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Examining essential aspects of American life, John Budd investigates how informational sources (print and broadcast media and other resources) fall short when it comes to informing citizens, failing our democracy and damaging the public good.

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Introduction 1. Democracy: Ideals and Practicalities 2. Economics and Finance: Where Has Theory Come from and What Do We Face Today? 3. Public Good and the Public Sphere 4. Informational Failures 5. Informational Potential

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"John M. Budd´s volume addresses a very ambitious and timely topic: the relationships between democratic processes, capitalism, the public good, and the role that information sources have to play in these relationships. The chapters are erudite, well researched, clearly written, and combine the works of great social theorists with contemporary examples." - Gary P. Radford, Professor of Communication Studies, Fairleigh Dickinson University, USA

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John M. Budd is Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. He is the author of several books and more than one hundred journal articles on a range of subjects, including politics and economics.

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