Breaking Through Power Lib/E: It's Easier Than We Think

by Ralph Nader

"Nader’s assessment of how concentrated wealth and power undermine democracy is clear and compelling, but it’s his substantive vision of how we ought to respond that makes Breaking Through Power essential reading. Written just before Donald Trump’s Electoral College victory, Nader’s latest book reads with even greater urgency now."--Yes Magazine

In Breaking Through Power, Ralph Nader draws from a lifetime waging--and often winning--David vs. Goliath battles against big corporations and the United States government. In this succinct, Tom Paine-style wake-up call, the iconic consumer advocate highlights the success stories of fellow Americans who organize change and work together to derail the many ways in which wealth manipulates politics, labor, media, the environment, and the quality of national life today. Nader makes an inspired case about how the nation can--and must--be democratically managed by communities guided by the United States Constitution, not by the dictates of big businesses and the wealthy few. This is classic Ralph Nader, a crystallization of the core political beliefs and commitments that have driven his lifetime of advocacy for greater democracy.

"Ralph Nader is the grand progressive of our time. We overlook his words at our own peril! This book is required reading."--Cornel West

"Ralph Nader's Breaking Through Power is a brilliant analysis of corporate power and the popular mechanisms that can be used to wrest back our democracy. No one has been fighting corporate domination longer, or understands it better, than Nader, who will go down in history not only as a prophet but an example of what it means to live the moral life. We disregard his wisdom and his courage at our peril."--Chris Hedges, Pulitzer-Prize winner and author of Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt

"Nader goes beyond delineating the problem and provides a critical prescription to battle the toxicity of unjust power--one that every individual can, and must, embrace."--Nomi Prins, author, All the Presidents' Bankers



"People are recognizing that our founding, fundamental values of fairness, justice, and opportunity for all--the very values that define our America--are being shoved aside to create an un-America of plutocracy and autocracy. Ralph Nader's new book Breaking Through Power provides progressive boat-rockers with inspiration and a plan for reclaiming America from the greedy Plutocrats and Fat Cats who think democracy is for sale to the highest bidder."--Jim Hightower

"I read Ralph Nader for the same reasons that I read Tom Paine. He knows what he thinks, says what he means, and his courage is a lesson for us all."--Lewis Lapham

"Nader insists on speaking up for the little people and backs his arguments and decent sentiments with hard facts."--Publishers Weekly

About Ralph Nader: Named by The Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, and by Time and Life magazines as one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century, Ralph Nader has helped us drive safer cars, eat healthier food, breathe better air, drink cleaner water, and work in safer environments for more than four decades. Nader's recent books include Animal Envy, Unstoppable, The Good Fight, and the bestseller, Seventeen Traditions. Nader writes a syndicated column, has his own radio show, and gives lectures and interviews year round.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Political Science, Social Issues

Audio CD

First published August 16, 2016

About the author

American attorney, author, lecturer, political activist, and candidate for President of the United States in five elections, including the last election 0f 2008, with his role in the 2000 election in particular being subject to much debate.

Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer rights, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government. Nader is the first Arab American presidential candidate in the U.S.

Reviews

[Thomas Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ralph Nader concisely and eloquently lambastes power corruption in the United States using numerous local, national, and international examples. Perhaps the most illuminating parts of the book arise from chapter 3, "How the System is Rigged," which abounds with historical and contemporary instances of power abuse. However, the book ends on an optimistic note, beginning with Nader's list of prominent activists and change agents in chapter 4, " Why Democracy Works." Arguing that even one person can enact meaningful change, he advocates the creation of "Citizens Summons" groups to wrestle power away from government and corporations and granting agency back to the people.

This book serves as a introductory survey into pressing issues facing the American people, ranging from rigged court systems to the two-party duopoly. Significantly, it also provides a call to action.

I encourage readers to also pick up Robert Reich's Saving Capitalism to obtain an even broader scope on 21st century US political issues.

[Jennifer Abdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really really short book for everyone fed up with the current two parties with concrete steps to take, some short term, some long term by a consummate activist for public safety and people power through the decades. Essential reading for an activist and informative for everyone else. He talks about the corporate takeover of Presidential Debates and the Republican and Democratic Parties, how corporations get away with paying no taxes and doing things average people get jailed for regularly. I didn't realize airline compensation for overbooking was won in a lawsuit, not given out of an understanding of good business practices or that safety regulations, lost baggage compensation, ban on post purchase price hikes were all a result of advocacy, not a sense of moral obligation by corporations either. Another surprise was the 30 year Peace Park Anti Nuclear vigil by Concepcion Picciotto- I had no idea that went on until recently.

