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The Logic of American Politics: Unraveling the Complexities
The American political system, a seemingly chaotic blend of competing ideologies and entrenched interests, often leaves observers scratching their heads. Is there a discernible logic underpinning the seemingly irrational actions of politicians and the unpredictable shifts in public opinion? Yes, but understanding it requires moving beyond superficial narratives and delving into the intricate interplay of historical forces, institutional structures, and the ever-shifting sands of public sentiment. This post will dissect the key components that shape the logic of American politics, providing a framework for understanding its often-bewildering complexities.
Understanding the Two-Party System and its Impact
The dominant two-party system – Republicans and Democrats – profoundly shapes the American political landscape. This isn't simply a matter of preference; it's a structural feature with significant consequences.
The Electoral College and Winner-Take-All Dynamics
The Electoral College, a system where the presidency is decided by state-level electoral votes rather than a national popular vote, incentivizes candidates to focus on winning key swing states, often neglecting the concerns of voters in less contested areas. This creates a strategic logic that prioritizes narrow victories over broader appeal, potentially leading to policies that don't reflect the overall national will.
Gerrymandering and Partisan Polarization
Gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating district boundaries to favor one party, further exacerbates the impact of the two-party system. This process contributes to increased partisan polarization, making bipartisan cooperation increasingly difficult and pushing political discourse towards extremes. The resulting gridlock often frustrates voters and hinders effective governance.
The Influence of Money in Politics: Lobbying and Campaign Finance
The sheer amount of money flowing into American politics is a crucial element of its logic. The influence of lobbying groups and campaign finance significantly shapes policy outcomes.
Lobbying and its Impact on Legislation
Well-funded lobbying groups representing diverse interests, from corporations to advocacy organizations, exert considerable pressure on lawmakers. This influence extends beyond direct contributions; it includes shaping public narratives, providing expert testimony, and building relationships with key politicians. Understanding the dynamics of lobbying is crucial to understanding how legislation is crafted and enacted.
The Role of Super PACs and Dark Money
The rise of Super PACs and other sources of "dark money" – contributions whose origins are difficult to trace – has further complicated the picture. These entities can spend vast sums of money to influence elections without being subject to the same disclosure requirements as traditional campaign contributions. This lack of transparency undermines accountability and raises concerns about undue influence on political processes.
The Role of Media and Public Opinion: Shaping the Narrative
The media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and framing political debates.
Media Bias and its Effect on Political Discourse
While striving for objectivity, media outlets inevitably reflect their own biases, whether consciously or unconsciously. This can affect how political events are covered and interpreted, influencing public perception and shaping the contours of political discourse. The proliferation of online news sources, each with its own slant, further complicates the landscape.
The Power of Public Opinion: Shaping Policy Outcomes
Public opinion, while not always directly translating into policy change, exerts a powerful influence on political actors. Politicians are keenly aware of public sentiment and are incentivized to respond to it, at least to some degree. Understanding public opinion polling and its impact on political decision-making is crucial to understanding the system's logic.
The Influence of Historical Context: Legacy and Precedent
The American political system is not a static entity; it's shaped by its historical context.
Historical Precedents and their Impact on Current Politics
Historical events, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, continue to cast a long shadow on contemporary politics. Understanding these historical precedents helps illuminate the underlying tensions and conflicts that shape current political debates.
The Evolution of Political Ideologies
Political ideologies themselves are not static. The meanings and implications of terms like "liberalism" and "conservatism" have evolved over time, reflecting changing social and economic circumstances. Grasping this evolution is crucial for interpreting the nuances of contemporary political discourse.
Conclusion
The logic of American politics is multifaceted and complex, defying easy explanations. However, by understanding the interplay between the two-party system, the role of money, the power of media and public opinion, and the weight of history, we can begin to unravel its complexities. This framework offers a starting point for navigating the intricacies of American political life and engaging more critically with its ongoing evolution.
FAQs
1. Is the American political system truly democratic? The American system is a representative democracy, meaning citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. However, factors like the Electoral College and campaign finance raise questions about the extent to which it truly reflects the will of the people.
2. How can I become more politically engaged? Engage in informed discussions, research candidates and their platforms, vote in elections, and participate in peaceful political protests or advocacy groups.
3. What role do third parties play in American politics? While rarely winning major elections, third parties can influence the political discourse by highlighting issues ignored by the two major parties.
4. Is gridlock in Congress always a bad thing? While gridlock can hinder progress, it can also prevent hasty or ill-considered legislation from being passed. The balance between effective governance and preventing damaging legislation is a central tension.
