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In Democracy, Inc., David S. Allen exposes the vested interests behind the U.S. slide toward conflating corporate values with public and democratic values. He argues that rather than being institutional protectors of democratic principles, the press and law perversely contribute to the destruction of public discourse in the United States today.

Allen utilizes historical, philosophical, sociological, and legal sources to trace America's gradual embrace of corporate values. He argues that such values, including winning, efficiency, and profitability actually limit democratic involvement by devaluing discursive principles, creating an informed yet inactive public. Through an examination of professionalization in both the press and the law, corporate free speech rights, and free speech as property, Democracy, Inc. demonstrates that today's democracy is more about trying to control and manage citizens than giving them the freedom to participate. Allen not only calls on institutions to reform the way they understand and promote citizenship but also asks citizens to adopt a new ethic of public discourse that values understanding rather than winning.

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CHOICE Review

Allen (journalism, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison) opposes the corporate penetration of American life. He argues that the professionalization of the law and journalism increased sympathy for corporate causes. Using Habermaus's notion of discourse democracy, which emphasizes creating public forums where citizens can discover their common problems, Allen criticizes First Amendment law. Arguing that First Amendment cases should be decided in ways that expand the legal space available for discussion, Allen examines three areas of case law: who is entitled to "freedom of the press," whether members of the press can refuse to testify in court cases, and what kinds of forums are available for political protest. While he favors an expansive definition of freedom of the press, he is critical of the Supreme Court's granting First Amendment right to corporations. He argues for more extensive use of shield laws to promote the public examination of critical issues. He also criticizes the Court for using property rights to determine where political demonstrations are permissible instead of deciding cases so as to expand the opportunities for pubic debate. Allen's application of critical theory to communications law is interesting, but the topics covered are somewhat disjointed. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate and research collections. A. D. McNitt Eastern Illinois University

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David S. Allen is an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He is the coeditor of Freeing the First Amendment: Critical Perspectives on Freedom of Expression.