Towards the end is really great- he lists several people, including our own Rev. Barber, who motivated people to reclaim power. And then he moves to explaining a bunch of steps that people on both sides of the political divide have historically been widely in favor of- taking back the airwaves, giving the power to declare war back to Congress, reining in Wall Street, assist community business, jail corporate criminals.

The big finish is encouraging the binding none of the above option (NOTA) so that we can express our vote of no confidence. Then we'd get new candidates and more involved populace. In many elections, I think this would have sent an important message and empowered more people. So many people check out of politics because both choices are the same essentially or they dislike both options. We need a way to send that message to the top instead of being forced to say yes to something we can't necessarily get behind in order to have a voice. I don't know if this is definitively the way, but Nader's got a lot of interesting ideas to consider.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bulk of this book analyses how power has become concentrated in corporations and established politicians throughout US history, especially in the past few decades. Parts of the book claim to apply to people anywhere on political spectra, but the way Nader writes about profit motives and private industry will be alienating to conservatives. I'm also taken aback that he frames direct democracy as uncontroversial. Some of us in California think it can be pretty damaging. It's often ineffectual anyway because better-funded media campaigns make such a huge difference when voters are overloaded and can't / don't want to research every proposition.

I strongly disagree with the subtitle's claim that "it's easier than we think." I came away from this book thinking that everything in it sounds incredibly difficult and just about hopeless. 1% of the population putting in 300 hours of civic work per year is a high bar. Then again, the last portion of the book calls for a grassroots movement in every congressional district that meets with members of Congress in person to demand change. This was published in September 2016; by the end of January 2017, Indivisible and other groups have begun doing something similar.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The evidential truth is this: it is the initiatives of deeply caring regular people that provide the firmament for our democracy."

"My point is that expectation levels--what Abraham Lincoln called the all-important 'public sentiment'--need to change in order to win back control of society from the One Percenters and the corporations that will continue to contaminate the Earth until it is poisoned, let it warm until it is barren, and who will lie until they are caught and brought to justice. Expectation levels need to rise, and public sentiments need to be stoked to enact policy that moves us closer to the kind of society we deserve."

"a central goal of movement leadership is to create more leaders, not more followers."

[Cherif Jazra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small manifesto for awakening the citizen spirit in each of us. This little book of 4 chapters and 150 pages, develops the main thesis that we have become a nation of plutocracy of maximums and democracy of minimums. He develops this by recounted in various fields how the commons have been overtaken by the big corporations: airwaves, land, roads, the air we breath, airlines, schools and public education, the delivery of justice etc.. This general takeover by commercial interests and the inability of government to reflect the people's interest is why we think our system is rigged. Throughout the book however, Nader is fueled by a hopeful language of moral rectitude in favor of the millions of people who have suffered from preventable tragedies, people like James Grant, Patrick Burns, Bill Drayton, Barry scheck and other who were involved in fighting diseases, corporate crimes or unfair imprisonment. The book contains many short examples of abuses committed by big companies or "1 percenters" and regular people who became activists and fought for justice. His main goal however is to encourage more people to get involved in their own community as he believe it only takes a few dozens people and 300 hours of activism per year to make change that affects millions of people, the stories aimed at exemplifying that. Finally, Nader wraps his narrative around the idea that a good and moral life is a life spent helping other. He ends his book with a series of 12 issues that would rally left and right because of their shared humanity and invites everyone to join him in writing the citizens summons for the 535 congressman to really represent the people: "By organizing and struggling in this manner, we enrich ourselves and reward ourselves and grow stronger. By organizing and struggling in this manner, we not only fight the good fight, but as we do so, we can achieve the goal of Justice, Freedom, and Democracy: the good life.

[Heather! · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, thinking it would reignite my faith in the democratic process in the US. Instead, it just moved me farther left into the Marxist camp, making me realize that there is no way to beat concentrated wealth at the scale we have now. While citizens are sweating their lives away on a single issue to gain a single victory, ten other previous wins are being dismantled by the plutocrats. And their tactics and skills are getting better every day. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before the methods in this book are obsolete.

