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F. H. Buckley

The Republic of Virtue: How We Tried to Ban Corruption, Failed, and What We Can Do About It Hardcover – November 28, 2017

by F. H. Buckley (Author)

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Public corruption is the silent killer of our economy. We’ve spawned the thickest network of patronage and influence ever seen in any country, a crony capitalism in which business partners with government and transfers wealth from the poor to the rich. This is a betrayal of the Framers’ vision for America, and of the Constitution they saw as an anti-corruption covenant. Most Americans get it, and this explains the otherwise improbable rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

When a country is corrupt, legislative efforts to make things better can actually make them worse. That’s what has happened with our campaign finance laws, says the conservative, and not entirely without reason. We’ve criminalized political speech and sent the message that it’s unsafe to get involved in politics without a lawyer at one’s side. Donor disclosure requirements have also unleashed Internet mobs that attack political opponents.

We’d be better off without any of them, Buckley argues in this provocative book. They’re a net with the curious feature that the big fish swim through safely while only the little fish are caught, and those with the wrong political beliefs. All such rules are a disaster, and should be replaced by a different set of laws that focus on crony capitalism and the nexus of legislators and lobbyists that prey on our economy.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Encounter Books
Publication date

November 28, 2017
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1594039704
ISBN-13

978-1594039706
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

F.H. Buckley is a Foundation Professor at George Mason University’s Scalia School of Law. He is a frequent media guest and has appeared on Morning Joe, CNN, Rush Limbaugh, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, Newsmax, Radio France, the CBC, NPR, and many others.

He is a Senior Editor at The American Spectator, a columnist for the New York Post, and has written for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, US News, National Review, the American Conservative, the New Criterion, Real Clear Politics, the National Post, the Telegraph, amongst many others.

His most recent books are The Way Back: Restoring the Promise of America (Encounter Books, April 2016) and The Once and Future King (Encounter Books, 2015).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Encounter Books (November 28, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594039704
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594039706
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,025 in Constitutions (Books)
- #1,130 in Political Advocacy Books
- #1,432 in Political Corruption & Misconduct

Customer Reviews:
60 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		69%
4 star		9%
3 star		8%
2 star		6%
1 star		8%

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Alexander1999

What to do about corruption and cronyism in politics

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2017

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The Republic of Virtue is a penetrating study of corruption in national politics and the ways by which it saps the nation's economic strength, rewards special interests, and undermines public trust in government. Yet, as Professor Buckley shows, concerns about corruption are far from new in the United States. The leaders of the Revolution attacked corruption in the British Parliament; the Founding Fathers designed the Constitution to check corruption; the influential reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries sought to check corrupt influences in government. It is little different today: Donald Trump campaigned for president on a promise to "drain the swamp," and managed to eke out a victory, much to the shock of pollsters, pundits, and Washington insiders. Can President Trump fulfill that promise? Mr.Buckley is under no illusions that it will be easy and he acknowledges that corruption and cronyism are perennial problems in a system where people are free to organize and exert influence on government. The great value of his book is that he outlines some simple reforms in campaign laws that are likely to keep corruption at bay -- at least for awhile. It's an excellent book, very readable, not too long (less than 200 pages), and full of insights on every page.

8 people found this helpful

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Steve Mosher

With the corruption of the Clintons on everyone's minds, ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2017

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With the corruption of the Clintons on everyone's minds, Buckley's book is being published at an opportune time. As he makes clear, our Founders had no illusions about the character of the American electorate that they were entrusting the future of the Republic to. He details how they sought to write a constitution that would minimize the threat of corruption, and proposes some modest tinkering with the machinery of government. His revisions would probably not have kept the Clintons from power, but the restrictions on lobbyists and bundlers are long overdue. Buckley writes clearly, cogently, and thoughtfully about the defects of our democracy.

7 people found this helpful

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Dennis E. Haugh

great insight on several topics

Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2018

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I do not agree with all of his conclusions, but his research is phenomenal. His footnotes alone are invaluable. He's obviously spent years researching framers' letters and other sources - including, of course, Convention notes in Farrand. Every American should read this book to gain valuable knowledge and character insight. However, as a mathematician, I must caution against believing too much in the statistics. The measures of corruption really measures the "perception" of corruption, not the corruption itself. The "contrast principle" in Cialdini's "Influences" has an example with buckets of water that demonstrates how flawed our perceptions can be. Likewise, his assertion that a parliamentarian form of government is less corrupt is abductive reasoning that cannot be trusted. In fact, the way that Parliament is trying to subvert the Brexit vote strongly suggests that the corruption in London is quite competitive with DC.

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Donald Herrick

Good coverage of a very important topic.

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Comprehensive study of the issues and explanations of all aspects of each issue. Offers solutions and chances of success. Unfortunately it is very disappointing the the future looks so bleak. Grass roots efforts seem to be thwarted by rules.

2 people found this helpful

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Jeff D. Sandefer

If you care about America's future...read this book!

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2017

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Frank Buckley is a powerful writer and thinker who would have fit right in with the Founding Fathers. Anyone worried about the future of America should devour this book!

2 people found this helpful

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Freda Hale

Three Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018

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Gave to son-in law hasn’t said either way but he wanted it.

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2018

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Great

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Angelo Codevilla

There is a broadening consensus that American public life is ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017

There is a broadening consensus that American public life is ever more corrupt. Buckley defines corruption as the use of public power for private gain, traces the institutional arrangements that have made this possible, and prescribes fixes for these arrangements. In its own terms, this analysis is unexceptionable and very much needed. Thomas Jefferson, in his 1816 letter to James Kercheval, had warned that America's constitutional arrangements are inherently vulnerable to corruption. He trusted in the American people's character to restrain temptations. Buckley does not deal with the character problems that Jefferson had in mind. But the short term institutional fixes he suggests would restrain those temptations at the margin.

One person found this helpful

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The Republic of Virtue: How We Tried to Ban Corruption, Failed, and What We Can Do About It Hardcover – November 28, 2017

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