5. How can I better understand the different political ideologies in the US? Read books and articles on political theory, follow reputable news sources from diverse perspectives, and actively listen to individuals with differing viewpoints to gain a comprehensive understanding.
| logic of american politics: The Logic of American Politics Samuel Kernell, Gary C. Jacobson, Thad Kousser, Lynn Vavreck, 2019-02-20 Why does the American political system work the way it does? Find the answers in The Logic of American Politics. This best-selling text arms you with a toolkit of institutional design concepts—command, veto, agenda control, voting rules, and delegation—that help you recognize how the American political system was designed and why it works the way it does. The authors build your critical thinking through a simple yet powerful idea: politics is about solving collective action problems. Thoroughly updated to account for the most recent events and data, the Ninth Edition explores the increase in political polarization, the growing emotional involvement people have to politics, Americans’ reactions to changing demographics, the partisan politics of judicial selection, and the changing nature of presidential leadership. Revised to include the 2018 election results and analysis, this edition provides you with the tools you need to make sense of today’s government. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of American Politics Samuel Kernell, Gary C. Jacobson, Thad Kousser, Lynn Vavreck, 2017-02-27 This new edition of the bestselling The Logic of American Politics is thoroughly updated and covers the dramatic 2016 election results with a thorough analysis of those results. It arms students with a revised introduction to institutional design that makes concepts such as command, veto, agenda control, voting rules, and delegation easier for students to master and apply, so they clearly see how the American political system was devised and why it works the way it does. Authors Samuel Kernell, Gary C. Jacobson, Thad Kousser, and Lynn Vavreck build students' critical thinking through a simple yet powerful idea: politics is about solving collective action problems. This new edition continues to delve into partisan differences among voters and in government and highlight the increasingly partisan nature of campaigns. By exploring issues such as the Affordable Care Act’s troubled implementation, the increasing legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage in the states, and the debate over immigration, the book illustrates how the institutional structures of government, federalism, and even campaigns can help voters make sense of their choices. The concluding chapter on policymaking examines the noticeable logic that guides American policy, as shown through issues like health care reform, global climate change, and the federal budget. Students glean insights into the sources of policy problems, identify possible solutions, and realize why agreement on those solutions is often so hard to achieve. |
| logic of american politics: Golden Rule Thomas Ferguson, 2011-08-15 To discover who rules, follow the gold. This is the argument of Golden Rule, a provocative, pungent history of modern American politics. Although the role big money plays in defining political outcomes has long been obvious to ordinary Americans, most pundits and scholars have virtually dismissed this assumption. Even in light of skyrocketing campaign costs, the belief that major financial interests primarily determine who parties nominate and where they stand on the issues—that, in effect, Democrats and Republicans are merely the left and right wings of the Property Party—has been ignored by most political scientists. Offering evidence ranging from the nineteenth century to the 1994 mid-term elections, Golden Rule shows that voters are right on the money. Thomas Ferguson breaks completely with traditional voter centered accounts of party politics. In its place he outlines an investment approach, in which powerful investors, not unorganized voters, dominate campaigns and elections. Because businesses invest in political parties and their candidates, changes in industrial structures—between large firms and sectors—can alter the agenda of party politics and the shape of public policy. Golden Rule presents revised versions of widely read essays in which Ferguson advanced and tested his theory, including his seminal study of the role played by capital intensive multinationals and international financiers in the New Deal. The chapter Studies in Money Driven Politics brings this aspect of American politics into better focus, along with other studies of Federal Reserve policy making and campaign finance in the 1936 election. Ferguson analyzes how a changing world economy and other social developments broke up the New Deal system in our own time, through careful studies of the 1988 and 1992 elections. The essay on 1992 contains an extended analysis of the emergence of the Clinton coalition and Ross Perot's dramatic independent insurgency. A postscript on the 1994 elections demonstrates the controlling impact of money on several key campaigns. This controversial work by a theorist of money and politics in the U.S. relates to issues in campaign finance reform, PACs, policymaking, public financing, and how today's elections work. |
| logic of american politics: Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 5th Edition Samuel Kernell, Steven S. Smith, 2013 This collection examines the strategic behavior of key players in American politics from the Founding Fathers to the Super PACs, by showing that political actors, though motivated by their own interests, are governed by the Constitution, the law, and institutional rules, as well as influenced by the strategies of others. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of Lawmaking Gerald Steven Strom, 1990 |
| logic of american politics: The Paranoid Style in American Politics Richard Hofstadter, 2008-06-10 This timely reissue of Richard Hofstadter's classic work on the fringe groups that influence American electoral politics offers an invaluable perspective on contemporary domestic affairs.In The Paranoid Style in American Politics, acclaimed historian Richard Hofstadter examines the competing forces in American political discourse and how fringe groups can influence — and derail — the larger agendas of a political party. He investigates the politics of the irrational, shedding light on how the behavior of individuals can seem out of proportion with actual political issues, and how such behavior impacts larger groups. With such other classic essays as “Free Silver and the Mind of 'Coin' Harvey” and “What Happened to the Antitrust Movement?, ” The Paranoid Style in American Politics remains both a seminal text of political history and a vital analysis of the ways in which political groups function in the United States. |
| logic of american politics: Power and its Logic Dominik Meier, Christian Blum, 2019-08-31 Power is the essence of politics. Whoever seeks to understand and master it must understand its logic. Drawing on two decades of international experience in political consulting, Dominik Meier and Christian Blum give profound and honest insights into the inner workings of power. Introducing their Power Leadership Approach, the authors provide a conceptual analysis of power and present the tools to successfully exercise it in the political domain. Power and its Logic is a guidebook for politicians, business leaders, civil society pioneers, public affairs consultants and for every citizen who wants to understand the unwritten rules of politics. |
