{"product_id":"backroom-deals-in-our-backyards-how-government-secrecy-harms-our-communities-and-the-local-heroes-fighting-back-hardcover","title":"Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMiranda S. Spivack\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA groundbreaking look at how ordinary people are fighting back against their local and state governments to keep their communities safe, by an award-winning journalist\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost Americans are likely to encounter the effects of government malfeasance or neglect close to home--from their governors, mayors, town councils, school boards, police, and prosecutors. In fact, deals shrouded in darkness are regularly made at the state and local levels, often the result of closed-door discussions between governments and industry without any scrutiny whatsoever from the public. Too often, as this groundbreaking new work of investigative reporting reveals, residents are intentionally kept on the outside, struggling to get information about significant issues affecting their communities--from car crashes and dirty drinking water, to failing safety gear--until the backroom deals are done and it's too late to challenge them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eA work of riveting narrative nonfiction based on years of original reporting, \u003cem\u003eBackroom Deals in Our Backyards\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of five \"accidental activists\"--people from across the United States who started questioning why their local and state governments didn't protect them from issues facing their communities and why there was a frightening lack of transparency surrounding the way these issues were resolved. The secret deals, lies, and corruption they uncover shake their faith in government but move them to action.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor readers of \u003cem\u003eChain of Title\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSuperman's Not Coming\u003c\/em\u003e, Spivack's revealing take on a hidden dimension of American politics will outrage and educate anyone who cares about the forces shaping their own communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMiranda S. Spivack \u003c\/b\u003eis a veteran reporter and editor who specializes in stories about government accountability and secrecy. She spent twenty years as an award-winning editor and reporter for the Washington Post. A former Fulbright Scholar and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at DePauw University and the author of \u003ci\u003eBackroom Deals in Our Backyards \u003c\/i\u003e(The New Press), she lives in Maryland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.3 x 8.6 x 5.6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 06, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50729293381938,"sku":"9781620978559","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0961\/1608\/0946\/files\/biD4rgwp6R9781620978559.webp?v=1765634154","url":"https:\/\/deskinlawfirm.com\/products\/backroom-deals-in-our-backyards-how-government-secrecy-harms-our-communities-and-the-local-heroes-fighting-back-hardcover","provider":"DLF Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}