Smashing the DC Monopoly
Smashing the DC Monopoly

Author: Tom Coburn

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781944229757

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Pork-barrel projects like the $452 million "bridge to nowhere" and Keynesian economic debacles like the $840 billion stimulus package that saved as few as 600,000 jobs ($1.4 million per job) have led to a staggering $20 trillion in national debt--about $150,000 per citizen. With most members of Congress focusing only on their own interests, it's time to smash the DC elitists' monopoly and rein in spending and extraconstitutional overreach. Although the Constitution established a framework for limited federal power and expansive personal freedoms, self-interested politicians and activist court rulings have seriously imbalanced the system. Smashing the DC Monopoly provides the solution to how we the people can finally wrest control away from Washington insiders and back to our local and state representatives. Having spent more than fifteen years fighting government fraud and irresponsibility, Sen. Tom Coburn reveals that at least $150 billion could be saved annually by eliminating waste and duplication in the federal government. Indeed, while serving on the Simpson-Bowles Commission Senator Coburn worked on a proposal to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over ten years (which, although a good first step, is but still a drop in the bucket compared to the federal government's $143 trillion in unfunded liabilities). Yet the profligate spending and mismanagement continue unabated. In fact, the growth of government has led to a divided, debt-ridden nation of dependent citizens with decreasing personal freedoms. It's time for the people to take charge. The Constitution's Framers anticipated a time when self-interested officials would be unwilling or unable to act in the people's long-term interest. Thus they included the safety feature of Article V that allows the people to propose amendments to the Constitution through the actions of their state legislatures. Already a growing number of grassroots organizations are actively promoting a convention of the states to address issues such as mandatory balancing of the federal budget, term limits on congressional members, and limits on the federal judiciary. Giving up on the political class, Smashing the DC Monopoly argues for an Article V amendments convention as the best solution to limit the power and scope of the federal government. The book provides the historical background for Article V, reveals past attempts to hold an amendments convention, explains the inherent safety of this process, and examines the current efforts since 2010. Senator Tom Coburn explains how we the people can at last rebalance our governmental system and counter the dysfunction in Washington. Complete with a list of resources and organization fighting for the people, Smashing the DC Monopoly is your guide to standing up for the next generation and defeating the "me-first" Washington elite who are mortgaging our country's future.

The People’s Constitution
The People’s Constitution

Author: John F. Kowal

Publisher: The New Press

Published: 2021-09-21

Total Pages: 493

ISBN-13: 1620975629

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The 233-year story of how the American people have taken an imperfect constitution—the product of compromises and an artifact of its time—and made it more democratic Who wrote the Constitution? That’s obvious, we think: fifty-five men in Philadelphia in 1787. But much of the Constitution was actually written later, in a series of twenty-seven amendments enacted over the course of two centuries. The real history of the Constitution is the astonishing story of how subsequent generations have reshaped our founding document amid some of the most colorful, contested, and controversial battles in American political life. It’s a story of how We the People have improved our government’s structure and expanded the scope of our democracy during eras of transformational social change. The People’s Constitution is an elegant, sobering, and masterly account of the evolution of American democracy. From the addition of the Bill of Rights, a promise made to save the Constitution from near certain defeat, to the post–Civil War battle over the Fourteenth Amendment, from the rise and fall of the “noble experiment” of Prohibition to the defeat and resurgence of an Equal Rights Amendment a century in the making, The People’s Constitution is the first book of its kind: a vital guide to America’s national charter, and an alternative history of the continuing struggle to realize the Framers’ promise of a more perfect union.

Pork Barrel
Pork Barrel

Author: Fouad Sabry

Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable

Published: 2024-10-18

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13:

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Discover the complexities of "Pork Barrel" politics, a crucial topic in the "Political Science" series. This book dives into how legislators earmark funds for local projects, influencing governance, budgets, and public perception. It offers invaluable insights for professionals, students, and political enthusiasts alike. 1: Pork Barrel - Origins and evolution of Pork Barrel spending and its impact on governance. 2: Line-item Veto in the United States - Examine efforts to curb Pork Barrel spending through presidential powers. 3: Omnibus Spending Bill - Explore comprehensive spending legislation and its fiscal challenges. 4: U.S. House Committee on Appropriations - Learn about the role of this committee in federal funding. 5: U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations - Compare Senate and House approaches to appropriations. 6: Consolidated Appropriations Act - Analyze acts that shape government operations and services. 7: Gravina Island Bridge - A case study of the "Bridge to Nowhere" and its political consequences. 8: Earmark (Politics) - Understand the practice of earmarking and its role in congressional priorities. 9: Political Particularism - Investigate Pork Barrel’s broader impact on governance and representation. 10: Bonus Bill of 1817 - Trace early American precedents of Pork Barrel spending. 11: Jerry Lewis (California Politician) - Profile key figures in Pork Barrel politics and their influence. 12: Ray LaHood - Reflections on the role of Pork Barrel in political strategy. 13: Gravina Island - Study the intersection of environmental issues and local projects. 14: Tom Coburn - Explore critiques of Pork Barrel politics and calls for fiscal reform. 15: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 - Review impacts on federal program funding and accountability. 16: Safe, Accountable, Flexible Transportation Act - Investigate debates over infrastructure investment and autonomy. 17: Citizens Against Government Waste - Review advocacy efforts targeting Pork Barrel spending. 18: Congressional Stagnation in the U.S. - Examine Pork Barrel's role in legislative gridlock and reform efforts. 19: Executive Budget - Contrast executive budgets with legislative appropriations. 20: Taxpayers for Common Sense - Explore watchdog efforts to enhance fiscal transparency and accountability. 21: Water Resources Development Act of 2007 - Assess water infrastructure spending and its political impact. Dive deep into the world of fiscal policy and democratic governance with "Pork Barrel." This guide takes you through historical contexts, case studies, and current debates, empowering you with knowledge on the intricacies of political funding.

Congress in Reverse
Congress in Reverse

Author: Jordan M. Ragusa

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2020-08-10

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 022671750X

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After years of divided government, countless Republicans campaigned on a promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Yet when they took control of both chambers of Congress and the White House in 2017—after six years that included more than fifty symbolic votes and innumerable pledges—they failed to repeal the bulk of the law. Pundits were shocked, and observers and political scientists alike were stuck looking for an explanation. What made Obamacare so hard to repeal? And in a larger sense: What explains why some laws are repealed, and yet others endure in spite of considerable efforts? Are repeals different from law-making or do they mirror one another? Why are repeals more likely at some times than others? What theories of legislative behavior and policymaking explain when repeals happen? Congress in Reverse is the first book to attempt to answer these questions. Jordan M. Ragusa and Nathaniel A. Birkhead examine when and why existing statutes are successfully “undone,” arguing that repeals are most common when the parties are united on the issue—which was not the case when it came to Obamacare for the Republican Party—and the majority party wins control of Congress after a long stint in the minority. By shifting focus from the making of laws to their un-making, Congress in Reverse opens up a new arena for studying legislative activity in Congress.

The Debt Bomb
The Debt Bomb

Author: Tom A. Coburn

Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM

Published: 2013-04-01

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 1595554688

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In a nation whose debt has outgrown the size of its entire economy, the greatest threat comes not from any foreign force but from Washington politicians who refuse to relinquish the intoxicating power to borrow and spend. Senator Tom Coburn reveals the fascinating, maddening story of how we got to this point of fiscal crisis—and how we can escape. Long before America’s recent economic downturn, beltway politicians knew the U.S. was going bankrupt. Yet even after several so-called “change” elections, the government has continued its wasteful ways in the face of imminent danger. With passion and clarity, Coburn explains why Washington resists change so fiercely and offers controversial yet commonsense solutions to secure the nation’s future. At a time when millions of Americans are speculating about what is broken in Washington, The Debt Bomb is a candid, thoughtful, non-partisan exposé of the real problems inside our government. Coburn challenges the conventional wisdom that blames lobbyists, gridlock, and obstructionism, and places the responsibility squarely where it belongs: on members of Congress in both parties who won’t let go of the perks of power to serve the true interests of the nation—unless enough citizens take bold steps to demand action. “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” —John Adams Throughout a distinguished career as a business owner, physician, and U.S. senator, Tom Coburn has watched his beloved republic careen down a suicidal path. Today, the nation stands on the precipice of financial ruin, a disaster far more dangerous to our safety than any terrorist threats we face. Yet Coburn believes there is still hope—if enough Americans are willing to shake the corridors of Washington and demand action. With an insider’s keen eye and a caregiver’s deft touch, Coburn diagnoses the mess that career politicians have made of things while misusing their sacred charge to govern. Coburn’s incisive analysis: Reveals the root causes of America’s escalating financial crisis Exposes Washington’s destructive appetite for wasteful spending, power grabs, backroom deals, and quick non-fixes Rises above partisanship to implicate elected officials of all stripes in steering the nation off course Lays out a commonsense guide to restoring order Concludes with a clarion call and sound advice for Americans who would dedicate themselves to defusing the debt bomb Above all, Coburn believes the United States can continue as a beacon of opportunity for future generations—but how we act today will determine whether we deliver the nation to our children and grandchildren fully alive, on life support, or without a pulse.