| logic of american politics: The Purpose Of American Polities Hans J Morgenthau, 2022-10-27 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy Matthew Kroenig, 2018 For decades, the reigning scholarly wisdom about nuclear weapons policy has been that the United States only needs the ability to absorb an enemy nuclear attack and still be able to respond with a devastating counterattack. So long as the US, or any other nation, retains such an assured retaliation capability, no sane leader would intentionally launch a nuclear attack against it, and nuclear deterrence will hold. According to this theory, possessing more weapons than necessary for a second-strike capability is illogical. This argument is reasonable, but, when compared to the empirical record, it raises an important puzzle. Empirically, we see that the United States has always maintained a nuclear posture that is much more robust than a mere second-strike capability. In The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy, Matthew Kroenig challenges the conventional wisdom and explains why a robust nuclear posture, above and beyond a mere second-strike capability, contributes to a state's national security goals. In fact, when a state has a robust nuclear weapons force, such a capability reduces its expected costs in a war, provides it with bargaining leverage, and ultimately enhances nuclear deterrence. This book provides a novel theoretical explanation for why military nuclear advantages translate into geopolitical advantages. In so doing, it helps resolve one of the most-intractable puzzles in international security studies. Buoyed by an innovative thesis and a vast array of historical and quantitative evidence, The Logic of American Nuclear Strategy will force scholars to reconsider their basic assumptions about the logic of nuclear deterrence. |
| logic of american politics: The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior Jan E. Leighley, 2012-02-16 The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics are the essential guide to the study of American political life in the 21st Century. With engaging contributions from the major figures in the field The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior provides the key point of reference for anyone working in American Politics today |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of Political Survival Bruce Bueno De Mesquita, Alastair Smith, Randolph M. Siverson, James D. Morrow, 2005-01-14 The authors of this ambitious book address a fundamental political question: why are leaders who produce peace and prosperity turned out of office while those who preside over corruption, war, and misery endure? Considering this political puzzle, they also answer the related economic question of why some countries experience successful economic development and others do not. The authors construct a provocative theory on the selection of leaders and present specific formal models from which their central claims can be deduced. They show how political leaders allocate resources and how institutions for selecting leaders create incentives for leaders to pursue good and bad public policy. They also extend the model to explain the consequences of war on political survival. Throughout the book, they provide illustrations from history, ranging from ancient Sparta to Vichy France, and test the model against statistics gathered from cross-national data. The authors explain the political intuition underlying their theory in nontechnical language, reserving formal proofs for chapter appendixes. They conclude by presenting policy prescriptions based on what has been demonstrated theoretically and empirically. |
| logic of american politics: A Logic of Expressive Choice Alexander A. Schuessler, 2000-10-29 Alexander Schuessler has done what many deemed impossible: he has wedded rational choice theory and the concerns of social theory and anthropology to explain why people vote. The paradox of participation--why individuals cast ballots when they have virtually no effect on electoral outcomes--has long puzzled social scientists. And it has particularly troubled rational choice theorists, who like to describe political activity in terms of incentives. Schuessler's ingenious solution is a logic of expressive choice. He argues in incentive-based (or economic) terms that individuals vote not because of how they believe their vote matters in the final tally but rather to express their preferences, allegiances, and thus themselves. Through a comparative history of marketing and campaigning, Schuessler generates a jukebox model of participation and shows that expressive choice has become a target for those eliciting mass participation and public support. Political advisers, for example, have learned to target voters' desire to express--to themselves and to others--who they are. Candidates, using tactics such as claiming popularity, invoking lifestyle, using ambiguous campaign themes, and shielding supporters from one another can get out their vote even when it is clear that an election is already lost or won. This important work, the first of its kind, will appeal to anyone seeking to decipher voter choice and turnout, social movements, political identification, collective action, and consumer behavior, including scholars, graduate students, and upper-level undergraduates in political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and marketing. It will contribute greatly to our understanding and prediction of democratic participation patterns and their consequences. |
| logic of american politics: The Politics Industry Katherine M. Gehl, Michael E. Porter, 2020-06-23 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. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of Delegation D. Roderick Kiewiet, Mathew D. McCubbins, 1991-06-18 Why do majority congressional parties seem unable to act as an effective policy-making force? They routinely delegate their power to others—internally to standing committees and subcommittees within each chamber, externally to the president and to the bureaucracy. Conventional wisdom in political science insists that such delegation leads inevitably to abdication—usually by degrees, sometimes precipitously, but always completely. In The Logic of Delegation, however, D. Roderick Kiewiet and Mathew D. McCubbins persuasively argue that political scientists have paid far too much attention to what congressional parties can't do. The authors draw on economic and management theory to demonstrate that the effectiveness of delegation is determined not by how much authority is delegated but rather by how well it is delegated. In the context of the appropriations process, the authors show how congressional parties employ committees, subcommittees, and executive agencies to accomplish policy goals. This innovative study will force a complete rethinking of classic issues in American politics: the autonomy of congressional committees; the reality of runaway federal bureaucracy; and the supposed dominance of the presidency in legislative-executive relations. |
