Category Archives: Front Organizations

Samantha Parsons and Matt Garcia Interview – Podcast April 23, 2018

Fighting For Academic Freedom Against The Koch Brothers’ Billions. Democratic Perspective host Steve Williamson welcomes Samantha Parsons, co-founder of Un-Koch My Campus, and Dartmouth Professor Matt Garcia, author of A World of its Own: Race, Water and Citrus In The … Continue reading

Posted in Dark Money, Education, Education Funding, Education Policy, Front Organizations, Interviews, LIberals and Conservatives, Movement Conservatism, Political Contributions, Political Polarization, Political Theory, Privatization, Public Education | Tagged , | Comments Off on Samantha Parsons and Matt Garcia Interview – Podcast April 23, 2018

Fake News and Racism: The Evil Twins of the 2016 Election Cycle — Podcast December 12, 2016

On the Internet No One Knows You’re a Dog: On Facebook, a Lie Looks Just Like the Truth. Democratic Perspective’s Mike Cosentino joins fellow regulars Gary LaMaster and Klaus von Stutterheim via call-in for a discussion of the avalanche of fake news and bigotry that … Continue reading

Posted in Bigotry, Conspiracy Theories, Democratic Governance, Digital Revolution, Disinformation, Elections, Front Organizations, Intelligence Agencies, Mass Media, Media Campaigns, National Politics, National Security, Podcasts, Political Lies, Propaganda, Racism, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fake News and Racism: The Evil Twins of the 2016 Election Cycle — Podcast December 12, 2016

David R. Berman Interview — Podcast February 1, 2016

The Mother’s Milk of Politics, or a Threat To Our Democracy: Dark Money and Its Consequences. On today’s Democratic Perspective, Dr. David R. Berman, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Arizona State University, and Senior Research Fellow at the Morrison Institute for Public … Continue reading

Posted in Campaign Finance, Citizens United, Class Conflict, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Front Organizations, Government, Interviews, Media Campaigns, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on David R. Berman Interview — Podcast February 1, 2016

Oligarchy: A Greek Name for an American Tragedy in the Making — Podcast August 10, 2015

If Government By the People Is For Sale, Shouldn’t the People Be Getting a Higher Price? President Jimmy Carter said recently that the United States has become “an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president … Continue reading

Posted in Campaign Finance, Capital Accumulation, Citizens United, Constitutional Issues, Corruption, Dark Money, Democratic Governance, Elections, Ethics, Front Organizations, Government, Income Inequality, Media Campaigns, National Politics, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Taxation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Oligarchy: A Greek Name for an American Tragedy in the Making — Podcast August 10, 2015

The Gigantic Kochtopus.

In a series of 5-4 rulings, with conservatives in the majority, the US Supreme Court has opened the floodgates of political spending by corporations and billionaires. In Valeo v. Buckley, the Court essentially ruled that political spending is the equivalent … Continue reading

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Government for Sale — Podcast February 13, 2012

Government for Sale: The Wholesaling of Political Influence. Democratic Perspective co-hosts Michael Cosentino and Steve Williamson discuss the proliferation of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and in our statehouses., and what they are buying with their employers’ money. https://verdevalleyindependentdemocrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/DemPerspective-02-13-12.mp3Podcast: Play in … Continue reading

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Government For Sale.

On February 13th, Democratic Perspective co-hosts, Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino continued their series on the influence of money in politics. They began by listing a few eye-opening statistics: $3.5 billion is spent on lobbying each year. (And that’s just … Continue reading

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Following the Money: PACs and Their Effects — Podcast January 23, 2012

Following the Money: The Influence of Political Action Committees on Our Politics and Legislation. Democratic Perspective’s co-hosts, Mike Cosentino and Steve Williamson, look at Political Action Committees (PACs) — what they are, who funds them, and what kinds of distortions … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Campaign Finance, Elections, Front Organizations, Government, National Politics, Paul Gosar, Podcasts, Political Action Committees, Political Contributions, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Following the Money: PACs and Their Effects — Podcast January 23, 2012

ALEC: Who Really Writes Our State Laws? — Podcast, December 12, 2011

The American Legislative Exchange Council: Who Really Writes Our State Laws? Democratic Perspective co-hosts Steve Williamson and Mike Cosentino take on ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group funded by conservative business-oriented special interests, which writes and recommends model … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona Politics, Elections, Front Organizations, Paul Gosar, Podcasts, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on ALEC: Who Really Writes Our State Laws? — Podcast, December 12, 2011

Shadow Government.

Democratic Perspective continued its series about the use of political front groups as a way of hiding corporate contributions in order to subvert the political process. This week, we looked at ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC’s website calls … Continue reading

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Arizona Politics, Campaign Finance, De-regulation, Environment, Front Organizations, Government, Immigration, National Politics, Political Contributions, Privatization, Special Interest Legislation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Shadow Government.