Corporatocracy

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy's compelling and clearly written critique makes visible the interwoven strands of corporate governance failure and political governance risk. This book should be read by anyone interested in whether Americans will be able to keep its experiment in democratic republicanism going, or whether it will slide into oligarchy or worse – which is to say, by everyone. ~John Coates, Deputy Dean and John F. Cogan, Jr. Professor of Law and Economics, Harvard Law School

In Corporatocracy, Ciara Torres-Spelliscy pulls back the curtain on the past and present role of corporate money in politics. From dusty ancient ledgers to crypto currencies, she reveals how money undermines American democracy. She illuminates the underappreciated role of corporate money on January 6th, and how it continued to flow to election-denying politicians after the insurrection. By following the money, this book illustrates why every American should work to bolster democracy through their votes and spending choices. ~Spencer Overton, author of Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression

In this compelling new book, election law expert Ciara Torres-Spelliscy details how corporations that use their wealth and power to undermine democratic institutions at home and abroad can and must be held accountable. ~Jennifer Taub, author of Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime

If the enduring lesson of Watergate was ‘follow the money,’ Ciara Torres-Spelliscy's Corporatocracy goes even further. This is an in-depth, riveting dive into whose money is warping democracy and what they get in return. She relentlessly tracks the funds shelled out by southern states engaged in convict leasing; the Nazi collaborators who profited off concentration camps; the political grifters who brought us the Teapot Dome Scandal; the backers of the January 6 insurrection; the rock stars and rappers flinging dark money into election campaigns and the corporations that purport to be pro-democracy while they quietly finance voter suppression. Big money has been used to throttle big democracy since the founding. This book is an invaluable tool to understanding how profoundly dangerous dark money has become, and what we can do to stop it. ~Dahlia Lithwick, Slate

Torres-Spelliscy’s takedown is biting—she dubs Trump 'a cotton-candy-haired Mussolini'—and concludes with a sensible proposal for public funding of election campaigns... It’s a persuasive wake-up call. ~Publishers Weekly