Political Issues Debated

Political Issues Debated PDF

Author: Herbert M. Levine

Publisher: Prentice Hall

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9780136816447

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Focusing on strong pro and con viewpoints of controversial political issues, this introduction to politics uses a debate format that encourages discussion of the issues addressed. It examines 26 controversial issues of great complexity and importance - some of long-standing concern, and some of more recent relevance - including the questions, "Is government avoidable?", "Is Socialism better than Capitalism?", "Does TV news have a unique impact on public opinion?", "Should the West redistribute its wealth to Third World countries?" For historians and political scientists.

Democracy and Political Ignorance

Democracy and Political Ignorance PDF

Author: Ilya Somin

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2013-10-02

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0804789312

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One of the biggest problems with modern democracy is that most of the public is usually ignorant of politics and government. Often, many people understand that their votes are unlikely to change the outcome of an election and don't see the point in learning much about politics. This may be rational, but it creates a nation of people with little political knowledge and little ability to objectively evaluate what they do know. In Democracy and Political Ignorance, Ilya Somin mines the depths of ignorance in America and reveals the extent to which it is a major problem for democracy. Somin weighs various options for solving this problem, arguing that political ignorance is best mitigated and its effects lessened by decentralizing and limiting government. Somin provocatively argues that people make better decisions when they choose what to purchase in the market or which state or local government to live under, than when they vote at the ballot box, because they have stronger incentives to acquire relevant information and to use it wisely.

Is Anyone Responsible?

Is Anyone Responsible? PDF

Author: Shanto Iyengar

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1994-10-17

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 9780226388557

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A disturbingly cautionary tale, Is Anyone Responsible? anchors with powerful evidence suspicions about the way in which television has impoverished political discourse in the United States and at the same time molds American political consciousness. It is essential reading for media critics, psychologists, political analysts, and all the citizens who want to be sure that their political opinions are their own. "Not only does it provide convincing evidence for particular effects of media fragmentation, but it also explores some of the specific mechanisms by which television works its damage. . . . Here is powerful additional evidence for those of us who like to flay television for its contributions to the trivialization of public discourse and the erosion of democratic accountability."—William A. Gamson, Contemporary Sociology "Iyengar's book has substantial merit. . . . [His] experimental methods offer a precision of measurement that media effects research seldom attains. I believe, moreover, that Iyengar's notion of framing effects is one of the truly important theoretical concepts to appear in recent years."—Thomas E. Patterson, American Political Science Review

What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't

What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don't PDF

Author: Jessamyn Conrad

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-01-12

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1611459621

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Now in its second edition, here is one of the first and only issue-based nonpartisan guides to contemporary American politics. It’s a very exciting time in American politics. Voter turnout in primaries and caucuses across the nation has shattered old records. More than ever, in this election year people are paying attention to the issues. But in a world of sound bites and deliberate misinformation and a political scene that is literally colored by a partisan divide—blue vs. red—how does the average educated American find a reliable source that’s free of political spin? What You Should Know About Politics . . . But Don’t breaks it all down, issue by issue, explaining who stands for what, and why, whether it’s the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, oil and renewable energy sources, or climate change. If you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in between, it’s the perfect book to brush up on a single topic or read through to get a deeper understanding of the often mucky world of American politics.

Contemporary American Politics and Society

Contemporary American Politics and Society PDF

Author: Robert Singh

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 2002-11-14

Total Pages: 297

ISBN-13: 1849206597

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Contemporary American Politics provides a comprehensive introduction to the most salient topics of debate in contemporary American politics and society today. The text introduces and explains the history, nature and underlying issues to the key areas of political division and conflict in America′s on-going `culture war′, including, abortion, gun control, capital punishment, pornography, gay rights and drugs. All students will gain a deeper and critical understanding of how this powerful set of concerns continue to underpin and shape the fundamental divisions informing American domestic politics at local, state and federal levels. Completely up-to-date and featuring chapter summaries, exhibit boxes, discussion questions, weblinks and further reading guides, Contemporary American Politics offers a lively and accessible text that will be essential reading for all students of American politics and society. Robert Singh is a lecturer in politics at Birkbeck College, London. Contemporary American Politics: Issues and Controversies is a companion text to the foundation textbook American Government and Politics: A Concise Introduction also published by SAGE. `In this volume the political scientist Robert Singh has selected and analyzed closely a set of topical issues and controversies in American politics - including gun control, capital punishment and cultural wars - as a way better to understand the United States. The result is an excellent text which conveys both the diversity of contemporary America and the complexity of issues often treated superficially in media accounts. I recommend the book highly′ - Desmond King, Mellon Professor of American Government, University of Oxford `Rob Singh is a master of style, and his book is the perfect companion for those who are interested in America′s "culture wars" but hitherto have been put off by the execrable jargon they have spawned′ - Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Professor of American History, University of Edinburgh `For those who still believe that politics is normally, naturally, about economics, Rob Singh has gathered the evidence and dialed the wake-up call: seven major instances of an ongoing culture war meet a common analytic framework here in a lively and informative fashion′ - Byron E Shafer, University of Wisconsin `For the student this is the perfect complement to a textbook. American politics is not just about institutions and processes, but also about current political issues and debates. Robert Singh′s interesting book illuminates a range of social and cultural issues that divide Americans in the 21st century. All undergraduate courses on American politics should include it on reading lists for seminars, tutorials and classes′ - Alan Ware, Worcester College, Oxford

