The American Democracy

Author : Jill Long Thompson
Publisher : Indiana University Press
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2020-09-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780253050441

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The Character of American Democracy by Jill Long Thompson Pdf

"We live in an age that demonstrates the powerful need for ethics in government. Democracy is a privilege that carries with it important responsibilities for the people and their representatives. As we look back on this era and determine the future of this nation, Dr. Long Thompson's book will be a resource for Americans who are seeking ways to secure our democracy and our future as a nation." Congressman John Lewis, Georgia's 5th District. Ethical leadership, steeped in integrity and fairness, matters. The future of our nation and our world depends upon the quality of America's character. In this uncompromising, absorbing look at our government and society today, Jill Long Thompson persuasively argues that we all have a meaningful role to play in shaping America's character and future. The citizenry, as well as their elected officials, are responsible for protecting fairness of participation and integrity in elections, as well as in the adoption and execution of laws. In this troubling time when the public is losing trust and confidence in our government, Jill Long Thompson shows us a bipartisan way forward.

Author : Benjamin I. Page,Martin Gilens
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2020-04-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780226729947

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Democracy in America? by Benjamin I. Page,Martin Gilens Pdf

“Important and riveting . . . The solution isn’t to redistribute wealth from the have-mores to the have-lesses. It’s to redistribute political power to everyone.” —Robert B. Reich America faces daunting problems—stagnant wages, high health care costs, neglected schools, deteriorating public services. How did we get here? Through decades of dysfunctional government. In Democracy in America? veteran political observers Benjamin I. Page and Martin Gilens marshal an unprecedented array of evidence to show that while other countries have responded to a rapidly changing economy by helping people who’ve been left behind, the United States has failed to do so. Instead, we have actually exacerbated inequality, enriching corporations and the wealthy while leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves. What’s the solution? More democracy. More opportunities for citizens to shape what their government does. To repair our democracy, Page and Gilens argue, we must change the way we choose candidates and conduct our elections, reform our governing institutions, and curb the power of money in politics. By doing so, we can reduce polarization and gridlock, address pressing challenges, and enact policies that truly reflect the interests of average Americans. Updated with new information, this book lays out a set of proposals that would boost citizen participation, curb the power of money, and democratize the House and Senate. “Brilliant, indispensable, and highly accessible.” —New York Journal of Books

Author : William J. Novak
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 385 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2022-03-29
Category : Law
ISBN : 9780674260443

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New Democracy by William J. Novak Pdf

The activist state of the New Deal started forming decades before the FDR administration, demonstrating the deep roots of energetic government in America. In the period between the Civil War and the New Deal, American governance was transformed, with momentous implications for social and economic life. A series of legal reforms gradually brought an end to nineteenth-century traditions of local self-government and associative citizenship, replacing them with positive statecraft: governmental activism intended to change how Americans lived and worked through legislation, regulation, and public administration. The last time American public life had been so thoroughly altered was in the late eighteenth century, at the founding and in the years immediately following. William J. Novak shows how Americans translated new conceptions of citizenship, social welfare, and economic democracy into demands for law and policy that delivered public services and vindicated peopleÕs rights. Over the course of decades, Americans progressively discarded earlier understandings of the reach and responsibilities of government and embraced the idea that legislators and administrators in Washington could tackle economic regulation and social-welfare problems. As citizens witnessed the successes of an energetic, interventionist state, they demanded more of the same, calling on politicians and civil servants to address unfair competition and labor exploitation, form public utilities, and reform police power. Arguing against the myth that America was a weak state until the New Deal, New Democracy traces a steadily aggrandizing authority well before the Roosevelt years. The United States was flexing power domestically and intervening on behalf of redistributive goals for far longer than is commonly recognized, putting the lie to libertarian claims that the New Deal was an aberration in American history.

Author : Jody Freeman,Martha Minow
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 550 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2009-02-28
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 067403208X

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Government by Contract by Jody Freeman,Martha Minow Pdf

The dramatic growth of government over the course of the twentieth century since the New Deal prompts concern among libertarians and conservatives and also among those who worry about government’s costs, efficiency, and quality of service. These concerns, combined with rising confidence in private markets, motivate the widespread shift of federal and state government work to private organizations. This shift typically alters only who performs the work, not who pays or is ultimately responsible for it. “Government by contract” now includes military intelligence, environmental monitoring, prison management, and interrogation of terrorism suspects. Outsourcing government work raises questions of accountability. What role should costs, quality, and democratic oversight play in contracting out government work? What tools do citizens and consumers need to evaluate the effectiveness of government contracts? How can the work be structured for optimal performance as well as compliance with public values? Government by Contract explains the phenomenon and scope of government outsourcing and sets an agenda for future research attentive to workforce capacities as well as legal, economic, and political concerns.

