Inside Job

National Decline Is Typically Blamed On Special Interests From The Demand Side Of Politics Corrupting A Country''S Institutions. The Usual Demand-Side Suspects Include Crony Capitalists Consumer Activists Economic Elites And Labor Unions. Less Attention Is Given To Government Insiders On The Supply Side Of Politics - Rulers Elected Officials Bureaucrats And Public Employees. In Autocracies And Democracies Government Insiders Have The Motive Means And Opportunity To Co-Opt Political Power For Their Benefit And At The Expense Of National Well-Being. Many Storied Empires Have Succumbed To Such Inside Jobs. Today They Imperil Countries As Different As China And The United States. Democracy - Government By The People - Does Not Ensure Government For The People. Understanding How Government Insiders Use Their Power To Subvert The Public Interest - And How These Negative Consequences Can Be Mitigated - Is The Topic Of This Book By Mark A. Zupan.