Politics and Power in the U.S.A.
Published on 31. October 1991
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-14-015678-2 (ISBN)
Description
This book answers questions about the American political and social landscape over the last 50 years. America's role in the world continues to be the subject of intense controversy at home and abroad. Big government - now an undisputed fact of American life - is also hard to reconcile with the deep economic individualism that is characteristic of American ideology. Finally, the United States has become increasingly socially fragmented over recent years, as the old class, regional and ethnic divisions have been largely replaced by a much more complex and fluid system of social relations. With a few exceptions, American political institutions have found it hard to adapt to these changes and the author demonstrates why in his guide to the country's political system.
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
figures, notes, further reading, index
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
184 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-015678-2 (9780140156782)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
STUDYING AMERICAN POLITICS IN AMERICA'S CENTURY. THE DECLINING HEGEMON: Relative economic decline; Open markets and protectionism; The increasingly complex nature of US foreign and military power. IDEOLOGY AND SOCIAL CHANGE: An American ideology?; The declining political significance of class, region and ethnicity - but not of race; The rise of single-issue and populist politics; The changing nature of American exceptionalism. CONGRESS - THE PEOPLE'S NOT THE PUBLIC INTEREST?: Members of Congress as rational actors; The rise of political individualism; Policy-making and the new Congress; Congress, budgets and presidents; Conclusions: can Congress lead? THE MOST POWERFUL OFFICE ON EARTH: WHY PRESIDENTS FAIL - BUT SOMETIMES SUCCEED: How not to select presidents; Mysteries of the presidential nomination process; The president: Chief executive, managing director, party boss, commander-in-chief, voice of the people, head of state, world leader; Presidents, personality and the new America; Conclusions - presidents and the public interest. ORGANIZED INTERESTS - CHAMPIONS OF DEMOCRACY OR DEFENDERS OF PRIVILEGE?: Groups and politics in the modern era; Competing theories of interest-group power; Interests and interest-group theory: a synthesis; Pluralism, efficiency and equality. JUDICIAL POWER - A ROOTLESS ACTIVISM?: The Supreme Court as policy-maker; The Burger years - a Court under pressure; The Rehnquist Court - a further shift to the right; Judicial power - how far can the Courts go?; Conclusions: a dangerous Court or a Court confused? FEDERALISM AND LOCALISM POWER TO THE PEOPLE?: Centralized or devolved powers - the enduring debate; The era of intergovernmental dependence 1937-78; Fiscal retrenchment and the new federalism 1979-88; Federal pre-emption and interdependence since 1989; The future of American federalism. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - REFORM AND REALITY: Are institutions to blame?; America's world role - the need for consistency and flexibility; The New American State - big government is here to stay; Social and political fragmentation can have advantages as well as disadvantages; Conclusions - governing without the state?