American Politics and Society Today / Edition 1

by Robert Singh

Overview

From the attempt to impeach Bill Clinton to the 2000 elections and George W. Bush's presidency, American politics has been marked by controversy. American Politics and Society Today analyses these events and provides a lively and authoritative analysis of contemporary politics in the United States.

Bringing together a series of leading scholars, the volume comprises ten important, engaging and critical essays on the complex character of America's divided democracy. Challenging conventional textbook wisdoms, the collection provides new interpretations on American government institutions, public policies and popular culture from jazz and rap to The Simpsons and South Park. Consistently stimulating, readable and provocative, the book allows readers to make their own informed and dispassionate assessment of the current state of the ‘American experiment'.

American Politics and Society Today will be of substantial interest to undergraduate and graduate students of American politics and history, comparative politics, public policy and cultural studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745625263
Publisher:	Polity Press
Publication date:	08/02/2002
Series:	Politics Today
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

Robert Singh is Lecturer in Politics at Birkbeck College, University of London.

Table of Contents

List of Tables.

List of Contributors.

Editor's Preface.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction: Dubya's Divided Democracy: Robert Singh.

1 Reaching Across the Atlantic: Ideological Aspiration and Institutional Constraints in the United States and Britain: Marc Stears.

2 A New Electoral Disorder? The American Elections of 2000: Robert Singh.

3 Race, Representation and Elections: The Politics of Parties and Courts: Paul Frymer.

4 ‘If You're Disgusted with Us, I Don't Blame You': Television and American Politics Today: Robert Mason.

5 The Rehnquist Court's Partial Revolution: Paul Martin.

6 The Presidency and Congress: A Trifocal Approach: Nigel Bowles.

7 The Politics of Power-Sharing: The Case of Welfare Overhaul: Fiona Ross.

8 Does Gender Matter? Women in American Politics: Abigail Halcli.

9 Multiculturalism and the End of Jazz: Desmond King and Julian Murphet.

10 Subverting American Values? The Simpsons, South Park and the Cartoon Culture War: Robert Singh.

Index

Editorial Reviews

"American Politics and Society Today sets itself the challenge of blending current events with the enduring contours that shape them. Robert Singh and nine colleagues start with the international policy context, tour the main institutional landmarks of policy-making, and embed all of that in the larger society. What results is the liveliest investigation of American politics to cross my desk in a long time." Byron E. Shafer, University of Wisconsin

"This is an excellent collection. Not the least of the book' s merits is that it focuses on a number of issues at the interface of politics and society, and thus goes beyond the usual approach of focusing just on political institutions or on political behaviour. It will be of interest to the general reader, but will also be a useful source for those teaching and studying on university courses on American politics." Alan Ware, University of Oxford

"Experts as well as an informed public will find American Politics and Society Today to be a good learning experience." American Studies International

From the Publisher