John Nichols: Data Mining American Voters

It's not just the government and corporations who are tracking your cell and computer use: politicians on the campaign trail are some of the biggest data snoopers around.

Whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the information that the NSA collects on average Americans, but, according to John Nichols, politicians and political campaigns have been date mining the electorate for years. In his new book, Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America, he and Robert W. McChesney analyze how date mining is used not only to manipulate voters but also to maximize fundraising and attract donors.

—Rebecca Nathanson

Francis Reynolds TwitterFrancis Reynolds is The Nation’s multimedia editor.