Reddit mentions of The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil

The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip - by George Saunders, a MacArthur-winning fiction writer; a deceptively nuanced children's book that can be read, on one level, as illustrating the perils of the free market and the need for social programs. Can be read in less than half an hour. I'm not suggesting this book to insult your or your friend's intelligence; it's just really funny and fun to read. Actually, a better choice might be Saunders's novella The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, which is also a quick read (two or three hours) and more directly satirical of politics. Odds are that your friend will find enough to agree with in that book that they'll be more open to hearing your arguments, even if it doesn't convince them all the way.

That reminds me of The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders, but thinking back on it, I barely remember what happens in the story so I might be way off.