For all the wrong reasons, a national spotlight is shining on Chicago. The underlying problem, contend Ed Bachrach and Austin Berg, is that deliberative democracy is dead in the city. On the book's podcast, Ed Bachrach and Austin Berg tackle the city's key issues, interview top experts from around the country and lay out a blueprint for change.
This book is a thoughtful recitation of the problems of one of our greatest cities. If more intelligent, articulate citizens like Ed Bachrach and Austin Berg would take the time and make the effort to understand and publicize the fiscal realities, we would at least have a chance of finding real public support for solutions. This book is an urgent plea for change. It should be read.
The New Chicago Way reveals how serious Chicago’s government problems are and how they are related to each other. More important, it provides a comprehensive solution to those problems. It should be read by scholars, public interest groups, and the public.
Ed Bachrach
Ed Bachrach is the retired CEO of Bachrach Clothing and the founder and president of the Center for Pension Integrity in Chicago. His op-eds have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Sun-Times.
Austin Berg
Austin Berg, an award-winning writer, is the vice president of marketing at the Illinois Policy Institute and co-founder of Iron Light, a digital agency helping purpose-driven brands change the world.