Smashing the Liquor Machine
Smashing the Liquor Machine

Author: Mark Lawrence Schrad

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-06-22

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 0190841591

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This is the history of temperance and prohibition as you've never read it before: redefining temperance as a progressive, global, pro-justice movement that affected virtually every significant world leader from the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. When most people think of the prohibition era, they think of speakeasies, rum runners, and backwoods fundamentalists railing about the ills of strong drink. In other words, in the popular imagination, it is a peculiarly American history. Yet, as Mark Lawrence Schrad shows in Smashing the Liquor Machine, the conventional scholarship on prohibition is extremely misleading for a simple reason: American prohibition was just one piece of a global phenomenon. Schrad's pathbreaking history of prohibition looks at the anti-alcohol movement around the globe through the experiences of pro-temperance leaders like Vladimir Lenin, Leo Tolstoy, Thomás Masaryk, Kemal Atatürk, Mahatma Gandhi, and anti-colonial activists across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Schrad argues that temperance wasn't "American exceptionalism" at all, but rather one of the most broad-based and successful transnational social movements of the modern era. In fact, Schrad offers a fundamental re-appraisal of this colorful era to reveal that temperance forces frequently aligned with progressivism, social justice, liberal self-determination, democratic socialism, labor rights, women's rights, and indigenous rights. Placing the temperance movement in a deep global context, forces us to fundamentally rethink its role in opposing colonial exploitation throughout American history as well. Prohibitionism united Native American chiefs like Little Turtle and Black Hawk; African-American leaders Frederick Douglass, Ida Wells, and Booker T. Washington; suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Frances Willard; progressives from William Lloyd Garrison to William Jennings Bryan; writers F.E.W. Harper and Upton Sinclair, and even American presidents from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Progressives rather than puritans, the global temperance movement advocated communal self-protection against the corrupt and predatory "liquor machine" that had become exceedingly rich off the misery and addictions of the poor around the world, from the slums of South Asia to the beerhalls of Central Europe to the Native American reservations of the United States. Unlike many traditional "dry" histories, Smashing the Liquor Machine gives voice to minority and subaltern figures who resisted the global liquor industry, and further highlights that the impulses that led to the temperance movement were far more progressive and variegated than American readers have been led to believe.

Command Of The Air
Command Of The Air

Author: General Giulio Douhet

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2014-08-15

Total Pages: 620

ISBN-13: 1782898522

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In the pantheon of air power spokesmen, Giulio Douhet holds center stage. His writings, more often cited than perhaps actually read, appear as excerpts and aphorisms in the writings of numerous other air power spokesmen, advocates-and critics. Though a highly controversial figure, the very controversy that surrounds him offers to us a testimonial of the value and depth of his work, and the need for airmen today to become familiar with his thought. The progressive development of air power to the point where, today, it is more correct to refer to aerospace power has not outdated the notions of Douhet in the slightest In fact, in many ways, the kinds of technological capabilities that we enjoy as a global air power provider attest to the breadth of his vision. Douhet, together with Hugh “Boom” Trenchard of Great Britain and William “Billy” Mitchell of the United States, is justly recognized as one of the three great spokesmen of the early air power era. This reprint is offered in the spirit of continuing the dialogue that Douhet himself so perceptively began with the first edition of this book, published in 1921. Readers may well find much that they disagree with in this book, but also much that is of enduring value. The vital necessity of Douhet’s central vision-that command of the air is all important in modern warfare-has been proven throughout the history of wars in this century, from the fighting over the Somme to the air war over Kuwait and Iraq.