Dynamics Of American Democracy

Author : Wendy J. Schiller
Publisher : University Press of Kansas
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2020-12-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780700630011

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Dynamics of American Democracy by Wendy J. Schiller Pdf

Democracy is in crisis. Washington is failing. Government is broken. On these counts many politicians, policy experts, and citizens agree. What is less clear is why—and what to do about it. These questions are at the heart of Dynamics of American Democracy, which goes beneath the surface of current events to explore the forces reshaping democratic politics in the United States and around the world. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners of politics and governance, this volume charts a twenty-first-century landscape beset by ideological polarization and political tribalism; rapid demographic, economic, and technological change; the influence of online news and social media; and the increasing importance of public attitudes about gender and race. Against this fraught background the authors consider the performance of the two-party system, the operations of Congress and the presidency, and the ways in which ordinary citizens form their beliefs and make their voting decisions. The contributors’ work represents a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches and provides insight into what ails American governance, from the practice of politics as tribal warfare to the electoral rules that produce a two-party hegemony, and from the impact of social media—including how differently conservatives and liberals use Twitter—to the significance of President Trump in historical and institutional perspective. Finally, Dynamics of American Democracy goes beyond diagnosis to present and evaluate the value and viability of proposals for reforming politics.

Author : Lawrence C Dodd
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 451 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2018-02-06
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780429965227

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The Dynamics Of American Politics by Lawrence C Dodd Pdf

This book offers a comprehensive assessment of the major theoretical approaches to the study of American politics. Written by leading scholars in the field, the book's essays focus particularly on the contributions that competing macro- and microanalytic approaches make to our understanding of political change in America.The essays include systematic overviews of the patterns of constancy and change that characterize American political history as well as comparative discussions of theoretical traditions in the study of American political change. The volume concludes with four provocative essays proposing new and integrated interpretations of American politics.This is a path-breaking book that all scholars concerned with American politics will want to read and that all serious students of American politics will need to study. The Dynamics of American Politics is appropriate for graduate core seminars on American politics, undergraduate capstone courses on American politics, courses on political theory and approaches to political analysis, and rigorous lower-division courses on American politics.

Author : Mark D. Brewer,Jeffrey M. Stonecash
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2009-07-31
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780521882309

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Dynamics of American Political Parties by Mark D. Brewer,Jeffrey M. Stonecash Pdf

In Dynamics of American Political Parties, Mark D. Brewer and Jeffrey M. Stonecash examine the process of gradual change that inexorably shapes and reshapes American politics. Parties and the politicians that comprise them seek control of government in order to implement their visions of proper public policy. To gain control parties need to win elections, and winning elections requires assembling an electoral coalition that is larger than that crafted by the opposition. Parties are always looking for opportunities to build such winning coalitions, and opportunities are always there, but they are rarely, if ever, without risk. Uncertainty rules and intra-party conflict rages as different factions and groups within the parties debate the proper course(s) of action and battle it out for control of the party. Parties can never be sure how their strategic maneuvers will play out, and, even when it appears that a certain strategy has been successful, party leaders are unclear about how long apparent success will last. Change unfolds slowly, in fits and starts.

Author : James L. Sundquist
Publisher : Brookings Institution Press
Page : 484 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2011-10-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0815723180

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Dynamics of the Party System by James L. Sundquist Pdf

Since the original edition of Dynamics of the Party System was published in 1973, American politics have continued on a tumultuous course. In the vacuum left by the decline of the Democratic and Republican parties, single-interest groups have risen and flourished. Protest movements on the left and the New Right at the opposite pole have challenged and divided the major parties, and the Reagan Revolution--in reversing a fifty-year trend toward governmental expansion--may turn out to have revolutionized the party system too. In this edition, as in the first, current political trends and events are placed in a historical and theoretical context. Focusing upon three major realignments of the past--those of the 1850s, the 1890s, and the 1930s--Sundquist traces the processes by which basic transformations of the country's two-party system occur. From the historical case studies, he fashions a theory as to the why and how of party realignment, then applies it to current and recent developments, through the first two years of the Reagan presidency and the midterm election of 1982. The theoretical sections of the first edition are refined in this one, the historical sections are revised to take account of recent scholarship, and the chapters dealing with the postwar period are almost wholly rewritten. The conclusion of the original work is, in general, confirmed: the existing party system is likely to be strengthened as public attention is again riveted on domestic economic issues, and the headlong trend of recent decades toward political independence and party disintegration reversed, at least for a time.

