Governing in a Polarized Age

Governing in a Polarized Age PDF Author: Alan S. Gerber
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107095093
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 407

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Book Description
This volume provides an in-depth examination of representation and legislative performance in contemporary American politics.

Governing in a Polarized Age

Governing in a Polarized Age PDF Author: Alan S. Gerber
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107095093
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 407

Get Book

Book Description
This volume provides an in-depth examination of representation and legislative performance in contemporary American politics.

Trust in a Polarized Age

Trust in a Polarized Age PDF Author: Kevin Vallier
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190887222
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
Americans today don't trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did, fueling destructive ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. In Trust in a Polarized Age, political philosopher Kevin Vallier argues that to build social trust and reduce polarization, we must strengthen liberal democratic institutions--high-quality governance, procedural fairness, markets, social welfare programs, freedom of association, and democracy. Theseinstitutions not only create trust, they do so justly, by recognizing and respecting our basic rights.

Governing in a Polarized Age: Introduction; Part I. Political Representation and Democratic Accountability: 2. The electoral connection, age 40 R. Douglas Arnold; 3. The electoral connection, then and now Gary Jacobson; 4. The congressional incumbency advantage over sixty years: measurement, trends, and implications Robert S. Erikson; 5. A baseline for incumbency effects Christopher Achen; Part II. Continuity and Change in Party Organizations: 6. Legislative parties in an era of alternating majorities Frances E. Lee; 7. Parties within parties: parties, factions, and coordinated politics, 1900-80 John Mark Hansen, Shigeo Hirano and James M. Snyder, Jr; 8. Where measures meet history: party polarization during the New Deal and Fair Deal Joshua D. Clinton, Ira Katznelson and John S. Lapinski; Part III. Partisanship and Governmental Performance: 9. Polarized we govern? Sarah Binder; 10. What has Congress done? Stephen Ansolabehere, Maxwell Palmer and Benjamin Schneer; 11. Can Congress do policy analysis? The politics of problem solving on Capitol Hill Eric M. Patashnik and Justin Peck; 12. Studying contingency systematically Katherine Levine Einstein and Jennifer Hochschild; 13. Majoritarianism, majoritarian tension, and the Reed revolution Keith Krehbiel; Part IV. Conclusions: 14. Intensified partisanship in congress: institutional effects David E. Price; 15. The origins of Congress: The Electoral Connection David R. Mayhew

Governing in a Polarized Age: Introduction; Part I. Political Representation and Democratic Accountability: 2. The electoral connection, age 40 R. Douglas Arnold; 3. The electoral connection, then and now Gary Jacobson; 4. The congressional incumbency advantage over sixty years: measurement, trends, and implications Robert S. Erikson; 5. A baseline for incumbency effects Christopher Achen; Part II. Continuity and Change in Party Organizations: 6. Legislative parties in an era of alternating majorities Frances E. Lee; 7. Parties within parties: parties, factions, and coordinated politics, 1900-80 John Mark Hansen, Shigeo Hirano and James M. Snyder, Jr; 8. Where measures meet history: party polarization during the New Deal and Fair Deal Joshua D. Clinton, Ira Katznelson and John S. Lapinski; Part III. Partisanship and Governmental Performance: 9. Polarized we govern? Sarah Binder; 10. What has Congress done? Stephen Ansolabehere, Maxwell Palmer and Benjamin Schneer; 11. Can Congress do policy analysis? The politics of problem solving on Capitol Hill Eric M. Patashnik and Justin Peck; 12. Studying contingency systematically Katherine Levine Einstein and Jennifer Hochschild; 13. Majoritarianism, majoritarian tension, and the Reed revolution Keith Krehbiel; Part IV. Conclusions: 14. Intensified partisanship in congress: institutional effects David E. Price; 15. The origins of Congress: The Electoral Connection David R. Mayhew PDF Author: Alan S. Gerber
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781316154977
Category : Incumbency (Public officers)
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
"Many political observers have expressed doubts as to whether America's leaders are up to the task of addressing major policy challenges. Yet much of the critical commentary lacks grounding in the systematic analysis of the core institutions of the American political system including elections, representation, and the law-making process. Governing in a Polarized Age brings together more than a dozen leading scholars to provide an in-depth examination of representation and legislative performance. Drawing upon the seminal work of David Mayhew as a point of departure, these essays explore the dynamics of incumbency advantage in today's polarized Congress, asking whether the focus on individual re-election that was the hallmark of Mayhew's ground-breaking book, Congress: The Electoral Connection, remains useful for understanding today's Congress. The essays link the study of elections with close analysis of changes in party organization and with a series of systematic assessments of the quality of legislative performance"--