Author : Thomas E. Patterson
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0070491291

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The American Democracy by Thomas E. Patterson Pdf

Author : Steven L. Taylor,Matthew S. Shugart,Arend Lijphart,Bernard Grofman
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 392 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2014-10-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780300210705

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A Different Democracy by Steven L. Taylor,Matthew S. Shugart,Arend Lijphart,Bernard Grofman Pdf

Four distinguished scholars in political science analyze American democracy from a comparative point of view, exploring how the U.S. political system differs from that of thirty other democracies and what those differences ultimately mean for democratic performance. This essential text approaches the following institutions from a political engineering point of view: constitutions, electoral systems, and political parties, as well as legislative, executive, and judicial power. The text looks at democracies from around the world over a two-decade time frame. The result is not only a fresh view of the much-discussed theme of American exceptionalism but also an innovative approach to comparative politics that treats the United States as but one case among many. An ideal textbook for both American and comparative politics courses.

Author : Suzanne Mettler,Robert C. Lieberman
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2020-08-11
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781250244437

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Four Threats by Suzanne Mettler,Robert C. Lieberman Pdf

An urgent, historically-grounded take on the four major factors that undermine American democracy, and what we can do to address them. While many Americans despair of the current state of U.S. politics, most assume that our system of government and democracy itself are invulnerable to decay. Yet when we examine the past, we find that the United States has undergone repeated crises of democracy, from the earliest days of the republic to the present. In Four Threats, Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lieberman explore five moments in history when democracy in the U.S. was under siege: the 1790s, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, the Depression, and Watergate. These episodes risked profound—even fatal—damage to the American democratic experiment. From this history, four distinct characteristics of disruption emerge. Political polarization, racism and nativism, economic inequality, and excessive executive power—alone or in combination—have threatened the survival of the republic, but it has survived—so far. What is unique, and alarming, about the present moment in American politics is that all four conditions exist. This convergence marks the contemporary era as a grave moment for democracy. But history provides a valuable repository from which we can draw lessons about how democracy was eventually strengthened—or weakened—in the past. By revisiting how earlier generations of Americans faced threats to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, we can see the promise and the peril that have led us to today and chart a path toward repairing our civic fabric and renewing democracy.

Author : Kenneth D. Ward,Cecilia R. Castillo
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 208 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2006-06-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 079146556X

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The Judiciary and American Democracy by Kenneth D. Ward,Cecilia R. Castillo Pdf

Examines recent debates in constitutional theory in light of the work of Alexander Bickel.

Author : John Anthony Maltese,Joseph A. Pika,W. Phillips Shively
Publisher : CQ Press
Page : 529 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2019-11-08
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781544396200

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American Democracy in Context by John Anthony Maltese,Joseph A. Pika,W. Phillips Shively Pdf

Discover what makes American democracy unique and how its government impacts your life American Democracy in Context provides a combined comparative and historical approach to inspire students to better understand, care, and become active citizens. Bestselling authors Maltese, Pika, and Shively explain the distinctive features of how Americans practice democracy—how they vote, translate election results into representation of interests, make policy decisions, enforce laws and maintain justice—and how those practices differ from other democracies in the world. The emphasis is always on the American political system, but the search for understanding requires students to examine how the American system has developed over time (historical context) and how it compares with similar practices in other democracies (comparative context). This combined approach motivates students to understand why politics is relevant to their everyday lives and how they can affect changes to make their lives better. Also available as a digital option (courseware). Contact your rep to learn more about American Democracy in Context - Vantage Digital Option.

Author : Jon R. Bond,Kevin B. Smith
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 945 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2013-05-29
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781135093327

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Analyzing American Democracy by Jon R. Bond,Kevin B. Smith Pdf

Analyzing American Democracy teaches students to think analytically by presenting current political science theories and research in answering the engaging, big questions facing American politics today. It serves as both an introduction to American politics and to the discipline of political science by reflecting the theoretical developments and empirical inquiry conducted by researchers. Every chapter highlights the most current research and discusses related public policy. It demonstrates for students how to think critically and analytically, bringing theoretical insight to contemporary American politics. More than just a comprehensive overview and description of how American politics works, Jon Bond and Kevin Smith demonstrate how politics can be studied systematically. Throughout the text, they introduce students to the insights gleaned from rational choice, behavioral, and biological approaches to politics. Understanding these three social scientific models and their applications helps students get the most out of their American government course and out of this text--they learn a way of thinking that they can use to make sense of future challenges facing the American polity. A number of features help aid comprehension and critical thinking: Key Questions at the start of every chapter frame the learning objectives and concepts Politics in Practice boxes in every chapter encourage students to think critically about how practice compares with theory Tables, Figures, Charts, and Maps throughout present the empirical details of American politics, helping students gain quantitative literacy Top Ten Takeaway Points at the end of every chapter recap the most important points covered but also help students discern the general principles that make sense of the numerous factual details Key Terms are bolded in the text, defined in the margins, recapped at the end of the chapter, and compiled in a glossary, all to help insure that students can effortlessly master the vocabulary of American politics and political science in order to move on to the more important concepts.

