American Democracy in Peril
Eight Challenges to America's Future
8th Edition
Published on 19. April 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
424 pages
978-1-4833-6858-0 (ISBN)
Description
In this Eighth Edition author William E. Hudson provides a perceptive analysis of the challenges U.S democracy faces in the current era: economic crisis, partisan gridlock, rising economic inequality, and continued military conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Reviews / Votes
"Most students have very little conception of what democracy really means. In American Democracy in Peril, Hudson does a great job of explaining what democracy is, how it's supposed to work, and how it actually works. The book's strengths lie in the questions it raises related to democracy and in the examples given to support its arguments." -- Manuel Avalos "American Democracy in Peril is an accessible yet challenging text for students. It's a textbook that doesn't feel like a textbook and seriously engages issues and some important texts in political science." -- Kellan Anfinson "I am continually impressed by Hudson's mastery of the scholarship in all of the areas he writes about. The main strength of American Democracy in Peril is its ability to encourage students to think more critically about the quality of democracy in the United States. Hudson goes beyond the boundaries of government institutions to show how important aspects of our economic system pose serious challenges to our democratic principles and processes." -- Douglas AmyMore details
Edition
8th Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Thousand Oaks
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
Revised edition
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
458 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4833-6858-0 (9781483368580)
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
Previous edition
Book
09/2012
7th Edition
CQ Press
€62.15
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion, American Democracy in Peril, 5th Edition, and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.
Content
Introduction: Models of Democracy
Precursors to Modern Democratic Theory
Protective Democracy
Developmental Democracy
Pluralist Democracy
Participatory Democracy
The Models Compared
Chapter 1: The First Challenge: Separation of Powers
The Founders' Work
The Jeffersonian Model
The Separation of Powers and Democratic Values
The Parliamentary Alternative
Meeting the Challenge: Bridging the Separation of Powers
Chapter 2: The Second Challenge: The Imperial Judiciary
The Least Democratic Branch
A Brief History of Judicial Review
Two Cases of Judicial Usurpation
Can Judicial Review Be Made Consistent With Democracy?
The Judicialization of American Politics as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Revitalize American Democracy
Chapter 3: The Third Challenge: Radical Individualism
Individualism in the American Tradition
American "Habits of the Heart"
The Flaws of Libertarianism
Our Pathological Politics of Rights and Interests
The Failed Opportunity to Build Community After 9/11
Meeting the Challenge: Balancing Rights With Responsibilities
Chapter 4: The Fourth Challenge: Citizen Participation
Citizen Participation and Democratic Theory
Citizen Political Participation
Signs of Civic Disengagement
The New Citizen Activism
Participation as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: More Participation, Not Less
Chapter 5: The Fifth Challenge: Elections Without the People's Voice
Equal Representation
Deliberation
Control
Meeting the Challenge: Reforming Electoral Institutions, Promoting Democratic Deliberation
Chapter 6: The Sixth Challenge: The "Privileged Position" of Business
American Politics as Pluralist Heaven
Business: The Privileged Group
Why Business Privilege Is a Threat to Democracy
Objections to the Privileged-Position-of-Business Thesis
Meeting the Challenge: Taking Democratic Action to Reduce Business Privilege
Chapter 7: The Seventh Challenge: Economic Inequality
Equality and Democratic Theory
The End of the American Dream?
Economic Inequality's Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Enacting Policies to Promote Equality
Chapter 8: The Eighth Challenge: The National Security State
The Burgeoning of the National Security State
Secrecy
Centralization
Repression
Distortion
Meeting the Challenge: Reform to Achieve True Security
Precursors to Modern Democratic Theory
Protective Democracy
Developmental Democracy
Pluralist Democracy
Participatory Democracy
The Models Compared
Chapter 1: The First Challenge: Separation of Powers
The Founders' Work
The Jeffersonian Model
The Separation of Powers and Democratic Values
The Parliamentary Alternative
Meeting the Challenge: Bridging the Separation of Powers
Chapter 2: The Second Challenge: The Imperial Judiciary
The Least Democratic Branch
A Brief History of Judicial Review
Two Cases of Judicial Usurpation
Can Judicial Review Be Made Consistent With Democracy?
The Judicialization of American Politics as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Revitalize American Democracy
Chapter 3: The Third Challenge: Radical Individualism
Individualism in the American Tradition
American "Habits of the Heart"
The Flaws of Libertarianism
Our Pathological Politics of Rights and Interests
The Failed Opportunity to Build Community After 9/11
Meeting the Challenge: Balancing Rights With Responsibilities
Chapter 4: The Fourth Challenge: Citizen Participation
Citizen Participation and Democratic Theory
Citizen Political Participation
Signs of Civic Disengagement
The New Citizen Activism
Participation as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: More Participation, Not Less
Chapter 5: The Fifth Challenge: Elections Without the People's Voice
Equal Representation
Deliberation
Control
Meeting the Challenge: Reforming Electoral Institutions, Promoting Democratic Deliberation
Chapter 6: The Sixth Challenge: The "Privileged Position" of Business
American Politics as Pluralist Heaven
Business: The Privileged Group
Why Business Privilege Is a Threat to Democracy
Objections to the Privileged-Position-of-Business Thesis
Meeting the Challenge: Taking Democratic Action to Reduce Business Privilege
Chapter 7: The Seventh Challenge: Economic Inequality
Equality and Democratic Theory
The End of the American Dream?
Economic Inequality's Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Enacting Policies to Promote Equality
Chapter 8: The Eighth Challenge: The National Security State
The Burgeoning of the National Security State
Secrecy
Centralization
Repression
Distortion
Meeting the Challenge: Reform to Achieve True Security