Gerald Sussman is professor of politics and communication at Portland State University.

Sussman provides us with a compelling account of the way in which money and the professionalization of political campaigning has impoverished democracy. Drawing upon a wealth of evidence, he shows us how an army of political consultants, backed by big business, is turning democracy into a branch of corporate public relations. In so doing, he takes us beyond much of the discussion of 'spin,' to firmly link the process to the global spread of neo-liberalism. Read it and weep.

• Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 1 Political Communication in the Neoliberal EraChapter 3 2 Managing the Electorate and the Public SphereChapter 4 3 Campaign Professionals and the Tools of Their TradeChapter 5 4 Postwar Electoral InterventionsChapter 6 5 Globalizing the Political StandardChapter 7 6 Elections and the Corporate AgendaChapter 8 7 Professionalization, Election Financing, and DemocracyChapter 9 References