The Increasingly United States

The Increasingly United States PDF

Author: Daniel J. Hopkins

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2018-05-30

Total Pages: 307

ISBN-13: 022653040X

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In a campaign for state or local office these days, you’re as likely today to hear accusations that an opponent advanced Obamacare or supported Donald Trump as you are to hear about issues affecting the state or local community. This is because American political behavior has become substantially more nationalized. American voters are far more engaged with and knowledgeable about what’s happening in Washington, DC, than in similar messages whether they are in the South, the Northeast, or the Midwest. Gone are the days when all politics was local. With The Increasingly United States, Daniel J. Hopkins explores this trend and its implications for the American political system. The change is significant in part because it works against a key rationale of America’s federalist system, which was built on the assumption that citizens would be more strongly attached to their states and localities. It also has profound implications for how voters are represented. If voters are well informed about state politics, for example, the governor has an incentive to deliver what voters—or at least a pivotal segment of them—want. But if voters are likely to back the same party in gubernatorial as in presidential elections irrespective of the governor’s actions in office, governors may instead come to see their ambitions as tethered more closely to their status in the national party.

Issues in Political Theory

Issues in Political Theory PDF

Author: Catriona McKinnon

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 404

ISBN-13:

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This is a unique political theory textbook that invites students to apply the concepts they encounter to real world politics. Each chapter includes a 2,000 word case study to highlight the theories that have been discussed. The lucid and elegant contributions by leading thinkers enables engagement with the subject at its sharp end without any compromise in accessibility. This is essential reading for all political theory students from beginners onwards. Online Resource CentreThe book is accompanied by the following resources:Student Site:Case studies for each chapterAnnotated web links for each chapterLinks to journal articlesInstructor Site:Essay questions, seminar questions and activities

Teaching Politics in Secondary Education

Teaching Politics in Secondary Education PDF

Author: Wayne Journell

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2017-11-21

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1438467710

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Winner of the 2018 Exemplary Research in Social Studies Award presented by the National Council for the Social Studies Many social studies teachers report feeling apprehensive about discussing potentially volatile topics in the classroom, because they fear that administrators and parents might accuse them of attempting to indoctrinate their students. Wayne Journell tackles the controversial nature of teaching politics, addressing commonly raised concerns such as how to frame divisive political issues, whether teachers should disclose their personal political beliefs to students, and how to handle political topics that become intertwined with socially sensitive topics such as race, gender, and religion. Journell discusses how classrooms can become spaces for tolerant political discourse in an increasingly politically polarized American society. In order to explore this, Journell analyzes data that include studies of high school civics/government teachers during the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and how they integrated television programs, technology, and social media into their teaching. The book also includes a three-year study of preservice middle and secondary social studies teachers' political knowledge and a content analysis of CNN Student News.

Issues in American Political Life

Issues in American Political Life PDF

Author: Robert Thobaben

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-07-02

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1317347064

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A core text for undergraduate courses in American Public Policy, or supplemental reading in such courses as Introduction to American Government or Politics, American Public Policy Analysis, Introduction to Political Science. A substantive alternative to typical "issues" texts-which cover too many issues, too superficially-this intriguing and comprehensive text offers a more in-depth and coherent approach to contemporary policy problems and solutions. It provides a conceptual framework in which students can become comfortable actually doing policy analysis, and in learning skills beyond reading about certain political issues. Thematically organized, it looks at nine specific issues grouped into three broad categories that hold an enduring importance in American political life-money and politics, violence and politics, and biology and politics. All nine chapters and their respective topics (campaigns, corruption, welfare, crime, terrorism, arms control, the environment, biomedical issues, and biotechnology) have a strong conceptual base with current political dimensions and policy concerns woven throughout. Students not only learn the context, status, and prospects of issues confronting the U.S. government, but also see how these issues now cross our domestic borders into a global realm.