Parties, Polarization and Democracy in the United States

ISBN-13: 9781594516689 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 256 str.

Donald C. Baumer; Howard J. Gold

Opis

As evidenced in the 2008 elections and the transition to a new era of Democratic governance, one of the most important developments in American politics in recent years has been the resurgence of political parties. Democrats and Republicans represent different world views and policies, citizens recognise these differences, and many of them use party labels to make sense of the political world. Parties, Polarisation and Democracy in the United States describes and analyses the place of political parties in American politics today - both among elites and citizens at large. Many scholars and pundits denounce political polarisation; they view it as a symptom of a broken political system that provides unappealing choices for voters and that is frequently mired in deadlock. Baumer and Gold make a different argument - that party polarisation offers the kind of choice and accountability to voters that was not always present in earlier periods of American political history.

Spis treści

Chapter 1 Political Parties in the 21st Century Chapter 2 Parties and the Electorate: Take One Chapter 3 Parties and the Electorate: Take Two Chapter 4 The Midterm Elections of 1994 and 2006 Chapter 5 Parties in Power: Congress, Presidents, Partisanship and Gridlock Chapter 6 Political Parties in Anglo-America Chapter 7 Looking Backward and Forward: The Election of 2008 and the Future of American Politics

O autorze

Authored by Baumer, Donald C.; Gold, Howard J.