We speak with journalist David Sirota about his new book, Master Plan: The Hidden Plot to Legalize Corruption in America. Co-authored with Jared Jacang Maher, the book is based on their award-winning investigative podcast of the same name for The Lever.
Sirota says that while the United States is now “immersed in corruption” in a way that seems like an inevitable part of politics, it is the result of a decadeslong agenda by the wealthy to deregulate the campaign finance system and to essentially make anti-bribery laws unenforceable. “This is all part of a plan by a corporate movement that sees democracy — the government providing what people want — sees that as a threat.”