The story of the monumental growth of lobbying in Washington, D.C., and how it undermines effective government and pollutes our politics. Washington journalist Robert G. Kaiser explains how and why, over the last four decades, Washington became a dysfunctional capital. Special interests use campaign contributions and lobbyists to influence government decisions, and congressional candidates need money to pay for their increasingly expensive campaigns. This has created a mutually reinforcing relationship between special interests and elected representatives, leading to a new class in Washington, wealthy lobbyists whose careers often begin in public service. Kaiser shows us how behavior by public officials that was once considered corrupt or improper became commonplace, how special interests became the principal funders of elections, and how our biggest national problems--health care, global warming, and the looming crises of Medicare and Social Security, among others--have been ignored as a result.--From publisher description.