Political Scientist And Journalist Publishes Book On Fixing American Goverment

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. - Jan. 24, 2015 - PRLog -- Jeffrey R. Orenstein, Ph.D., a retired political science professor and publisher of the Southwest Florida magazine,  Living On The Suncoast,  has written a book titled Fixing American Government: Ending Gridlock and Apathy With A 21^st Century Constitution. ISBN 978-1-939237-32-3

Published January 1, 2015, it is available as an EBook on Amazon.com, BN.com, Kobo.com and as a paperback at CreateSpace.com and www.FixingAmericanGovernment.com.

Orenstein said, “American government is broken. Gridlock, hyper-partisanship and unlimited campaign spending by self-interested billionaires and interest groups have replaced rational public policy making, bi-partisanship and grassroots campaigns. Worse yet, many politicians show little or no respect for the democratic process and for voters.

The costs of this are enormous. We have gridlock and ineffective government that can’t deal adequately with a growing set of foreign and domestic challenges. It also depresses voter turnout, discourages good people from running for political office and leads to apathy, lack of civic IQ and a dangerous civic cynicism.

This book is my non-partisan analysis of how this came about and how citizens can begin to repair it by enhancing elements of democracy already in our political system. As I wrote it, I imagined I was talking to political activists, office-holders and would-be office holders, political pundits and bloggers, journalists on the politics and government beat, campaign consultants and anybody who wants a political scientist’s perspective on why American government doesn’t work very well and how we can start to fix it.”

According to Michael D'Angelo, Author of Life among the Ordinary: Completing Our Nation's Great Unfinished Business, “Fixing American Government offers readers a thoughtful narrative on progressive reform of our great democratic experiment through civic renewal. Dr. Orenstein draws upon his expertise to provide a candid assessment of our political malaise.  His vision is upbeat, optimistic and seizes the great issue of the moment.”

George Schofield, Ph.D, Author, Speaker, Futurist ( www.georgeschofield.com ) said, “True democracies require understanding many viewpoints. Dr. Orenstein's articulate, passionate book both informs and challenges. You don't have to agree with him. You do have to be open to possibilities that push what you think you know. A must read for those who want to understand democracy as verb (vt) as well as noun (n).”

Orenstein is available for interviews, commentary and appearances. Contact him at  orenstein@FixingAmericanGovernment.com