Kategoria BISAC: Political Science >> American Government - National

Since the Reconstruction period, there have been over forty proposals to rewrite the U.S. Constitution. John Vile's unique historical study analyzes all of these proposals within the framework of the constitutional amending process. In each case Vile examines the substance of the proposal, its goals and methods, the response to the proposal, and its overall influence--concluding that the Constitution in its current form faces no immediate threats. He finds no convincing cases for a new Constitution and believes that most perceived defects can be remedied with less drastic measures.

The...

Direct democracy is on the rise in America, according to recent research on referendum, initiative, and recall. This book presents a qualitative analysis of America's current trend toward populism. By tracing the intellectual origins of present populist movements, Michael P. Federici explores the extent to which such movements complement the American Constitutional tradition. In particular, he analyzes post-World War II, right-wing populism--its emergence, characteristics, and historical roots. Throughout this work, Federici reflects on the meaning of democracy; he warns that right-wing...

Coalition formation is mounting among Latinos as they acquire greater strength in U.S. politics. This collection of essays is the first complete study of Latino political coalitions. It elaborates on "Latino Empowerment: Progress, Problems, and Prospects" (Greenwood Press, 1988), an earlier collection by the same editors that studied Latino empowerment in general. The contributors to "Latinos and Political Coalitions" detail how coalitional politics have become a major avenue of empowerment for the Latino community.

The contributors illuminate the historical and cyclical changes in the...

In the public law area, there is an understanding that judicial decision making is not always objective, that the courts are not constrained by the law and the facts of the case, and that courts are actually policy makers influenced by extraneous factors that have little to do the legal and factual matters of a case. Through a combination of an integrative review of the relevant literature in the public law area and new case studies researched by the author, Barbara Yarnold argues that the public law area has discarded the traditional view of the judiciary as a passive interpreter of the...

This volume has been written specifically for students of the U.S. system of government, and for students interested in federalism in practice. Joseph F. Zimmerman traces the development if the U.S. federal system from 1789 to the present day by focussing in the shifting balance of power between the nation and the states. It introduces the important theories of federalism and explains how they can be used to understand the system as it was originally drawn up and as it operates now. All the important trends in national-state relations are examined, with particular attention being given to...

This edited collection examines various aspects of the explosive abortion issue in the United States and Canada. In both countries, decisions of the national supreme court have made access to legal abortion easier than had previously been the case. This volume looks at the aftermath of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. and Morgantaler v. Regina in Canada. Individual chapters deal with the rhetoric of public discourse, public opinion at the mass level, political reasoning on the part of religious and pro-life activists, and the role of religion in political socialization on the abortion issue....

This comprehensive, up-to-date work examines the political status of women in the world's governments and challenges the view that women in the United States and other countries are breaking through traditional barriers to achieve unprecedented political power. It is based upon a study funded by the Ford Foundation and directed by Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber. Using interviews with female political leaders and data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations, and other sources, the study notes that although women have made great progress in some areas, in the majority of male-led...

The two decades since the Watergate scandal have seen an unprecedented focus on ethics in government. The public integrity scandals of the Clinton administration have, once again, focused national attention on ethics in Washington. This work addresses this very topical subject and the authors come to some unusual conclusions. Tracing the origins of the modern public integrity war back to the very birth of the nation, the authors explain how conservatives and progressives have used allegations of unethical conduct in an effort to persuade the American public to accept their respective...

Three critical problem areas in American politics involve the urban political machine, conflicting tensions among ethnic groups, and sexual discrimination. This study examines the dynamic interaction of all three factors in one political campaign.

This exemplary contribution to the literature on ethnic studies examines the issues surrounding Mexican-American political empowerment in the United States. The chapters, originally contributions to a symposium at the University of Texas in El Paso, are uniformly engaging, rigorous in their analysis, and richly suggestive in their conclusions. This exceptionally fine collection discusses the political history of Mexican-Americans, the role of their interest groups, educational models, local bureaucracies, and electoral strategies. Noteworthy are the barriers to Chicano authority found in...

Coalition formation is mounting among Latinos as they acquire greater strength in U.S. politics. This collection of essays is the first complete study of Latino political coalitions. It elaborates on "Latino Empowerment: Progress, Problems, and Prospects" (Greenwood Press, 1988), an earlier collection by the same editors that studied Latino empowerment in general. The contributors to "Latinos and Political Coalitions" detail how coalitional politics have become a major avenue of empowerment for the Latino community.

The contributors illuminate the historical and cyclical changes in the...

This is the first large-scale aggregate data study of career-noncareer relations in U.S. administrations. This research is put into the perspective of a succinct history of relations between careerists and political appointees. Interviews and comments from more than 50 surveys add further color and provide interesting impressions about relations during the Reagan administration. Findings lead to new, important conclusions and suggestions for reform. Political scientists, policymakers, public administrators, and historians will find this work valuable considering bureaucratic and political...

The Bush-Cheney administration took office in 2001 determined to assert the preeminent authority of the executive branch and its immunity from congressional oversight and public transparency. Within months, Congress's Use of Force resolution on the heels of the 9/11 terrorist attacks gave the White House the platform for launching an aggressive and successful campaign to gut the nation's open government laws, neuter congressional prerogatives, and shroud the presidency in privilege and secrecy. With military precision, the wartime executive targeted and struck down or flouted all the...