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David Faris

It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics Hardcover – April 10, 2018

by David Faris (Author)

38 customer reviews

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It's time to do more than protest

The American electoral system is clearly falling apart—as evidenced by the 2016 presidential election. In It’s Time to Fight Dirty, David Faris offers accessible, actionable strategies for American institutional reform which don’t require a constitutional amendment, and would have a lasting impact on our future.

With equal amounts of playful irreverence and persuasive reasoning, Faris describes how the Constitution’s deep democratic flaws constantly put progressives at a disadvantage, and lays out strategies for “fighting dirty” though obstructionism and procedural warfare: establishing statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico; breaking California into several states; creating a larger House of Representatives; passing a new voting rights act; and expanding the Supreme Court.

The Constitution may be the world’s most difficult document to amend, but David Faris argues that many of America’s democratic failures can be fixed within its rigid confines—and, at a time when the stakes have never been higher, he outlines a path for long-term, progressive change in the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In [this] short, bracing book, David Faris ... argues that Democrats should immediately use every lever they have to gum up the works in Washington, to ensure they win full control of government in 2020." —THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

"A bracing polemic ... American democracy could disappear altogether within our own lifetimes. Every one who wants to avoid that catastrophe must read his book." —THE GUARDIAN US

"The most detailed case against the Return to Normalcy—let’s call it the Normal Is Over side of the debate—is advanced by the political scientist David Faris in his new book."—POLITICO

"Political scientist David Faris makes a compelling case that court-packing — along with statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico and other reforms — amounts to a prerequisite for lasting progressive change." —JACOBIN

“Should be mandatory reading by every Dem leader.” —DAILY KOS

"[Faris] advocates a number of astringent, constitutionally legal challenges to a system that has hardly served the American public, let alone Democrats, well... A worthy contribution to the ongoing American experiment." —BOOKLIST

"Blueprints to make sure that Republicans never force the rest of the country into their most nightmarish fantasies." —GQ

“There are more of us than there are of them, so let’s fight like it: resist Trump and embolden the Democrats. It’s Time to Fight Dirty is our roadmap to a fairer democracy and an America we want to live in. If we listen to David Faris, it’s a fight we can win.” —David Daley, author of Ratf**ked

"Go get the book. Read it for yourself. This is the playbook, this is what we need to do, this is how we draw the line." —THE BENJAMIN DIXON SHOW

“A playbook the left can use to get more power without having to change the Constitution, and they can do a lot.” —Ezra Klein, VOX

About the Author

David Faris is the author of Dissent and Revolution in a Digital Age: Social Media, Blogging and Activism in Egypt, the co-editor of Social Media in Iran: Politics and Society after 2009, and a regular contributor to The Week. He is associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University in Chicago.

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Product details

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Melville House (April 10, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1612196950
ISBN-13: 978-1612196954
Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 38 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #128 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Elections & Political Process > Political Advocacy
- #179 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Elections & Political Process > Political Parties
- #364 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Human Rights

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Lee KirbyTop Contributor: Batman

Democrats: Grow a spine and update American democracy, or see it disappear

October 1, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

A better title for David Faris' "It's Time to Fight Dirty" might be "It's Time to Grow a Spine."

Faris' book is a brief but bracing polemic built upon a brutally accurate judgment: It's time for Democrats to get over the obsession with bipartisan consensus that has driven their party for the past 50 years.

It's time for Democrats to face reality: Republicans don't want to reach across the aisle, join hands with them, and sing "Kumbaya" while making policy. Quite the opposite: while Dems have been dreaming of togetherness, the GOP's been exploiting the vagueness of the Constitution-which Faris argues is long on generalities and woefully short on specifics about how a representative democracy should function-to create structural advantages for their side-passing voter ID laws, using the census to gerrymander districts, blocking President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, and so on.

The Framers based their idea of representative democracy on cooperation between parties, but Republicans have withdrawn theirs. It's time Democrats realize that, and act accordingly.

Political scientist Faris proposes a series of dramatic reforms to modernize and update American democracy: Expand the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court, bestow statehood upon both Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, break California up into at least seven states to reduce smaller states' political advantages, replace winner-take-all elections with ranked-choice voting to better reflect voter preferences (which some states are doing), and pass an updated Voting Rights Act which would eliminate those voter ID requirements, mandate automatic voter registration and make Election Day a national holiday, among other things.

