Money on my Mind: About the Author

Jay Mandle is the W. Bradford Wiley Professor of Economics at Colgate University. Professor Mandle is an internationally renowned scholar on the subjects of the English-speaking Caribbean, African-American history, and globalization. He has lectured extensively throughout the Caribbean, South America, Australia, China, and Japan. On the issue of money in politics, Mandle has published widely, arguing that elections in a democracy can and should be treated as a public good, analogous to the way national security is considered. All should pay for elections through the public sector because no set of individuals or groups should be permitted disproportionately to benefit from them. His book, Democracy, America, and the Age of Globalization, published by Cambridge University Press (December 2007) explores the rapid growth of income inequality, the dominant role of corporate wealth in elections, and the need for the public financing of campaigns. His most recent publication is Creating Political Equality: Elections As a Public Good, Palo Alto, CA: Academica Press (2010). Mandle's commitment to the issue of money in politics is evident in his regular monthly editorial, Money On My Mind.

"Money On My Mind" is a monthly column by Jay Mandle. The views expressed here are those of the author, (not necessarily those of Democracy Matters or Common Cause), and are meant to stimulate discussion.

Read the current issue and other issues of Money on My Mind here.