Author : David M. Primo,Jeffrey D. Milyo
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 279 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2020-10-19
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780226712949

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Campaign Finance and American Democracy by David M. Primo,Jeffrey D. Milyo Pdf

In recent decades, and particularly since the US Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United decision, lawmakers and other elites have told Americans that stricter campaign finance laws are needed to improve faith in the elections process, increase trust in the government, and counter cynicism toward politics. But as David M. Primo and Jeffrey D. Milyo argue, politicians and the public alike should reconsider the conventional wisdom in light of surprising and comprehensive empirical evidence to the contrary. Primo and Milyo probe original survey data to determine Americans’ sentiments on the role of money in politics, what drives these sentiments, and why they matter. What Primo and Milyo find is that while many individuals support the idea of reform, they are also skeptical that reform would successfully limit corruption, which Americans believe stains almost every fiber of the political system. Moreover, support for campaign finance restrictions is deeply divided along party lines, reflecting the polarization of our times. Ultimately, Primo and Milyo contend, American attitudes toward money in politics reflect larger fears about the health of American democracy, fears that will not be allayed by campaign finance reform.

Author : Jeanne Sheehan
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2021-01-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9783030622817

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American Democracy in Crisis by Jeanne Sheehan Pdf

Public disenchantment with and distrust of American government is at an all-time high and who can blame them? In the face of widespread challenges—everything from record levels of personal and national debt and the sky high cost of education, to gun violence, racial discrimination, an immigration crisis, overpriced pharmaceuticals, and much more—the government seems paralyzed and unable to act, the most recent example being Covid-19. It’s the deadliest pandemic in over a century. In addition to an unimaginable sick and death toll, it has left more than thirty million Americans unemployed. Despite this, Washington let the first round of supplemental unemployment benefits run out and for more than a month were unable to agree on a bill to help those suffering. This book explains why we are in this situation, why the government is unable to respond to key challenges, and what we can do to right the ship. It requires that readers “upstream,” stop blaming the individuals in office and instead look at the root cause of the problem. The real culprit is the system; it was designed to protect liberty and structured accordingly. As a result, however, it has left us with a government that is not responsive, largely unaccountable, and often ineffective. This is not an accident; it is by design. Changing the way our government operates requires rethinking its primary goal(s) and then restructuring to meet them. To this end, this book offers specific reform proposals to restructure the government and in the process make it more accountable, effective, and responsive.

Author : John L. Sullivan,James Piereson,George E. Marcus
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 1993-05-15
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780226779928

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Political Tolerance and American Democracy by John L. Sullivan,James Piereson,George E. Marcus Pdf

This path-breaking book reconceptualizes our understanding of political tolerance as well as of its foundations. Previous studies, the authors contend, overemphasized the role of education in explaining the presence of tolerance, while giving insufficient weight to personality and ideological factors. With an innovative methodology for measuring levels of tolerance more accurately, the authors are able to explain why particular groups are targeted and why tolerance is an inherently political concept. Far from abating, the degree of intolerance in America today is probably as great as it ever was; it is the targets of intolerance that have changed.

Author : Morris P. Fiorina,Paul E. Peterson
Publisher : Longman Publishing Group
Page : 700 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2001-08-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 0321101324

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The New American Democracy by Morris P. Fiorina,Paul E. Peterson Pdf

Focusing on electoral forces, Mo Fiorina and Paul Peterson's groundbreaking text offers a stimulating, analytical approach to American government that engages students as it gives them a unique understanding of their political system as it exists today. The accessibility of instant public opinion polls, the Internet, the ubiquitous nature of the news media, and the increasingly important role of interest groups all of which Fiorina and Peterson use to demonstrate that America is moving toward a more popular democracy have blurred the lines between campaigning and governing. Politicians today are constantly engaged in the campaign process-a "permanent campaign"-that has affected how our government functions in profound ways. Completely updated through Election 2000 and its aftermath, The New American Democracy is the only text available that addresses the recent, fundamental shift in the way American government functions.

Author : Naomi R. Lamoreaux,William J. Novak
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 528 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2017-05-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9780674977716

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Corporations and American Democracy by Naomi R. Lamoreaux,William J. Novak Pdf

Recent Supreme Court decisions in Citizens United and other high-profile cases have sparked disagreement about the role of corporations in American democracy. Bringing together scholars of history, law, and political science, Corporations and American Democracy provides essential grounding for today’s policy debates.