First published 2000
Political strategist Thomas Mann navigates the complex world of modern American campaigning. Mann confronts the reality that electoral politics never truly ends, with candidates and parties locked in continuous cycles of fundraising, messaging, and voter outreach. The traditional boundaries between governing and campaigning have dissolved, creating new challenges for democratic institutions. Mann witnesses how technological advances and media fragmentation reshape political communication, while special interests exploit the system's vulnerabilities. As he moves through Washington's corridors of power, Mann grapples with the tension between effective governance and perpetual electioneering. The story reveals how the constant pursuit of political advantage transforms both the players and the democratic process itself. At its heart, this is a story about the price of power in a system where the campaign never stops.
Genres: american, political-science, politics, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, systemic-critique
Setting: Washington
Period: 21st-century
247 pages · Hardcover · Aei Pr