[Michael Kitchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tiny book is more like a long, four-part essay, on how corporate power has taken over our government, and how we can take it back. The four sections - 'Plutocracy of Maximums, Democracy of Minimums,' 'To Organize Is to Initiate Resistance and Change,' 'How the System is Rigged,' and 'Why Democracy Works,' - provides clear and concise details and history, explains how our system of governance got to this point, and what we can do to take it back.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is the latest from America's foremost consumer advocate. Nader has been fighting for the rights of ordinary Americans for 50 years.

Corporations have no problem sending armies of lobbyists to Washington to get tax and environmental laws written in their favor. The lobbyists are also there to get Congress to stop any bill which might even slow down the quest of the corporations for more profits. These same corporations also take advantage of the tax laws to, on paper, move profits to a foreign subsidiary in a country with more favorable tax rates. They can also, on paper, move their headquarters to a PO Box in some tax haven like Ireland, Bermuda or the Cayman Islands. That could reduce their federal tax bill to zero, or even make them eligible for a tax refund from Uncle Sam.

The revolving door between Wall Street and Washington is well known. A top executive at Goldman Sachs, for instance, might spend a couple of years in Washington supposedly to regulate the financial sector. When his "public service" is done, his old office at Goldman Sachs will be waiting for him, or he might stay in Washington, and become a lobbyist. According to the 1872 Mining Act, corporations can purchase mining rights to vacant land for a whole five dollars per acre. If they should happen to discover millions of dollars in gold, silver or other minerals on that land, they keep all the money.

What can be done? Nader says that less than one percent of the American people started the movement to abolish slavery, or started the civil rights or environmental movements. The issue does not have to be a "big" one, like immigration or nuclear weapons; it can be something in your state, or town. Get some people together, and have everyone to donating a certain amount of money, to hire full time staff, and volunteer a certain number of hours per year. Examples are included in the book.

This book is short, easy to read, and deserves more than five stars. Nader speaks for the average American, and backs up his arguments with facts. This is extremely highly recommended.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 145 pages of justified indignation and about 1 page of an actual plan. And that plan has me giving up 5 hours a week. Ralph likes to spend my free time like we are dating or something. Fans of Ralph will find little that is new here, but that does not mean it's not worthwhile or incorrect in any way. $5 per acre for companies to mine public lands because a law from the 1870s hasn't been updated feels like we are getting ripped off. And the term "power law" was an interesting concept. I saw Ralph speak at City Lights (publisher) and he pretty much covered the whole book there so there wasn't much new. I still love the guy.

[Cristian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mistook the book for a general take on how to confront political power structures systematically. It's not; I was wrong.

Half the book reads like a political speech to galvanize activists in the abstract ("It's easier than you think!"); the other half is Nader pitching his own particular initiatives.

Memorable quote: "I am not optimistic by nature. I am optimistic by effort".

[Raf · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short read, Ralph Nader addresses how 2.5 million people or roughly 1 % of the U.S. population can effectively organize in congressional districts throughout the nation and instill significant political change. Nader provides excellent data and historical analysis and specific examples of how his ideas can be realistically implemented. Although I can't entirely agree with him and see him as somewhat naive, I greatly respect and admire Ralph Nader's tenacity, intentionality, and incredible wisdom. What I learned from this book is that Democracy doesn't work for everyone. It works for those who participate. So, it behooves the people of this nation to participate and organize if they want to accomplish meaningful change. In today's time with civil unrest and COVID-19, I see a lot of anger and physical destruction within our people, and understandably so, but I also see how that anger is misdirected with very little actionable change happening. I think it wouldn't hurt the change agents to take a deep breath, exhale, and digest the ideas in this book and go back to the drawing board. It starts with having town hall meetings once again, getting to know neighbors, and getting involved in community events. I highly recommend this book for anyone curious about reasonable steps to reclaim our voice as we the people.

[Randall Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ralph sees a disengaged America where relaxation time now largely means time to be “spectators of celebrity lifestyles, scandals, crime and sports.” We’ve traded democracy in to become a “society of spectators”. Walter Cronkite said publically back in 1991 at Harvard that in political debates, “the candidates participate only with the guarantee of a format that defies meaningful discourse.” How can the system be fair when “98% of sitting members of congress have accepted campaign money from the thirty most notorious tax avoiding companies.” Now a single high schooler working at McDonalds contributes more to the “upkeep of the nation” than Boeing, Verizon, and General Electric combined. And the Democrats “Tough on Crime” stance has long since filled our prisons and created effectively one pro-corporate party with two factions. “Timid supplications for justice will not solve the problem, we’ve got to massively confront the power structure” – Martin Luther King (1967)

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

If only many of the frustrated discouraged citizens would think about Nader's suggestions and take similar action, a difference could be made.

