About the author

Joseph Fried

Joseph Fried is an MBA and a practicing CPA specializing in governmental auditing, the audit of nonprofit organizations, and the peer review of other CPA firms. Fried is an expert in Social Security policy, and the waste, fraud, and abuse that are reflected in all facets of the program. He has published two books with Algora Publishing. Mr. Fried serves as director of the Public Program Testing Organization (PPTO), an Ohio-based nonprofit organization that seeks to identify and eliminate waste in the governmental and nonprofit sectors. Working on behalf of the PPTO, Mr. Fried determined that several Texas school districts were illegally giving workers Social Security coverage in a scheme that will cause the government to pay over $2 billion to ineligible beneficiaries. The Office of Inspector General investigated these allegations and confirmed their accuracy and validity in a report issued in 2007. (See report at http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/A-09-06-26086.pdf.)

Democrats and Republicans – Rhetoric and Reality

Name: Democrats and Republicans - Rhetoric and Reality
Price: 24.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Joseph Fried
ISBN: 9780875866031

Comparing the Voters in Statistics and Anecdotes

Price range: $24.95 through $33.95

A recognized whistleblower who identified $2BN in false Social Security claims, the author pokes fun while poking holes in our prejudices about both national parties.

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Categories: History: US, Political Economy, Politics & International RelationsAuthor: Joseph Fried SKU: democrats-and-republicans-rhetoric-and-reality Categories: History: US, Political Economy, Politics & International Relations Tags: American politics book, american two-party system, American voter behavior, charity giving by political party, civic knowledge survey, democrats vs republicans, fact-based political analysis, gun ownership by party, happiness and political affiliation, party affiliation research, political knowledge and education, political myths vs reality, political party comparison, political stereotypes debunked, religion and politics America, Republican and Democrat differences, Republican vs Democrat lifestyle, Social Security and political parties, understanding American voters, US politics data, US politics nonfiction, voting behavior statistics, who is more intelligent Democrats or Republicans, who pays more taxes Democrats or Republicans, work ethic and political party Author: Joseph Fried

Sound Bite

Who are the Democrats and Republicans, really? Drawing on authoritative nationwide surveys and a wide range of quips and quotes, the author outlines the beliefs of Democrats vs. Republicans, and illustrates differences between Republicans and Democrats through details of lifestyles, ethics, intelligence, and achievements in a multitude of charts and statistics. This work is an informative, fair, and constructive book that can broaden your understanding of Democrats and Republicans. Also, it's pretty good if you just need some ammo for that next encounter with your brother-in-law.

About the Book

A recognized whistleblower who identified $2BN in false Social Security claims, the author pokes fun while poking holes in our prejudices about both national parties. The book opens a bottomless sack of political trivia and in the collage that emerges, readers find a surprising portrait of both the voters and the legislators.

Are Democrats more tolerant than Republicans? Are they more intelligent? Who spends more time at work and who spends more time watching TV? Why are Republicans happier? Who benefits more from Social Security? All of these questions, and many more, are answered in Democrats and Republicans ' Rhetoric and Reality, using authoritative survey evidence and statistics to compare the conduct and achievements of the Democratic and Republican constituencies.

Many of the findings are surprising. For example, Democrats and Republicans have different tendencies with regard to trust, self-esteem, "apparent intelligence," political knowledge, mental health, happiness, work hours, charity, and even body mass index. These general differences are quantifiable and statistically significant.

The author principally relied on data from the General Social Survey and the American National Election Studies, rounded out by surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the Gallup Organization, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, Harris Interactive, and other organizations.

Although the book is aimed at the popular market, it has all of the supporting references and statistical significance of an academic work. Interspersed among the findings are quotations from pundits, politicians, philosophers, celebrities, fruitcakes, etc. Although some of this rhetoric is strident, the book's overall tone is objective — a refreshing alternative to the bombastic polemics we often see in modern political works.

Several constructive lessons can be learned from the various Democratic-Republican comparisons. This is the most comprehensive and authoritative book written about the constituencies of our two major political parties. It should be in the personal library of anyone who is interested in American politics.

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Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 2010. Interview with Toshihiro Yamanaka.-- "Intriguing and iconoclastic — there's no other book like it."

About the Book

Joseph Fried brings an unusual background to political analysis — he's a recognized whistleblower who uncovered over two billion dollars in fraudulent Social Security claims — and that skeptical, evidence-first mindset shapes every page of this book. Rather than trading in the usual partisan talking points, Fried digs into nationwide surveys, polling data, and behavioral statistics to ask a simple but loaded question: who are Democratic and Republican voters, really?

The results are consistently surprising. Fried examines lifestyle differences between the two parties' supporters, covering everything from marriage rates and religious attendance to gun ownership, charitable giving, and TV habits. He looks at who works longer hours, who volunteers more, who pays more in federal taxes, and who leans more heavily on Social Security. He even takes on the politically charged question of intelligence and education, comparing civic knowledge, formal credentials, and reasoning test results between the two groups.

What makes the book work is its refusal to flatter either side. Republicans and Democrats each come out ahead on some measures and behind on others, and Fried is upfront about the complexity behind the numbers. Why are Republicans, on average, happier? Why do Democrats tend to have higher formal education levels but not always higher scores on political knowledge tests? These are the kinds of questions the book takes seriously, backing claims with data rather than rhetoric. For anyone tired of political stereotypes and looking for a fact-based, even-handed comparison of America's two major parties and their voters, this is a genuinely useful read.

Additional information

Weight	N/A
Book Type	Ebook, ePub, Hard cover, Soft cover
Pages	374
Release Year	2008
LC Classification	JK2271.F75
Dewey code	324.273'dc22
BISAC I	POL015000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties
BISAC II	POL008000 POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Elections

1 review for Democrats and Republicans – Rhetoric and Reality

Algora Publishing – February 6, 2026

Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 2010. Interview with Toshihiro Yamanaka.– “Intriguing and iconoclastic — there’s no other book like it.”