoen dissects the failures of modern politics and unveils the practical-minded, citizen-powered solutions that will revive American democracy

One of America’s foremost political pollsters, Douglas E. Schoen, shows how the electoral system can be mended so that it once again serves and inspires the American people—no matter their party.

In The Political Fix, Schoen lays out provocative yet highly achievable solutions—from completely unmoderated debates to a rotating primary schedule—that will compel politicians to be responsive to citizens rather than to special interests. To ensure justice for all, he calls for removing the attorney general from the cabinet and creating joint chiefs of staff for the Justice Department. He points to innovations on the state and local level—from Alaska, where the state checkbook is posted on the Web, to New York City, where residents can call a single toll-free number to access government services. And he argues that the obsession with capping the influence of large donors has strangled genuine reform—and the answer is to get more money into politics, through a tax credit for small donors.

Schoen provides a rallying cry and an action plan for the thousands of Americans hungry for long-lasting political change.

Douglas E. Schoen has been a Democratic Party adviser for the past thirty years. A founding partner of Penn, Schoen, and Berland, he was President Clinton’s strategic consultant during the 1996 reelection campaign and has advised New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Indiana governor Evan Bayh, and former British prime minister Tony Blair. The author of five books, including Declaring Independence, he lives in New York City.