"No one needs to feel alone. An aura of anticipation, expectations, and overall excitement will arise if all these groups are connected with one another throughout the country. All can learn from one another's stories, ideas, proposals, and strategies. Moreover, in most congressional districts there are almost always some traditional, beleaguered organizations that could be convinced to join ranks and take up the local agenda. Even more, in some districts, there are civic associations, charities, unions, educators who would happily contribute their time, expertise and donations. These groups are likely to have affiliations with national groups headquartered in Washington D.C.. Remember: there are only 535 legislators in Congress and one person in the White House. We are in the millions."

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book's content was material that I'd already explored more deeply in Chris Hedges' work. But, toward the end, Nader makes an exciting argument, that activism can improve things. He argues that 1% of the population, each raising $300 and volunteering 300 hours a year, can build a sufficient activist backbone to make positive change in just about any area. After Black Lives Matter dried up (in my state, at least), I haven't had an outlet for my dissatisfaction with the many political problems our society is facing. Nader may have offered me a solution. Despite this country being less democratic than Nader's heyday of automobile regulation in the 1960s, time and money committed to activism has changed America before, and maybe it can again.

[Walid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ralph Nader's Breaking Through Power is an excellent guide and summary for those looking to establish or expand their knowledge regarding the unholy marriage of wall street, major corporations, and our government. Mr. Nader infuriates the reader by stating the facts and showing how our democracy is being weakened and how citizens are careless. He then guides the reader through the methods of taking action, provides letter samples, lists organizations for citizen action, and lists citizen leaders who affected real change, proving that change is possible. Excellent read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citizen lead democracy

This short book is another on the topic of "What a single citizen can do." There are many ideas and many reforms suggested in this book. Seemingly, because it was written two years before the election of Trump, it is out of date with regards to the number of people protesting and getting involved to "fix" our government. The seeds out Nader's ideas are still very relevant.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, inspiring, perplexing at points, it made me ask myself what I could do to disrupt the system. It is good to see through Nader's eyes if nothing else. His unique view and judgment is educational because it's contrary to widespread belief. He even concluded the book with the idea of the Left and the Right coming together that I found simultaneously naive, impossible, and surprisingly uplifting.

[Elbrozzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the book's title, I thought I'd get some tips on how to break through power. I didn't.

Even though I have great admiration for Mr. Nader and the work he's done, Breaking Through Power was a boring and uninstructive polemic.

[Jennifer Talarico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nader describes our corrupt government and then gives strategies to change it. I had a difficult time getting through the depressing realities before reaching the more positive tone in the last third of the book.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is an individual who has saved more lives via Government regulations, that would be Ralph. His guiding principle is sanctity of Human life. He shares his life experience how to deal with entrenched power.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Nader demonstrates how very much power corporations have in our world. Rather than despair, he cites lots of specific examples of how small groups of people, and even individuals, turned it around! Recommended for all, although it's kind of hard reading at times.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concepts, but think these will be familiar to those interested in the subject. I thoroughly enjoyed the case studies / examples! Many of these were unfamiliar to me.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best lil' handbook of inspiration this country has been needing for a while now. Highly recommend this for anyone interested at all in current affairs. Nader at his finest.

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent source for inspiration to participate in one's own democracy. I'm motivated!

[Tawbicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using his methods to make the changes I want to see on the local level

[Andre Stackhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer on the extent to which politics has been corrupted by concentrated wealth and power, and on how citizens can organize to use the levers of power available to them. Much of the book is rapid-fire breakdowns of the works of predatory industries, or the undermining of a political institution. The book isn't enough for readers build deep knowledge in any specific domain, but it does make an effective case for the need and way of active citizenry.

[Rajiv Bais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pages 118 and 136 are the starts of sections that really make this book worth the read. I wish I finished this book sooner rather than be obsessed with note-taking and long reading gaps.

[Nathaniel Creed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Ralph Nader is a true believer and I can respect that.

[JoAnn Chateau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Nader always makes his argument -- and this is the blueprint for local activism. A must-read.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Nader book I've read. Good short read- well summarized, but some eloquent and succinct points aimed at taking action now.
I will try to add some examples when i have time, as i have dog-eared some great highlights.