Author : Devin Caughey,Christopher Warshaw
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 231 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2022-12-06
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780226822211

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Dynamic Democracy by Devin Caughey,Christopher Warshaw Pdf

A new perspective on policy responsiveness in American government. Scholars of American politics have long been skeptical of ordinary citizens’ capacity to influence, let alone control, their governments. Drawing on over eight decades of state-level evidence on public opinion, elections, and policymaking, Devin Caughey and Christopher Warshaw pose a powerful challenge to this pessimistic view. Their research reveals that although American democracy cannot be taken for granted, state policymaking is far more responsive to citizens’ demands than skeptics claim. Although governments respond sluggishly in the short term, over the long term, electoral incentives induce state parties and politicians—and ultimately policymaking—to adapt to voters’ preferences. The authors take an empirical and theoretical approach that allows them to assess democracy as a dynamic process. Their evidence across states and over time gives them new leverage to assess relevant outcomes and trends, including the evolution of mass partisanship, mass ideology, and the relationship between partisanship and ideology since the mid-twentieth century; the nationalization of state-level politics; the mechanisms through which voters hold incumbents accountable; the performance of moderate candidates relative to extreme candidates; and the quality of state-level democracy today relative to state-level democracy in other periods.

Author : Nathan J. Brown
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2011-07-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781421400884

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The Dynamics of Democratization by Nathan J. Brown Pdf

The explosive spread of democracy has radically transformed the international political landscape and captured the attention of academics, policy makers, and activists alike. With interest in democratization still growing, Nathan J. Brown and other leading political scientists assess the current state of the field, reflecting on the causes and diffusion of democracy over the past two decades. The volume focuses on three issues very much at the heart of discussions about democracy today: dictatorship, development, and diffusion. The essays first explore the surprising but necessary relationship between democracy and authoritarianism; they next analyze the introduction of democracy in developing countries; last, they examine how international factors affect the democratization process. In exploring these key issues, the contributors ask themselves three questions: What causes a democracy to emerge and succeed? Does democracy make things better? Can democracy be successfully promoted? In contemplating these questions, The Dynamics of Democratization offers a frank and critical assessment of the field for students and scholars of comparative politics and the political economy of development. Contributors: Gregg A. Brazinsky, George Washington University; Nathan J. Brown, George Washington University; Kathleen Bruhn, University of California at Santa Barbara; Valerie J. Bunce, Cornell University; José Antonio Cheibub, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Bruce J. Dickson, George Washington University; M. Steven Fish, University of California at Berkeley; John Gerring, Boston University; Henry E. Hale, George Washington University; Susan D. Hyde, Yale University; Craig M. Kauffman, George Washington University; Staffan I. Lindberg, University of Florida; Sara Meerow, University of Amsterdam; James Raymond Vreeland, Georgetown University; Sharon L. Wolchik, George Washington University

Author : B. Dan Wood,Richard W. Waterman
Publisher : Westview Press
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 1994-08-31
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : UOM:39015032586623

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Bureaucratic Dynamics by B. Dan Wood,Richard W. Waterman Pdf

Offering readable case studies and well-paired figures and tables (presented in both technical and nontechnical fashion), Bureaucratic Dynamics uses principal-agent theory to explain how the public policy system works.

Author : Mark D. Brewer,Jeffrey M. Stonecash
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 257 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2009-07-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781139480963

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Dynamics of American Political Parties by Mark D. Brewer,Jeffrey M. Stonecash Pdf

Dynamics of American Political Parties examines the process of gradual change that inexorably shapes and reshapes American politics. Parties and the politicians that comprise them seek control of government in order to implement their visions of proper public policy. To gain control parties need to win elections, and winning elections requires assembling an electoral coalition that is larger than that crafted by the opposition. Uncertainty rules and intra-party conflict rages as different factions and groups within the parties debate the proper course(s) of action and battle it out for control of the party. Parties can never be sure how their strategic maneuvers will play out, and, even when it appears that a certain strategy has been successful, party leaders are unclear about how long apparent success will last. Change unfolds slowly, in fits and starts.

Author : Katherine M. Gehl,Michael E. Porter
Publisher : Harvard Business Press
Page : 316 pages
File Size : 47,9 Mb
Release : 2020-06-23
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781633699243

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The Politics Industry by Katherine M. Gehl,Michael E. Porter Pdf

Leading political innovation activist Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter bring fresh perspective, deep scholarship, and a real and actionable solution, Final Five Voting, to the grand challenge of our broken political and democratic system. Final Five Voting has already been adopted in Alaska and is being advanced in states across the country. The truth is, the American political system is working exactly how it is designed to work, and it isn't designed or optimized today to work for us—for ordinary citizens. Most people believe that our political system is a public institution with high-minded principles and impartial rules derived from the Constitution. In reality, it has become a private industry dominated by a textbook duopoly—the Democrats and the Republicans—and plagued and perverted by unhealthy competition between the players. Tragically, it has therefore become incapable of delivering solutions to America's key economic and social challenges. In fact, there's virtually no connection between our political leaders solving problems and getting reelected. In The Politics Industry, business leader and path-breaking political innovator Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter take a radical new approach. They ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis—and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework—to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does, and how the duopoly has led to the devastating outcomes we see today. Using this competition lens, Gehl and Porter identify the most powerful lever for change—a strategy comprised of a clear set of choices in two key areas: how our elections work and how we make our laws. Their bracing assessment and practical recommendations cut through the endless debate about various proposed fixes, such as term limits and campaign finance reform. The result: true political innovation. The Politics Industry is an original and completely nonpartisan guide that will open your eyes to the true dynamics and profound challenges of the American political system and provide real solutions for reshaping the system for the benefit of all. THE INSTITUTE FOR POLITICAL INNOVATION The authors will donate all royalties from the sale of this book to the Institute for Political Innovation.