| logic of american politics: Race to the Bottom LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, 2020-07-31 African American voters are a key demographic to the modern Democratic base, and conventional wisdom has it that there is political cost to racialized “dog whistles,” especially for Democratic candidates. However, politicians from both parties and from all racial backgrounds continually appeal to negative racial attitudes for political gain. Challenging what we think we know about race and politics, LaFleur Stephens-Dougan argues that candidates across the racial and political spectrum engage in “racial distancing,” or using negative racial appeals to communicate to racially moderate and conservative whites—the overwhelming majority of whites—that they will not disrupt the racial status quo. Race to the Bottom closely examines empirical data on racialized partisan stereotypes to show that engaging in racial distancing through political platforms that do not address the needs of nonwhite communities and charged rhetoric that targets African Americans, immigrants, and others can be politically advantageous. Racialized communication persists as a well-worn campaign strategy because it has real electoral value for both white and black politicians seeking to broaden their coalitions. Stephens-Dougan reveals that claims of racial progress have been overstated as our politicians are incentivized to employ racial prejudices at the expense of the most marginalized in our society. |
| logic of american politics: The Politics of Logic Paul Livingston, 2012-03-22 In this book, Livingston develops the political implications of formal results obtained over the course of the twentieth century in set theory, metalogic, and computational theory. He argues that the results achieved by thinkers such as Cantor, Russell, Godel, Turing, and Cohen, even when they suggest inherent paradoxes and limitations to the structuring capacities of language or symbolic thought, have far-reaching implications for understanding the nature of political communities and their development and transformation. Alain Badiou's analysis of logical-mathematical structures forms the backbone of his comprehensive and provocative theory of ontology, politics, and the possibilities of radical change. Through interpretive readings of Badiou's work as well as the texts of Giorgio Agamben, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, Livingston develops a formally based taxonomy of critical positions on the nature and structure of political communities. These readings, along with readings of Parmenides and Plato, show how the formal results can transfigure two interrelated and ancient problems of the One and the Many: the problem of the relationship of a Form or Idea to the many of its participants, and the problem of the relationship of a social whole to its many constituents. |
| logic of american politics: The Political Logic of Poverty Relief Alberto Diaz-Cayeros, Federico Estévez, Beatriz Magaloni, 2016-02-26 The Political Logic of Poverty Relief places electoral politics and institutional design at the core of poverty alleviation. The authors develop a theory with applications to Mexico about how elections shape social programs aimed at aiding the poor. They also assess whether voters reward politicians for targeted poverty alleviation programs. |
| logic of american politics: Insecure Majorities Frances E. Lee, 2016-08-23 “[A] tour de force. Building upon her argument in Beyond Ideology, she adds an important wrinkle into the current divide between the parties in Congress.” —Perspectives on Politics As Democrats and Republicans continue to vie for political advantage, Congress remains paralyzed by partisan conflict. That the last two decades have seen some of the least productive Congresses in recent history is usually explained by the growing ideological gulf between the parties, but this explanation misses another fundamental factor influencing the dynamic. In contrast to politics through most of the twentieth century, the contemporary Democratic and Republican parties compete for control of Congress at relative parity, and this has dramatically changed the parties’ incentives and strategies in ways that have driven the contentious partisanship characteristic of contemporary American politics. With Insecure Majorities, Frances E. Lee offers a controversial new perspective on the rise of congressional party conflict, showing how the shift in competitive circumstances has had a profound impact on how Democrats and Republicans interact. Beginning in the 1980s, most elections since have offered the prospect of a change of party control. Lee shows, through an impressive range of interviews and analysis, how competition for control of the government drives members of both parties to participate in actions that promote their own party’s image and undercut that of the opposition, including the perpetual hunt for issues that can score political points by putting the opposing party on the wrong side of public opinion. More often than not, this strategy stands in the way of productive bipartisan cooperation—and it is also unlikely to change as long as control of the government remains within reach for both parties. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of Compromise in Mexico Gladys I. McCormick, 2016-02-10 In this political history of twentieth-century Mexico, Gladys McCormick argues that the key to understanding the immense power of the long-ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) is to be found in the countryside. Using newly available sources, including declassified secret police files and oral histories, McCormick looks at large-scale sugar cooperatives in Morelos and Puebla, two major agricultural regions that serve as microcosms of events across the nation. She argues that Mexico's rural peoples, despite shouldering much of the financial burden of modernization policies, formed the PRI regime's most fervent base of support. McCormick demonstrates how the PRI exploited this support, using key parts of the countryside to test and refine instruments of control--including the regulation of protest, manipulation of collective memories of rural communities, and selective application of violence against critics--that it later employed in other areas, both rural and urban. With three peasant leaders, brothers named Ruben, Porfirio, and Antonio Jaramillo, at the heart of her story, McCormick draws a capacious picture of peasant activism, disillusion, and compromise in state formation, revealing the basis for an enduring political culture dominated by the PRI. On a broader level, McCormick demonstrates the connections among modern state building in Latin America, the consolidation of new forms of authoritarian rule, and the deployment of violence on all sides. |
| logic of american politics: Votes, Drugs, and Violence Guillermo Trejo, Sandra Ley, 2020-09-03 When widespread state-criminal collusion persists in transitions from autocracy to democracy, electoral competition becomes a catalyst of large-scale criminal violence. |
