{"product_id":"the-cash-ceiling-nicholas-carnes-9780691182001","title":"The Cash Ceiling: Why Only the Rich Run for Office--And What We Can Do about It","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy working-class Americans almost never become politicians, what that means for democracy, and what reformers can do about it\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhy are Americans governed by the rich? Millionaires make up only three percent of the public but control all three branches of the federal government. How did this happen? What stops lower-income and working-class Americans from becoming politicians? The first book to answer these urgent questions, \u003ci\u003eThe Cash Ceiling\u003c\/i\u003e provides a compelling and comprehensive account of why so few working-class people hold office--and what reformers can do about it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUsing extensive data on candidates, politicians, party leaders, and voters, Nicholas Carnes debunks popular misconceptions (like the idea that workers are unelectable or unqualified to govern), identifies the factors that keep lower-class Americans off the ballot and out of political institutions, and evaluates a variety of reform proposals. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the United States, Carnes shows, elections have a built-in \"cash ceiling,\" a series of structural barriers that make it almost impossible for the working-class to run for public office. Elections take a serious toll on candidates, many working-class Americans simply can't shoulder the practical burdens, and civic and political leaders often pass them over in favor of white-collar candidates. But these obstacles aren't inevitable. Pilot programs to recruit, train, and support working-class candidates have the potential to increase the economic diversity of our governing institutions and ultimately amplify the voices of ordinary citizens. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWho runs for office goes to the heart of whether we will have a democracy that is representative or not. \u003ci\u003eThe Cash Ceiling\u003c\/i\u003e shows that the best hope for combating the oversized political influence of the rich might simply be to help more working-class Americans become politicians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Nicholas Carnes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0691182000\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780691182001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Princeton University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/11\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 344\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.15lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.30w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/09\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/26\/2018","brand":"Nicholas Carnes","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43925628551423,"sku":"9780691182001","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_73360d60-db42-4f30-97a2-77b96d3072cc.jpg?v=1681078401","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-cash-ceiling-nicholas-carnes-9780691182001","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}