Monopoly Politics

By James C. Miller

Book Overview

Miller shows that, as in commercial markets, victims of monopoly power in politics pay higher prices and get less in return. He details how political markets resist being organized competitively and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0817996524
• ISBN13: 9780817996529
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Hoover Institution Press
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Monopoly Politics

Conventional wisdom says that America needs tighter campaign finance rules to level the political playing field. A recent book suggests the opposite is true. Existing rules give enormous advantages to certain political players, and proposed campaign finance "reforms" would solidify their grip even further. "Monopoly Politics" (Hoover Press, 1999; 157 pages), by James C. Miller III, describes a system so stacked in favor of congressional incumbents that challengers have little hope of defeating them in the voting booth. More likely than not, the vast majority of congressional incumbents who run for re-election this year will win, and win big. In 1998, voters re-elected 98.3 percent of all incumbents who sought to remain in the U.S. House of Representatives. Three out of four of these incumbents won re-election with more than 60 percent of the vote. Believe it or not, that was fairly typical for a congressional election. Since 1950, incumbents seeking re-election to the House won 93 percent of the time. Senators fared nearly as well, winning 80 percent of their re-election bids. In explaining these overwhelming percentages, Miller juxtaposes political markets with commercial markets. In the latter, anti-trust laws exist to prevent businesses from colluding to keep new competitors from entering the marketplace. But in the political marketplace, elected officials routinely engage in monopolistic practices with impunity. After all, Congress writes the election laws. Miller, who once served as chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and who was himself a challenger in two Senate primaries, believes incumbents often win re-election because they have access to the formidable resources of their political offices. For instance, incumbents routinely bombard their home districts with mass mailings at taxpayer expense. They have free use of the Capitol's television and radio studios. They use the appropriations process to lavish their districts with pork-barrel spending. They provide "constituent services" to the voters who will ultimately decide their political fates. Few challengers can easily overcome such advantages. Federal election laws also provide congressional incumbents with a substantial edge. For example, the law allows incumbents to maintain multi-million-dollar "war chests" from one election cycle to the next. These discourage would-be challengers from entering the race. And because incumbents with large war chests are thought more likely to win re-election, many challengers find it difficult to raise money for their underdog campaigns. Reform-minded readers will enjoy Miller's lengthy discourse on campaign finance reform. Although several reform proposals are competing for Congress' attention, most are based on the assumption that money has corrupted the political marketplace. Predictably, the leading reform proposals would further restrict a candidate's ability to raise or sp

Finally a fresh perspective to campaign finance

Thanks to an advance copy of "Monopoly Politics" I have had a chance to read and review a book that takes a much needed new look at a tired problem. Too many reformers have offered the same explanation and remedies for the ills of the political markets. Namely limit the money, control the money, track the money. But Dr. Miller dives straight into the heart of the problem, the lack of competition in the political markets. Hopefully this book will be the start of a new debate that addresses the real problem, so that effective reform can begin.