Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy

"Our political system has become big business--and business is booming--yet solutions to big problems seem impossible. Behold, the political-industrial complex. Rampant lobbying and gerrymandering. Election spending rising exponentially with each cycle. The Democratic and Republican parties competing furiously against each other for advantage, while together--as a duopoly--having a lock on the entire industry. And yet, who is this system for? Citizens, of course. Tragically, as the political system has transformed into an industry, it has also become totally dysfunctional, incapable of delivering solutions to America's key economic and social challenges. Would-be reformers debate endlessly about various ways to "fix the system," such as term limits or revised campaign finance laws, but few of these have been seriously proposed, let alone implemented. In The Politics Industry, leading political innovation activist Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter take a radically different approach. They ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis--and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework--to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does. Even more importantly, they argue that the political system can be changed, just as industries can be changed, by adopting a new and different strategy, a clear set of choices of things to do--and not do--in four key areas: the election process, the legislative "machinery," the role of money, and the opening up of competition. The authors focus only on those solutions that are powerful and capable of having a significant impact, as well as achievable within a short period. The Politics Industry is an original and completely nonpartisan guide that will open any thinking citizen's eyes to the real dynamics and profound challenges of the American political system and provide powerful and practicable solutions for reshaping the system for the benefit of all"--
A leading political innovation activist and a world renowned business strategist, in this original and nonpartisan guide, apply the tools of business analysis to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does. 50,000 first printing.
Gehl, a business leader, entrepreneur, author, and speaker, and Porter, an economist and business professor, explain how a competitive-forces framework and other tools for understanding competition can be applied to American politics, showing how political innovation can change the system. They describe how the politics industry is driven by the same forces that shape competition in any industry, namely rivals, buyers, suppliers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitutes, to show the unhealthy competition in politics and how political innovation is needed to break partisan gridlock and save democracy. They discuss the elements of competition in politics, political competition throughout American history, and political innovation and a game plan for breaking partisan gridlock through electoral and legislative innovations. Annotation ©2020 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
Our political system in America is broken, right? Wrong.The truth is, the American political system is working exactly how it is designed to work, and it isn't designed or optimized today to work for us&for ordinary citizens.Most people believe that our political system is a public institution with high-minded principles and impartial rules derived from the Constitution. In reality, it has become a private industry dominated by a textbook duopoly&the Democrats and the Republicans&and plagued and perverted by unhealthy competition between the players. Tragically, it has therefore become incapable of delivering solutions to America's key economic and social challenges. In fact, there's virtually no connection between our political leaders solving problems and getting reelected.In The Politics Industry, business leader and path-breaking political innovator Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter take a radical new approach. They ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis&and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework&to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does, and how the duopoly has led to the devastating outcomes we see today.Using this competition lens, Gehl and Porter identify the most powerful lever for change&a strategy comprised of a clear set of choices in two key areas: how our elections work and how we make our laws. Their bracing assessment and practical recommendations cut through the endless debate about various proposed fixes, such as term limits and campaign finance reform. The result: true political innovation.The Politics Industry is an original and completely nonpartisan guide that will open your eyes to the true dynamics and profound challenges of the American political system and provide real solutions for reshaping the system for the benefit of all.THE INSTITUTE FOR POLITICAL INNOVATIONThe authors will donate all royalties from the sale of this book to the Institute for Political Innovation.