| logic of american politics: Legacies of Losing in American Politics Jeffrey K. Tulis, Nicole Mellow, 2018-01-05 This is a study of the losers in three major episodes in American political history and shows how their ideas ended up, at least partially, winning, in the long run. The authors consider the campaign of the anti-Federalists against the adoption of the Constitution; the failed presidency of Andrew Johnson; and the defeat of Barry Goldwater in 1964, as political losses that later heavily influenced American politics later. Sometimes the losers, because they articulate a vision of American government that resonates with some part of America, later contribute to a new political order. This is not an effort to explain winning or losing in American politics. Rather, it is intended to offer a new understanding of American political development as the product of a kind of dialectic between different political visions that have opposing ideas, particularly about the size and role of the federal government and about whether America is exclusively a liberal regime or one in which illiberal ideas on topics such as race, play an important role. |
| logic of american politics: Radical American Partisanship Nathan P. Kalmoe, Lilliana Mason, 2022-05-06 On January 6 we witnessed what many of us consider a failed insurrection at the US Capitol. But others think this was political violence in service of the preservation of our democracy. When did our political views become extreme? When did guns and violence become a feature of American politics? Nathan Kalmoe and Lily Mason have been researching the increase in radical partisanship in American politics and the associated increasing propensity to support or engage in violence through a series of surveys and survey experiments for several years. Kalmoe and Mason argue that many Americans have become increasingly radical in their identification with their political party and more inclined to view partisans of the other party negatively as people. Their reactions to opposing political views give little room for respect or compromise and make increasing numbers of Americans more likely to either participate in political violence or to view those who do so on behalf of their party favorably. They also find that radical partisans are more apt to be receptive to messages from radical political leaders and less receptive to conflicting information and views. Radical partisanship and political violence are not new to the United States. In most of the 20th century we experienced less radical partisanship, with measures of attitudes towards partisans of other parties that were not as extreme as we see now but this has not been the case throughout much of American history, as witness the fight over slavery that led to the Civil War as well as the violence associated with racism after the fall of reconstruction to the present day-- |
| logic of american politics: Technopopulism Christopher J. Bickerton, Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, 2021-02-25 This is a book about a contemporary transformation in democratic politics: the rise of a new political field, techno-populism. |
| logic of american politics: Edmund Burke and the Conservative Logic of Empire Daniel O'Neill, 2016-03 Edmund Burke, long considered modern conservatism’s founding father, is also widely believed to be an opponent of empire. However, Daniel O’Neill turns that latter belief on its head. This fresh and innovative book shows that Burke was a passionate supporter and staunch defender of the British Empire in the eighteenth century, whether in the New World, India, or Ireland. Moreover—and against a growing body of contemporary scholarship that rejects the very notion that Burke was an exemplar of conservatism—O’Neill demonstrates that Burke’s defense of empire was in fact ideologically consistent with his conservative opposition to the French Revolution. Burke’s logic of empire relied on two opposing but complementary theoretical strategies: Ornamentalism, which stressed cultural similarities between “civilized” societies, as he understood them, and Orientalism, which stressed the putative cultural differences distinguishing “savage” societies from their “civilized” counterparts. This incisive book also shows that Burke’s argument had lasting implications, as his development of these two justifications for empire prefigured later intellectual defenses of British imperialism. |
| logic of american politics: The Oxford Handbook of American Public Opinion and the Media Robert Y. Shapiro, Lawrence R. Jacobs, 2013-05-23 With engaging new contributions from the major figures in the fields of the media and public opinion The Oxford Handbook of American Public Opinion and the Media is a key point of reference for anyone working in American politics today. |
| logic of american politics: Logic of American Politics Kernell, Gary C. Jacobson, 2000 |
| logic of american politics: American Politics and Society David McKay, 2009-02-04 Completely revised and updated to take full account of the mostrecent and dramatic changes in the nature of American government,the sixth edition provides a clear and concise introduction to USpolitics for all students of political science and Americanstudies. Explains, analyses and interprets the processes of USgovernment and, crucially, appraises them from a non-USperspective. Includes commentary on the 2004 presidentialelection. Fills in the social background to American political andeconomic life, preparing the ground for the central discussion ofthe book: the institutions of the federal government, Congress, theSupreme Court and the Constitution, the federal system, thePresidency, the party bandwagons and the electoral system. Reduced emphasis on limited government and greater emphasis onforeign and domestic policy linked into the War on Terror. Reworkedthroughout to reflect recent developments, with two completely newchapters on The Media and American Politics, and The SecurityState. Supported by a website, www.blackwellpublishing.com/mckay,including information on the book; its detailed contents; theauthor; controversies; sample chapters; selected tables; relatedtitles; and links to other web resources. It will be regularlyupdated to ensure teachers and students have access to the mostrecent data. |
| logic of american politics: Why We're Polarized Ezra Klein, 2020-01-28 ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2022 One of Bill Gates’s “5 books to read this summer,” this New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller shows us that America’s political system isn’t broken. The truth is scarier: it’s working exactly as designed. In this “superbly researched” (The Washington Post) and timely book, journalist Ezra Klein reveals how that system is polarizing us—and how we are polarizing it—with disastrous results. “The American political system—which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president—is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.” “A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” (The New York Times Book Review), Why We’re Polarized reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics. Over the past fifty years in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together. Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. And he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis. “Well worth reading” (New York magazine), this is an “eye-opening” (O, The Oprah Magazine) book that will change how you look at politics—and perhaps at yourself. |
