Overview

Though they work largely out of the public eye, political consultants-""image merchants"" and ""kingmakers"" to candidates-play a crucial role in shaping campaigns. They persuaded Barry Goldwater to run for president, groomed former actor Ronald Reagan for the California governorship, helped derail Bill Clinton's health care initiative, and carried out the swiftboating of John Kerry. As Dennis Johnson argues in this sweeping history of political consulting in the United States, they are essential to modern campaigning, often making positive contributions to democratic discourse, and yet they have also polarized the electorate with their biting messages. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, political campaigns were run by local political parties, volunteers, and friends of candidates; but as party loyalties among voters began to weaken, and political parties declined as sources of manpower and strategy, professional consultants swept in to fill the void. Political consulting emerged as a profession in the 1930s with publicists Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, the husband and wife team who built their business, in part, with a successful campaign to destroy Upton Sinclair's 1934 bid for governor of California. With roots in advertising and public relations, political consulting has since developed into a highly professionalized business generating hundreds of millions of dollars. In fact, some of the top campaign consulting firms have merged with others to form multinational public relations conglomerates, serving not just candidates but also shaping public advocacy campaigns for businesses and nonprofits. Johnson, an academic who has also worked on campaigns alongside the likes of James Carville and pollster Paul Begala, suffuses his history with the stories of the colorful characters who have come to define the profession of consulting, from its beginning to the present. More than just the story of the making of a political business, Democracy for Hire's wide-ranging history helps us to better understand the very contours of modern American politics.

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9780190272722

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Reviews

""[Johnson] succeeds in connecting the folklore of political history with the chronology of campaign professionalization, providing a useful timeline of the people, campaigns, and events that demonstrate consultants' influence in American political development."" --Congress & the Presidency ""A fascinating, enlightening book that will inform serious citizens and delight students."" --Larry J. Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics ""Democracy for Hire is the new gold standard in the history of political consulting."" --David Dulio, Professor of Political Science, Oakland University ""Dennis Johnson's Democracy for Hire: A History of American Political Consulting is the best academic book on campaign consulting in existence. His systematic analysis of the role of campaign professionals in American democracy stems from careful scholarship and insider's wisdom from his experience as a campaign manager. This book is necessary reading for anyone interested in the evolution and characteristics of U.S. election campaigns."" --James A. Thurber, Director and Distinguished Professor, Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, American University ""In this richly detailed narrative, Dennis Johnson combines insider knowledge with scholarly analysis to explain how consultants brought about a revolution in the strategies and tactics used to win elections. Democracy for Hire is essential to understanding what's right and what's wrong about the ways campaigns are conducted, and the role of professional consultants in our democracy."" --Anthony Corrado, Professor of Government, Colby College ""Bringing the hidden world of political consulting out from the shadows, Democracy for Hire charts the rise and role of campaign professionals across all levels of elections and government. Offering an in-depth review of over a century of practice, the book helps us understand the profoundly impactful contributions political advisors make to politics by providing strategic marketing and communication skills which are essential to anyone hoping to win office."" --Jennifer Lees-Marshment, The University of Auckland ""This extensive account of such a vital part of the modern political system makes for an accessible read, fit for academics and the general voter alike."" --Publishers Weekly ""With Democracy for Hire, Dennis Johnson has proven himself a modern Vasari, writing the biographies of great campaigns and art criticism of the business of political consulting... [I]t isn't a quick read but will be an exceptionally rewarding one for scholars and politicians alike."" --Times Higher Education

Author Information

Dennis W. Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Political Management at George Washington University. He is the author of ""No Place for Amateurs: How Political Consultants are Reshaping America.""

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