The people's machine : Arnold Schwarzenegger and the rise of blockbuster democracy / Joe Mathews.

1st ed.

1586482726
9781586482725

New York : Public Affairs, c2006.

English

xxiv, 453 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.

F866.4.S38 M38 2006

979.4/054092 B

Over the past quarter century, the twin arts of direct democracy (through ballot initiatives designed to push the public to the polls on election day) and blockbuster moviemaking (through movies designed to push the public to the theaters on opening weekend) grew up together, at home in California. With the state's recall election in 2003, the two officially merged. The result: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Political reporter Mathews, who covered Schwarzenegger's campaign for the Los Angeles Times and who has subsequently broken many front page stories about him, traces the roots of both movie and political populism, how Schwarzenegger used these twin forces to win election and, especially, how he has used them to govern. This book reports on whether this system of governing proves blessing, curse, or mess, and on the remarkable Austrian with the nerve to carry it out.--From publisher description.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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