American Democracy in Peril
Eight Challenges to America's Future
William Hudson(Author)
CQ Press
4th Edition
Published on 31. December 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
978-1-56802-908-5 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
In an engaging and eye-opening mix of democratic thought and current issues, Hudson's provocative and popular text raises fundamentally important questions: does our national security state threaten the very democratic rights it is defending? Does the expansion of judicial power constitute a challenge to our democracy? Does the privileged position of business undermine democratic politics? In the wake of 9/11, the collapse of Enron and Worldcom, and the Supreme Court's controversial involvement in the 2000 presidential election, Hudson focuses on eight challenges to American democracy to provide not only balanced, clear-sighted recommendations for reform, but to emphasize that the strength of our political system rests on our ability to respond successfully to these pressing issues.
More details
Edition
4th Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Washington
United States
Publishing group
SAGE Publications Inc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Revised edition
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-56802-908-5 (9781568029085)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
07/2006
5th Edition
CQ Press
€44.79
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
Book
09/2001
3rd Edition
Chatham House Publishers Inc.,U.S.
€50.39
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is also the author (with Richard Battistoni) of Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models of Service-learning in Political Science (1997, American
Content
Table of Contents Tables and Figures Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Models of Democracy Precursors to Modern Democratic Theory Protective Democracy Developmental Democracy Pluralist Democracy Participatory DemocracyThe Models Compared1. The First Challenge: Separation of PowersThe Founders' WorkThe Jeffersonian ModelThe Separation of Powers and Democratic ValuesThe Parliamentary Alternative Meeting the Challenge: Bridging the Separation of Powers2. The Second Challenge: The Imperial Judiciary.The Least Democratic BranchA Brief History of Judicial ReviewTwo Cases of Judicial UsurpationCan Judicial Review Be Made Consistent with Democracy?The Judicialization of American Politics as a Challenge to Democracy Meeting the Challenge: Revitalizing American Democracy3. The Third Challenge: Radical Individualism Sources of American Individualism American "Habits of the Heart"The Flaws of Libertarianism Our Pathological Politics of Rights and Interests Meeting the Challenge: Forging a More Communitarian Spirit after 9/114. The Fourth Challenge: Citizen Participation Citizen Participation and Democratic TheoryCitizen Participation in the United States Participation as a Challenge to Democracy Meeting the Challenge: More, Not Less, Participation5. The Fifth Challenge: Trivialized ElectionsEqual Representation Deliberation ControlMeeting the Challenge: Reform Electoral Institutions. Promote Democratic Deliberation6. The Sixth Challenge: The "Privileged Position" of Business American Politics as Pluralist HeavenBusiness: The "Privileged" Group Why Business Privilege Is a Threat to Democracy Objections to the Privileged-Position-of-Business ThesisMeeting the Challenge: Democratic Action to Reduce Business Privilege 7. The Seventh Challenge: Inequality Equality and Democratic TheoryThe End of the American Dream?The Presistence of Racial Inequality Inequality and Democracy Meeting the Challenge: Policies to Promote Equality8. The Eighth Challenge: The National Security StateA Brief History of the National Security State Secrecy Centralization Repression Distortion Meeting the Challenge: Reform to Achieve True Security Notes Index