| logic of american politics: The Oxford Handbook of American Political Parties and Interest Groups L. Sandy Maisel, Jeffrey M. Berry, 2010-01-28 The Oxford Handbook of American Political Parties and Interest Groups is a major new volume that will help scholars assess the current state of scholarship on parties and interest groups and the directions in which it needs to move. Never before has the academic literature on political parties received such an extended treatment. Twenty nine chapters critically assess both the major contributions to the literature and the ways in which it has developed. With contributions from most of the leading scholars in the field, the volume provides a definitive point of reference for all those working in and around the area. Equally important, the authors also identify areas of new and interesting research. These chapters offer a distinctive point of view, an argument about the successes and failures of past scholarship, and a set of recommendations about how future work ought to develop. This volume will help set the agenda for research on political parties and interest groups for the next decade. The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics are a set of reference books offering authoritative and engaging critical overviews of the state of scholarship on American politics. Each volume focuses on a particular aspect of the field. The project is under the General Editorship of George C. Edwards III, and distinguished specialists in their respective fields edit each volume. The Handbooks aim not just to report on the discipline, but also to shape it as scholars critically assess the scholarship on a topic and propose directions in which it needs to move. The series is an indispensable reference for anyone working in American politics. General Editor for The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics: George C. Edwards III |
| logic of american politics: American Politics William T. Bianco, 2001 An ideal supplement in any introductory course, American Politics: Strategy and Choice analyzes American politics through the lens of individuals making rational choices within a set of rules and institutions. |
| logic of american politics: Why America Needs a Left Eli Zaretsky, 2013-04-26 The United States today cries out for a robust, self-respecting, intellectually sophisticated left, yet the very idea of a left appears to have been discredited. In this brilliant new book, Eli Zaretsky rethinks the idea by examining three key moments in American history: the Civil War, the New Deal and the range of New Left movements in the 1960s and after including the civil rights movement, the women's movement and gay liberation.In each period, he argues, the active involvement of the left - especially its critical interaction with mainstream liberalism - proved indispensable. American liberalism, as represented by the Democratic Party, is necessarily spineless and ineffective without a left. Correspondingly, without a strong liberal center, the left becomes sectarian, authoritarian, and worse. Written in an accessible way for the general reader and the undergraduate student, this book provides a fresh perspective on American politics and political history. It has often been said that the idea of a left originated in the French Revolution and is distinctively European; Zaretsky argues, by contrast, that America has always had a vibrant and powerful left. And he shows that in those critical moments when the country returns to itself, it is on its left/liberal bases that it comes to feel most at home. |
| logic of american politics: political science is for everybody amy l. atchison, 2021 This book is the first intersectionality-mainstreamed textbook written for introductory political science courses. |
| logic of american politics: American Politics Samuel P. Huntington, 1981 Huntington examines the persistent gap between the promise of American ideals and the performance of American politics. He shows how Americans have always been united by the democratic creed of liberty, equality, and hostility to authority, but how these ideals have been frustrated through institutions and hierarchies needed to govern a democracy. |
| logic of american politics: The Social Logic of Politics Alan S. Zuckerman, 2005 Re-establishes the connection between social life and political behavior. |
| logic of american politics: The Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics Corwin E. Smidt, Lyman A. Kellstedt, James L. Guth, 2017 Over the past three decades, the study of religion and politics has gone from being ignored by the scholarly 7ommunity to being a major focus of research. Yet, because this important research is not easily accessible to nonspecialists, much of the analysis of religion's role in the political arena that we read in the media is greatly oversimplified. This Handbook seeks to bridge that gap by examining the considerable research that has been conducted to this point and assessing what has been learned, what remains unsettled due to conflicting research findings, and what important questions remain largely unaddressed by current research endeavors. The Handbook is unique to the field of religion and American politics and should be of wide interest to scholars, students, journalists, and others interested in the American political scene. |
| logic of american politics: Reporting Elections Stephen Cushion, Richard Thomas, 2018-03-02 How elections are reported has important implications for the health of democracy and informed citizenship. But, how informative are the news media during campaigns? What kind of logic do they follow? How well do they serve citizens?e Based on original research as well as the most comprehensive assessment of election studies to date, Cushion and Thomas examine how campaigns are reported in many advanced Western democracies. In doing so, they engage with debates about the mediatization of politics, media systems, information environments, media ownership, regulation, political news, horserace journalism, objectivity, impartiality, agenda-setting, and the relationship between media and democracy more generally. Focusing on the most recent US and UK election campaigns, they consider how the logic of election coverage could be rethought in ways that better serve the democratic needs of citizens. Above all, they argue that election reporting should be driven by a public logic, where the agenda of voters takes centre stage in the campaign and the policies of respective political parties receive more airtime and independent scrutiny. The book is essential reading for scholars and students in political communication and journalism studies, political science, media and communication studies. |
| logic of american politics: The Logic of Connective Action W. Lance Bennett, Alexandra Segerberg, 2013-08-26 The Logic of Connective Action shows how political action is coordinated and power is organized in communication-based networks, and what political outcomes may result. |
