The marriage of great wealth and intense political influence has rendered our country unable to address our most pressing problems, from runaway government spending to climate change to vast disparities in economic equality.

The authors of "Nation on the Take" will discuss how big money corrupts our democracy — and what we can do about it.

• Wendell Potter is a senior analyst at the Center for Public Integrity, the senior fellow on health care at the Center for Media and Democracy, and a leading critic of the health insurance industry. His book, "Deadly Spin," won the 2011 Ridenhour Book Prize.

• Nick Penniman is executive director of the organization, Issue One. He was previously publisher of the Washington Monthly and director of the Huffington Post Investigative Fund.

The discussion, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception and book-signing.