Kategoria BISAC: Political Science >> American Government - National

Today, such issues as abortion, capital punishment, sex education, racism, prayer in public schools, and family values keep religion and politics closely entwined in American public life. This encyclopedia is an A-to-Z listing of a broad range of topics related to religious issues and politics, ranging from the religious freedom sought by the Pilgrims in the 1620s to the rise of the religious right in the 1980s.

In the 80 years since gaining the right to vote, women have continued to make their political voices heard. This is the first comprehensive work to describe the political struggles and achievements of American women, who were historically underrepresented in a system dominated by men. Containing over 700 entries in an A-to-Z format, this single volume provides balanced coverage of the people, issues, and events that shape any discussion of women in U.S. politics.

"The Judicial Branch of Federal Government: People, Process, and Politics" shows how the federal courts act as interpreters of the law, definers of rules, and shapers of policy, covering the judiciary throughout U.S. history and as it functions today.

In one concise yet comprehensive resource, "The Judicial Branch of Federal Government" describes the constitutionally ascribed roles and structures of the courts. It looks at the men and women who serve on the federal bench (who they are and how they are appointed), as well as the fascinating relationship of the federal courts with the...

"The Judicial Branch of State Government: People, Process, and Politics" reveals the workings of a network of courts that generate tremendous legal activity and yet have not previously been the focus of a comprehensive, in-depth reference. Beginning with the origins of American law, this volume examines the many different types of state court cases, legal decision-making processes, court administration procedures and personnel, and political issues such as judicial selection and funding. A concluding section summarizes the structure and mechanisms of the court systems of each of the 50...

As Madam Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has broken new ground for women in American politics and has become a notable role model for young women. Yet hers has hardly been a Cinderella career. Pelosi was virtually born into politics, and her series of firsts--first female minority whip in the U.S. House; first female minority leader; and, finally, first female Speaker--was preceded by three decades of service as a political organizer, candidate, and U.S. representative. All along she balanced her political career with her role as a wife and the mother of five children. In this book a distinguished...

From 1919 through 1953, the U.S. Department of Agriculture housed the Division of Farm Population and Rural Life--the first unit within the federal government established specifically for sociological research. Distinguished sociologists Charles Galpin and Carl Taylor provided key leadership for 32 of its 34 years as the Division sought to understand the social structure of rural America and to do public policy-oriented research. It reached the height of its influence during the New Deal and World War II as it helped implement modern liberal policies in America's farming sector, attempting...

The uncomfortable contemporary realities of immigration, enmeshed as they are in economic, human rights, and national security issues, have once again propelled foreign immigration to the United States toward the top of the list of U.S. domestic policy concerns. Three respected authorities on immigration and international affairs here present a carefully calibrated history of U.S. immigration in primary source documents, tracing the roots of the current debate in the history of our profoundly divided and surprisingly cyclical response to foreign immigration. This book documents this...

Drawing on scholarly research and media critiques, The Third Agenda in Presidential Debates examines the most recent U.S. presidential debates from the perspective of television viewers who watched the encounters first hand. Through a national program--DebateWatch--tens of thousands of viewers had an opportunity to provide feedback to the debate sponsors, the campaigns, and the media following the 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential debates. As a result, thousands of groups met after each debate to discuss what they liked and didn't like about a particular candidate, what they...

Voters in a democratic society should have confidence in the electoral process. Yet, as Americans have witnessed in every election since 2000, voting-the basic act of citizenship is under assault: technologically complex, subject to manipulation, and fiercely contested on many levels. Documenting the areas of collapse in the American electoral process, this book analyzes ongoing problems in the casting and counting of ballots, as well as new threats: future elections could be compromised by new voting machines that are unreliable, poorly programmed, and prone to tampering. At this critical...

This significant contribution to the literature of international politics and diplomacy assesses the three failed peacemaking attempts during the Falklands crisis of 1982. Douglas Kinney examines the reasons for the failures in negotiations and offers several distinct but interrelated case studies in negotiating and third party mediation of international conflict. Using the Falklands crisis as an example, he examines the unique political context of the territorial crisis; what the Third World insists is the ongoing process of decolonization, the global spread of sophisticated military...

The recent Iran-Contra experience brought to light how intricately the political process revolves around questions of who knows what and who decides what should be secret. In this provocative new book, David Sadofsky offers a comprehensive examination of the relationship between the structure of American government and the treatment of information. With an emphasis on Watergate, the Vietnam War, and Iran-Contra, the book reveals a structural dynamic in U.S. government that replicates deep conflict over the control of information. The conflict often takes on the dimensions of a...