He admits that his proposals would, under normal circumstances, be a bad idea. However, he argues, those normal circumstances assume a functioning democracy is in place. Faris believes not only is that not the case, but also that democracy is in "mortal peril."

Ultimately, "It's Time to Fight Dirty" is a warning to Democrats: Stop fixating on bipartisanship and start fighting for democracy with some sense of urgency, or else watch it vanish altogether. For those who see that fate and wish to avoid it, this is a must-read work.

12 people found this helpful

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Brian M.

Cool. Never going to happen though.

August 30, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great book, and Faris makes the ideas he sets forth seem like they are plausible. Fast, fun read but ultimately depressing because the reader realizes that the current Democratic Party lacks the spine and drive to fundamentally change anything.

Recommended regardless. It's like after you buy a lottery ticket and know that you have a *chance* to win before reality crushes your dreams the next morning. In theory, Faris's ideas *could* become reality, but they won't.

5 people found this helpful

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Taowin

I read em all and this is the best.

August 19, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Rigorous, practical, foresightful, insightful – this is the book that pays attention at the right scale of analysis. Bravo!

2 people found this helpful

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Patrick

Taking the high road doesn't have to be clean

April 12, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If you've stood by, mouth agape, feeling helpless as the GOP blasted political norms in the conquest of governmental control over the past decade, you'll no doubt appreciate the roadmap Dr. Faris lays down for the Democrats. Witty, original, and thought-provoking...you may not be ready for Faris's ideas, but just remember the gerrymandering, the Gorsuch thievery, and the insolent campaign efforts of the GOP and maybe Dr. Faris will open your eyes.

37 people found this helpful

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AMD

Accessible and Honest - Facts and Humor Blend to Build a Pathway for Liberal Progress

April 12, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

There are a few academic authors who have a gift of communicating ideas in a way that is both technical and highly accessible and David Faris is one of them. With a dry-wit and quite a few historical and cultural references for perspective, he builds a solid case for practical (and one or two long-shot) techniques which progressives could employ to counter a couple of decades of GOP procedural nonsense. GOP'ers are going to swarm this thing with hate-speech but if you can laugh at an author closing his introduction with, "Hold my Shiraz," then you're in for a great ride.

I won't get into specifics because I can't describe them in a way that does his writing justice, but this book is worth a read. I would even argue that it's worth reading regardless of your political affiliation (especially the parts about the Constitution) because it just might make anyone pause and say, "No way! Really?" If you happen to be progressive in your political leanings, read this book. Buy copies and give to your progressive friends as well, because this one is not only a great read but it could go down as something future generations look back on and say, "That's how we got to where are today."

I have been reading David Faris' articles published by The Week and other sites for a few years now and he's earned the distinction of being one of the few writers who gets a stop-whatever-I'm-doing-and-read-this mark from me. One of the qualities of his writing that wins me over (beyond the humor and myriad baseball references) is that he's claws-out-scathing of the practices employed by the Democrats in government when he believes they've gotten something wrong or misplayed their hand. For reference, check out his opinions on the congress' handling of DACA.

This is a writer who shares honest thought informed by fact and historical precedent. If you want some of that for a refreshing respite from our current White House and political climate - buy this book and support someone who loves this country and its institutions, procedural-blemishes and all.

28 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Hope for the future

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Amazing book with amazing ideas. Every Dem should read.

2 people found this helpful

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Cathryn Cylinder

Great advice for Democrats in Congress

August 10, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The Democratic Party has been too compromising, weak, and frankly too Republican for years. it is long past time for the party to represent the people of the United States. The author of this book explains some strategic political moves that the Democrats MUST take once they win the majority of seat in Congress. Or else, they will continue to be in the minority because of gerrymandering, a completely absurd (archaic) and undemocratic Senate, courts stacked with lifetime appointments, and big corporate money influence, among other things, have to be changed legislatively in order to create a new system that is more just and fair.

2 people found this helpful

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Captain Comet

It's Time to Fight Dirty

September 22, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Very useful!

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