American Politics: Theory & Practice---Part I ...        Chaotic Elections! A Mathematician Looks at Voting4 reviews Donald G. Saari American Mathematical Society, 2001 An Insightful Look at Voting + Interesting analysis of biases in voting systems, but with a hidden bias itself + Great on math, weak on policy + Election Math made Accessible: Cures Headaches, too!             The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American ...16 reviews Thomas E. Mann, Norman J. Ornstein Oxford University Press, USA, 2006 Important Book + What do they do? + A great history lesson This book is important. When you realize how much power Congress has and how little they have been doing, and how little institutional responsibility everyone on Capitol Hill seems to have, you will begin to fear that America may be on the start of a downward slide.             Politics, Parties, and Elections in America1 review John F. Bibby, Brian F. Schaffner Wadsworth Publishing, 2007 Solid Background Book on Political Parties and Elections Bibby has written a solid book on political parties, their function in current elections and how their role has changed over time. Political parties used to be much more of a central focus in American elections. Ususlly, political registration was a sure indicator for election outcomes and the ...             Democracy and Its Critics3 reviews Robert A. Dahl Yale University Press, 1991 Dahl is great + A very good book on democratic theory + Fine update on themes introduced in Polyarchy Dahl created a bunch of dialogues that clearly illustrate specific problems with anarchism and elitism. Then, he discussed democracy and his hopes for the future. He's a fine writer and thinker who deserves more attention from non-academics.             The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot30 reviews Russell Kirk Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2001 The Definitive Volume for Conservatives + Man, God, and Law + History of conservative ideas + illumination on every page             Reconsidering American Liberalism: The Troubled Odyssey Of The Liberal Idea1 review James Young Westview Press, 1996 An extensive, intense, and superb treatise. The book goes historically through American Political Thought, and I would be hard-pressed to think of anything too important that Young leaves out. He shows a remarkable intensity, his writing style is clear and concise, if a bit too technical for anyone who wants a _quick_ read on the topic (not ...             Poor People's Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail2 reviews Frances Fox Piven, Richard Cloward Vintage, 1978 Relevant and instructive + A timeless classic that all activists should buy As both a heady intellectual and a pragmatic field organizer, I have throughly enjoyed this book. Don't be thrown off by the dry (yet incisive) introduction on the cycles of social movements. The chapters that follow provide journalistic historical narrative on the civil rights, labor, welfare ...             The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction25 reviews Akhil Reed Amar Yale University Press, 2000 FANTASTIC!!! + Understanding the Bill of Rights + Great, except Amar doesn't quite understand his own work... + A Sound Overview of the Bill of Rights and Reconstruction Amendments + near-ultimate book on Bill of Rights             The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution27 reviews Bernard Bailyn Belknap Press, 1992 A spark in the study of the Revolution + The great conspiracy + The Story of America Begins With Bernard Bailyn + Brilliant - for its time + Still a standard!             Democracy in America16 reviews Alexis de Tocqueville University Of Chicago Press, 2002 Great Edition of a Great Book + Indispensable + Treatise on American Democracy + 150 Years after It was Written ...             A Preface to Morals3 reviews Walter Lippmann Kessinger Publishing, 2005 How the modern world undercuts religion + Masterful diagnosis You will not find a more succinct discussion of how the modern world renders true religious belief almost impossible. Although this book was written in the 1920s, it reads as if it were written yesterday. Lippman dissects modernism and explains in detail how it actively and passively ...             Republic on Trial: The Case for Representative Democracy2 reviews Alan Rosenthal, Burdett A. Loomis, ... CQ Press, 2002 Representative Democracy Withstands Trials + Representative Democracy Withstands Trials This book presents a strong defense for representative democracy. It argues that not only is representative democracy the best option available, but that much of the criticisms of the the legislative branch is based on inaccurate perceptions. The public has become less trustful of government. ...             The Supreme Court Explained Ellen Greenberg W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 "The Supreme Court Explained" is the only book to get at the basics of the Court--what Greenberg terms the process, the stage, the players, the script, and the rules--in brief and accessible fashion. Greenberg tracks the flow of a case through the Court, defining the tricky legal terms, reminding readers that they have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court, and showing how to use the Internet ...             The American Political Tradition: And the Men Who Made it13 reviews Richard Hofstadter Vintage, 1989 A Political Milestone + GREAT MEN OF AMERICA AS HUMANS + A Masterwork of its Genre + Social history at it's best             Campaigns and Elections American Style, Second Edition (Transforming American Politics)4 reviews James A. Thurber, Candice J. Nelson Westview Press, 2004 A good book to read...! + Academic Look at Campaigns + A good book to read...! + Nice Text Book!             Liberalism and Its Discontents4 reviews Alan Brinkley Harvard University Press, 2000 Timeless, and always fascinating + People of the 'L' word + A collection of insightful, but ultimately disparate, essays The editorial reviews published by Amazon just about tell it all. Highly recommended as valuable (and timeless) insights into who we are collectively (USA) and how we got here. These essays combine big-picture themes with how those themes were engaged by real people. I am reluctant to single out ...             The Power Game: How Washington Works18 reviews Hedrick Smith Ballantine Books, 1996 Not Government 101 + All you need to know about Government and then some Forget everything you were ever taught or told about how government works. Rick Smith has captured the reality. Though it was written about Washington much of The Power Game is also true of state and sometimes even local government. A must read for anyone with an interest in government or politics.             The Buying of the Congress3 reviews Charles Lewis William Morrow, 1998 Best of its type. Made my blood boil. And I'm not naive + Congress would like to burn this book. My topic line says it all. We've all heard and followed the stories about how Congress is beholden to special interests, and how they have in turn done favors for various industries in return. However, this book puts it all together in a way that has really upset me. And yet it is not a ...             Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan6 reviews Richard E. Neustadt Free Press, 1991 One of three seminal works on the Presidency + Machiavelli in the White House + still useful after all these years... + Don't stop half way through             Political Consultants and Negative Campaigning Kerwin C. Swint University Press of America, 1998 One of the most closely-watched and controversial aspects of modern political campaigning is the use of negative, attack tactics. This book examines the role played by negative campaigning through a national survey of professional political consultants. Campaign consultants have become vitally important to political candidates in recent years as strategists, fundraisers, and media specialists. ...              Kindle - Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device This is the future of book reading. I have used it and love it! randomly chosen VHS: Winslow Homer : An American Original we recommend A spark in the study of the Revolution leave a comment home  impressum - about us