| logic of american politics: Democracy for Realists Christopher H. Achen, Larry M. Bartels, 2017-08-29 Why our belief in government by the people is unrealistic—and what we can do about it Democracy for Realists assails the romantic folk-theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens. Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social-scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics ranging from abortion politics and budget deficits to the Great Depression and shark attacks, to show that the familiar ideal of thoughtful citizens steering the ship of state from the voting booth is fundamentally misguided. They demonstrate that voters—even those who are well informed and politically engaged—mostly choose parties and candidates on the basis of social identities and partisan loyalties, not political issues. They also show that voters adjust their policy views and even their perceptions of basic matters of fact to match those loyalties. When parties are roughly evenly matched, elections often turn on irrelevant or misleading considerations such as economic spurts or downturns beyond the incumbents' control; the outcomes are essentially random. Thus, voters do not control the course of public policy, even indirectly. Achen and Bartels argue that democratic theory needs to be founded on identity groups and political parties, not on the preferences of individual voters. Now with new analysis of the 2016 elections, Democracy for Realists provides a powerful challenge to conventional thinking, pointing the way toward a fundamentally different understanding of the realities and potential of democratic government. |
| logic of american politics: How America Lost Its Mind Thomas E. Patterson, 2019-10-03 Americans are losing touch with reality. On virtually every issue, from climate change to immigration, tens of millions of Americans have opinions and beliefs wildly at odds with fact, rendering them unable to think sensibly about politics. In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson explains the rise of a world of “alternative facts” and the slow-motion cultural and political calamity unfolding around us. We don’t have to search far for the forces that are misleading us and tearing us apart: politicians for whom division is a strategy; talk show hosts who have made an industry of outrage; news outlets that wield conflict as a marketing tool; and partisan organizations and foreign agents who spew disinformation to advance a cause, make a buck, or simply amuse themselves. The consequences are severe. How America Lost Its Mind maps a political landscape convulsed with distrust, gridlock, brinksmanship, petty feuding, and deceptive messaging. As dire as this picture is, and as unlikely as immediate relief might be, Patterson sees a way forward and underscores its urgency. A call to action, his book encourages us to wrest institutional power from ideologues and disruptors and entrust it to sensible citizens and leaders, to restore our commitment to mutual tolerance and restraint, to cleanse the Internet of fake news and disinformation, and to demand a steady supply of trustworthy and relevant information from our news sources. As philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote decades ago, the rise of demagogues is abetted by “people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.” In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson makes a passionate case for fully and fiercely engaging on the side of truth and mutual respect in our present arms race between fact and fake, unity and division, civility and incivility. |
| logic of american politics: The Power of American Governors Thad Kousser, Justin H. Phillips, 2012-09-17 With limited authority over state lawmaking, but ultimate responsibility for the performance of government, how effective are governors in moving their programs through the legislature? This book advances a new theory about what makes chief executives most successful and explores this theory through original data. Thad Kousser and Justin H. Phillips argue that negotiations over the budget, on the one hand, and policy bills on the other are driven by fundamentally different dynamics. They capture these dynamics in models informed by interviews with gubernatorial advisors, cabinet members, press secretaries and governors themselves. Through a series of novel empirical analyses and rich case studies, the authors demonstrate that governors can be powerful actors in the lawmaking process, but that what they're bargaining over – the budget or policy – shapes both how they play the game and how often they can win it. |
The Logic of American Politics - GBV
Brief Contents. Preface A Note to Students. Chapter 1: The Logic of American Politics. Part I. The Nationalization of Politics. Chapter 2: The Constitution Chapter 3: Federalism. Chapter 4: Civil …
The Logic of American Politics - SAGE Publications Inc
1. THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS. 1. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. 1.1 Summarize the importance of institutional design in governance. 1.2 Discuss the role of a constitution in …
1 The Logic of American Politics - SAGE Publications Inc
THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS. Reconciling preferences represents a fundamental problem of governance. James Madison played a dominant role in drafting the Constitution …
THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS - au.sagepub.com
This text concentrates on politics in the American national government, but it also draws freely on examples from other settings because the logic embedded in political processes is not …
The Logic of 1 American Politics “T CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. 1.1 Summarize the importance of institutional design in governance. 1.2 Discuss the role of a constitution in establishing the rules and procedures that government …
PLSC 113: Introduction to American Politics - Yale University
We will discuss the structure of government in the United States and its historical foundations, the major political institutions that link people to that government, and how people think about and …
Logic Of American Politics (2024) - netsec.csuci.edu
The logic of American politics is multifaceted and complex, defying easy explanations. However, by understanding the interplay between the two-party system, the role of money, the power of …
The Logic of American Politics U.S. Constitution - University of …
Required Text: The Logic of American Politics, 11th ed. (978-1-0718-6125-7) [KJKVR] (Available at UGA Bookstore or E-Book Version available at: https://us.sagepub.com or …
The Logic of American Politics, 7th edition Transition Guide
the concepts covered throughout Logic, the chapter yields insights into the sources of policy problems, points to possible solutions, and explains why agreement on those solutions is often …
Logic Of American Politics 6th Editio (book)
The Logic of American Politics Sixth Edition by Samuel Kernell Gary C Jacobson Thad Kousser and Lynn Vavreck hooks students with great storytelling while arming them with a toolkit of …
The Logic of American Politics, 10 ed th U.S. Constitution
The Logic of American Politics, 10 ed th U.S. Constitution. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT POLS 1101. Summer Session I: 2021. Instructor: Professor Hood Office: Baldwin Hall 103D . E-Mail: …