Author : Graeme Boushey
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 239 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 2010-11-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781139493000

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Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America by Graeme Boushey Pdf

Policy Diffusion Dynamics in America integrates research from agenda setting and epidemiology to model factors that shape the speed and scope of public policy diffusion. Drawing on a data set of more than 130 policy innovations, the research demonstrates that the 'laboratories of democracy' metaphor for incremental policy evaluation and emulation is insufficient to capture the dynamic process of policy diffusion in America. A significant subset of innovations trigger outbreaks - the extremely rapid adoption of innovation across states. The book demonstrates how variation in the characteristics of policies, the political and institutional traits of states, and differences among interest group carriers interact to produce distinct patterns of policy diffusion.

Author : Roger W. Cobb,Charles D. Elder
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 220 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 1983
Category : Political participation
ISBN : UCSC:32106008179019

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Participation in American Politics by Roger W. Cobb,Charles D. Elder Pdf

Author : Frank R. Baumgartner,Bryan D. Jones
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 384 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2002-06-15
Category : History
ISBN : 0226039404

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Policy Dynamics by Frank R. Baumgartner,Bryan D. Jones Pdf

While governmental policies and institutions may remain more or less the same for years, they can also change suddenly and unpredictably in response to new political agendas and crises. What causes stability or change in the political system? What role do political institutions play in this process? To investigate these questions, Policy Dynamics draws on the most extensive data set yet compiled for public policy issues in the United States. Spanning the past half-century, these data make it possible to trace policies and legislation, public and media attention to them, and governmental decisions over time and across institutions. Some chapters analyze particular policy areas, such as health care, national security, and immigration, while others focus on institutional questions such as congressional procedures and agendas and the differing responses by Congress and the Supreme Court to new issues. Policy Dynamics presents a radical vision of how the federal government evolves in response to new challenges-and the research tools that others may use to critique or extend that vision.

Author : Lawrence C. Dodd
Publisher : Westview Press
Page : 451 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 1993-12-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0813317126

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The Dynamics Of American Politics by Lawrence C. Dodd Pdf

This book offers a comprehensive assessment of the major theoretical approaches to the study of American politics. Written by leading scholars in the field, the book's essays focus particularly on the contributions that competing macro- and microanalytic approaches make to our understanding of political change in America.The essays include systematic overviews of the patterns of constancy and change that characterize American political history as well as comparative discussions of theoretical traditions in the study of American political change. The volume concludes with four provocative essays proposing new and integrated interpretations of American politics.This is a path-breaking book that all scholars concerned with American politics will want to read and that all serious students of American politics will need to study. The Dynamics of American Politics is appropriate for graduate core seminars on American politics, undergraduate capstone courses on American politics, courses on political theory and approaches to political analysis, and rigorous lower-division courses on American politics.

Author : Peverill Squire
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages
Page : 772 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Political Science
ISBN : IND:30000056134822

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Dynamics of Democracy by Peverill Squire Pdf

This comprehensive text on American Government highlights two recurrent themes: that politics involves conflict, and that the rules for decision-making in government help determine the outcomes of that conflict. Separate and expanded chapters discuss civil liberties and civil rights. There is a new chapter on domestic policy which supplements the federal budget chapter by examining how goverment manages the economy, regulates business, and promotes social welfare. New extended discussions are included on the Second Amendment, the rising importance of the Internet and talk radio, and how congressional ethics address pressing political issues. The book contains boxed features to provide comparative biographies of key historical and contemporary political actors, and is intended for the American Government and Politics, political science and social science markets.

Author : Mary Layton Atkinson,K. Elizabeth Coggins,James A. Stimson,Frank R. Baumgartner
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 83 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2021-11-11
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781108877282

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The Dynamics of Public Opinion by Mary Layton Atkinson,K. Elizabeth Coggins,James A. Stimson,Frank R. Baumgartner Pdf

A central question in political representation is whether government responds to the people. To understand that, we need to know what the government is doing, and what the people think of it. We seek to understand a key question necessary to answer those bigger questions: How does American public opinion move over time? We posit three patterns of change over time in public opinion, depending on the type of issue. Issues on which the two parties regularly disagree provide clear partisan cues to the public. For these party-cue issues we present a slight variation on the thermostatic theory from (Soroka and Wlezien (2010); Wlezien (1995)); our “implied thermostatic model.” A smaller number of issues divide the public along lines unrelated to partisanship, and so partisan control of government provides no relevant clue. Finally, we note a small but important class of issues which capture response to cultural shifts.