
Answering Back
Liberal Responses to Conservative Arguments
David Coates(Author)
Continuum Publishing Corporation
Published on 31. December 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
296 pages
978-1-4411-2693-1 (ISBN)
Description
"Answering Back" presents the conservative and liberal arguments on eight key policy issues: trickle-down economics, welfare, social security, health care, immigration control, religion, the war in Iraq, and economic prosperity. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, followed by conservative views and a point-by-point progressive response. Each stage of each argument is labeled for easy memorization, and the language used is deliberately jargon free, to make the material as accessible as possible. The sources of both conservative and progressive arguments (and their supporting evidence) are cited to open the door to further research. "Answering Back" aims to be a handbook of arguments, data, and sources that present today's key policy debates in an even-handed and accessible manner. This will be an essential tool for anyone interested in policy reform, party politics, and American politics.
Reviews / Votes
"With passion, disarming candor, and fair-minded analysis second to none, David Coates captures the pulse of American politics. Answering Back makes the best case yet for how to revitalize the Left--and outmaneuver the Right--in the political space broken open by the Obama presidency. If you are interested in the fate of American democracy and want to become a stakeholder you must read this book." --Joel Krieger, Norma Wilentz Hess professor of Political Science, Wellesley College; Editor in Chief, The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World Answering Back is a very timely book. It will deepen the reader's understanding of the main issues in the debates between liberals and conservatives--especially those on the far right. The book is written from a liberal perspective, but it documents both the liberal and conservative sides of the issues. It achieves one of its main objectives very well--raising the quality of these debates. -- Dr. Ray Marshall, University of Texas "Aiming to defend and sustain the victories of President Obama and the Congressional Democrats in 2008, Coates expands and updates his previous volume, A Liberal Tool Kit (2007), which supports liberal candidates and investigates conservative and liberal arguments on eight policy issues in the US faced by the new Democratic administration: trickle-down economics and the role of public spending, welfare reform, social security, health care, immigration control, religious issues and the social agenda, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the causes of the financial meltdown. For each, he presents the conservative views and a point-by-point progressive response to them. The chapter on whether the economy was safe in Republican hands has been replaced by the chapter on the financial meltdown." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
455 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4411-2693-1 (9781441126931)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
12/2009
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Continuum
€30.99
Available for download
Person
David Coates holds the Worrell Chair of Anglo-American Studies, Department of Political Science at Wake Forest University (NC). He previously held personal chairs at the universities of Leeds and Manchester in the UK. Dr. Coates has written extensively on labor politics, contemporary political economy, and US public policy.
Content
Chapter 1: A Call to Arms; Chapter 2: Clearing the Decks; Chapter 3: The Wonders of "Trickle-Down Economics"; Chapter 4: Cutting "Welfare" to help the poor; Chapter 5: "Reforming" Social Security; Chapter 6: Bringing Health to the Health-Care System; Chapter 7: Immigration Control in a Land of Immigrants; Chapter 8: Is God Necessarily Conservative?; Chapter 9: The Wisdom of the War in Iraq?; Chapter 10: The Real Causes of the Financial Meltdown; Select Bibliography; Index.