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January 14, 2002 BOISE STATE PROFESSOR LOOKS AT GOVERNMENT’S INFLUENCE, CONTROL A new book by Boise State University economics professor Charlotte Twight contends that Americans have been tricked into giving up their autonomy. Dependent on D.C., published by St. Martin’s Press ($26.95, 512 pages), chronicles the methods by which politicians have used big government to increase their power over our everyday lives. Backed up by detailed research, Twight shows how Social Security, income tax withholding, federally funded education and federally mandated databases have weakened the personal privacy of ordinary citizens. She also shows how the costs and benefits of many of these programs are misrepresented, and how some are embedded in huge bills so as to be virtually undetected by the public. As people become more and more reliant on government programs such as Social Security, she argues, they are less likely to seek reform. And that, she writes, shifts the preponderance of power to the government and away from the populace. Dependence on D.C. also outlines the government’s ability to track minute details of people’s lives, from where they earn and spend their money to how they play. Even such personal details as a mental health diagnosis or financial difficulties are available for perusal. Twight is a national expert on privacy issues and the economics of politics. To request a copy of her book for review, contact: St. Martin's Press, Publicity Department, 175 5th Avenue, New York, NY, 10010. Contact: Media Contact:
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