The Logic of American Politics th U.S. Constitution - University …
able to comprehend, and meaningfully participate in, the American political process. Monday and Wednesday meetings will normally be reserved for lectures on general topical areas, while …
Logic American Politics Samuel Kernell - occupythefarm.org
1. Can logic survive in the tempestuous realm of American politics? Explore Samuel Kernell's theories and their implications. 2. Unraveling the complexities of presidential power with …
Logic Of American Politics Kernell (book)
Logic Of American Politics Kernell Book Review: Unveiling the Power of Words In a world driven by information and connectivity, the power of words has be more evident than ever. They have …
Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition (PDF)
Additionally, PDF files can be easily annotated, bookmarked, and searched for specific terms, making them highly practical for studying or referencing. When it comes to accessing Logic Of …
The Logical Fallacies in Political Discourse - College of the …
democratic debate should proceed and what role demagoguery plays in politics nowadays. One of the most important things I learned from reading this book was the concepts of many fallacies …
Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition [PDF]
They have the capability to inspire, provoke, and ignite change. Such may be the essence of the book Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition, a literary masterpiece that delves deep in to the …
The logic of American politics 8 edition Georgia Politics in a …
This course is a college level introduction to government and politics. The primary goal of this course is introduce students to the scientific study of politics using the United States and its …
The Logic of American Politics th U.S. Constitution - University …
able to comprehend, and meaningfully participate in, the American political process. Monday and Wednesday meetings will normally be reserved for lectures on general topical areas, while …
The Logic of American Politics U.S. Constitution
The Logic of American Politics, 11th ed. (978-1-0718-6125-7) [KJKVR] (Available at UGA Bookstore or E-Book Version available at: https://us.sagepub.com or https://www.redshelf.com)
The Logic of American Politics - GBV
Brief Contents. Preface A Note to Students. Chapter 1: The Logic of American Politics. Part I. The Nationalization of Politics. Chapter 2: The Constitution Chapter 3: Federalism. Chapter 4: Civil …
The Logic of American Politics - SAGE Publications Inc
1. THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS. 1. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. 1.1 Summarize the importance of institutional design in governance. 1.2 Discuss the role of a constitution in establishing the rules …
1 The Logic of American Politics - SAGE Publications Inc
THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS. Reconciling preferences represents a fundamental problem of governance. James Madison played a dominant role in drafting the Constitution and we …
THE LOGIC OF AMERICAN POLITICS - au.sagepub.com
This text concentrates on politics in the American national government, but it also draws freely on examples from other settings because the logic embedded in political processes is not confined …
The Logic of 1 American Politics “T CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES. 1.1 Summarize the importance of institutional design in governance. 1.2 Discuss the role of a constitution in establishing the rules and procedures that government …
PLSC 113: Introduction to American Politics - Yale University
We will discuss the structure of government in the United States and its historical foundations, the major political institutions that link people to that government, and how people think about and …
Logic Of American Politics (2024) - netsec.csuci.edu
The logic of American politics is multifaceted and complex, defying easy explanations. However, by understanding the interplay between the two-party system, the role of money, the power of …
The Logic of American Politics U.S. Constitution - University …
Required Text: The Logic of American Politics, 11th ed. (978-1-0718-6125-7) [KJKVR] (Available at UGA Bookstore or E-Book Version available at: https://us.sagepub.com or …
The Logic of American Politics, 7th edition Transition Guide
the concepts covered throughout Logic, the chapter yields insights into the sources of policy problems, points to possible solutions, and explains why agreement on those solutions is often …
Logic Of American Politics 6th Editio (book)
The Logic of American Politics Sixth Edition by Samuel Kernell Gary C Jacobson Thad Kousser and Lynn Vavreck hooks students with great storytelling while arming them with a toolkit of …
The Logic of American Politics, 10 ed th U.S. Constitution
The Logic of American Politics, 10 ed th U.S. Constitution. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT POLS 1101. Summer Session I: 2021. Instructor: Professor Hood Office: Baldwin Hall 103D . E-Mail: …
The Logic of American Politics th U.S. Constitution
able to comprehend, and meaningfully participate in, the American political process. Monday and Wednesday meetings will normally be reserved for lectures on general topical areas, while Friday …
Logic American Politics Samuel Kernell - occupythefarm.org
1. Can logic survive in the tempestuous realm of American politics? Explore Samuel Kernell's theories and their implications. 2. Unraveling the complexities of presidential power with Samuel …
Logic Of American Politics Kernell (book)
Logic Of American Politics Kernell Book Review: Unveiling the Power of Words In a world driven by information and connectivity, the power of words has be more evident than ever. They have the …
Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition (PDF)
Additionally, PDF files can be easily annotated, bookmarked, and searched for specific terms, making them highly practical for studying or referencing. When it comes to accessing Logic Of …
The Logical Fallacies in Political Discourse - College of the …
democratic debate should proceed and what role demagoguery plays in politics nowadays. One of the most important things I learned from reading this book was the concepts of many fallacies …
Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition [PDF]
They have the capability to inspire, provoke, and ignite change. Such may be the essence of the book Logic Of American Politics 10th Edition, a literary masterpiece that delves deep in to the …
The logic of American politics 8 edition Georgia Politics in a …
This course is a college level introduction to government and politics. The primary goal of this course is introduce students to the scientific study of politics using the United States and its history
The Logic of American Politics th U.S. Constitution
able to comprehend, and meaningfully participate in, the American political process. Monday and Wednesday meetings will normally be reserved for lectures on general topical areas, while Friday …
The Logic of American Politics U.S. Constitution
The Logic of American Politics, 11th ed. (978-1-0718-6125-7) [KJKVR] (Available at UGA Bookstore or E-Book Version available at: https://us.sagepub.com or https://www.redshelf.com)