Political Argument in a Polarized Age

Political Argument in a Polarized Age PDF Author: Scott F. Aikin
Publisher: Polity
ISBN: 9781509536535
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
From obnoxious public figures to online trolling and accusations of “fake news”, almost no one seems able to disagree without hostility. But polite discord sounds farfetched when issues are so personal and fundamental that those on opposing sides appear to have no common ground. How do you debate the “enemy”? Philosophers Scott Aikin and Robert Talisse show that disagreeing civilly, even with your sworn enemies, is a crucial part of democracy. Rejecting the popular view that civility requires a polite and concessive attitude, they argue that our biggest challenge is not remaining calm in the face of an opponent, but rather ensuring that our political arguments actually address those on the opposing side. Too often politicians and pundits merely simulate political debate, offering carefully structured caricatures of their opponents. These simulations mimic political argument in a way designed to convince citizens that those with whom they disagree are not worth talking to. Good democracy thrives off conflict, but until we learn the difference between real and simulated arguments we will be doomed to speak at cross-purposes. Aikin and Talisse provide a crash course in political rhetoric for the concerned citizen, showing readers why understanding the structure of arguments is just as vital for a healthy democracy as debate over facts and values. But there’s a sting in the tail - no sooner have we learned rhetorical techniques for better disagreement than these techniques themselves become weapons with which to ignore our enemies, as accusations like “false equivalence” and “ad hominem” are used to silence criticism. Civility requires us to be eternally vigilant to the ways we disagree.

The Promise of Party in a Polarized Age

The Promise of Party in a Polarized Age PDF Author: Russell Muirhead
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674745248
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 332

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Book Description
At the root of America’s broken politics is hyperbolic partisanship. It distorts perceptions, inflames disagreements, and poisons the democratic process. Citizens pine for a time when liberals and conservatives compromised with one another—or they yearn for a post-partisan future when the common good trumps ideology and self-interest. Russell Muirhead argues that better partisanship, not less partisanship, is the solution to America’s political predicament. Instead of striving to overcome our differences, we should learn how to engage them. The political conflicts that provide fodder for cable news shows are not simply manufactured from thin air. However sensationalized they become in the retelling, they originate in authentic disagreements over what constitutes the common welfare. Republicans vest responsibility in each citizen for dealing with bad decisions and bad luck, and want every individual and family to enjoy the benefits of good decisions and good luck. Democrats ask citizens to stand together to insure one another against the worst consequences of misfortune or poor judgment, and especially to insure children against some of the consequences of their parents’ bad decisions or lack of opportunities. These are fundamental differences that fantasies of bipartisan consensus cannot dissolve. Disagreement without parties is disempowering, Muirhead says. The remedy is not for citizens and elected officials to learn to “just get along” but for them to bring a skeptical sensibility even to their own convictions, and to learn to disagree as partisans and govern through compromise despite those disagreements.

The Polarized Public?

The Polarized Public? PDF Author: Alan Abramowitz
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780205877393
Category : Divided government
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Polarized Public takes an in-depth look at the seemingly irreconcilable divide between Republicans and Democrats and argues that bi-partisanship remains elusive, not because of politicians in the capitol, but because of the American public and their fixation on party membership and loyalty. How did this intense polarization develop? How has it influenced the current political climate? How will it evolve and affect the upcoming presidential and congressional elections? Alan Abramowitz addresses all of these questions among others in this new, eye-opening addition to The Great Questions in Politics series. Learning Goals Illustrate the divide between Republicans and Democrats in the United States. Analyze how this divide developed and how it influences the current political climate.

Parchment Barriers

Parchment Barriers PDF Author: Zachary Courser
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700627146
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
The United States has become ever more deeply entrenched in powerful, rival, partisan camps, and its citizens more sharply separated along ideological lines. The authors of this volume, scholars of political science, economics, and law, examine the relation between our present-day polarization and the design of the nation's Constitution. The provisions of our Constitution are like “parchment barriers”—fragile bulwarks intended to preserve liberty and promote self-government. To be effective, these barriers need to be respected and reinforced by government officials and ordinary citizens, both in law and in custom. This book asks whether today’s partisan polarization is threatening these constitutional provisions and thus our constitutional order. The nation's founders, clearly concerned about political division, designed the Constitution with numerous means for controlling factions, restraining majority rule, and preventing concentrations of power. In chapters that span the major institutions of American government, the authors of Parchment Barriers explore how partisans are pushing the limits of these constitutional restraints to achieve their policy goals and how the forces of majority faction are testing the boundaries the Constitution draws around democratic power. What, for instance, are the dangers of power being concentrated in the executive branch, displaced to the judiciary, or assumed by majority party leaders in Congress? How has partisan polarization affected the nature, size, and power of the administrative state? And why do political parties, rather than working to facilitate the constitutional order as envisioned by James Madison, now chafe against its limits on majority rule? Parchment Barriers considers the implications of polarization for policy, governance, and the health of American democracy.

Why We're Polarized

Why We're Polarized PDF Author: Ezra Klein
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476700397
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2022 One of Bill Gates’s “5 books to read this summer,” this New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller shows us that America’s political system isn’t broken. The truth is scarier: it’s working exactly as designed. In this “superbly researched” (The Washington Post) and timely book, journalist Ezra Klein reveals how that system is polarizing us—and how we are polarizing it—with disastrous results. “The American political system—which includes everyone from voters to journalists to the president—is full of rational actors making rational decisions given the incentives they face,” writes political analyst Ezra Klein. “We are a collection of functional parts whose efforts combine into a dysfunctional whole.” “A thoughtful, clear and persuasive analysis” (The New York Times Book Review), Why We’re Polarized reveals the structural and psychological forces behind America’s descent into division and dysfunction. Neither a polemic nor a lament, this book offers a clear framework for understanding everything from Trump’s rise to the Democratic Party’s leftward shift to the politicization of everyday culture. America is polarized, first and foremost, by identity. Everyone engaged in American politics is engaged, at some level, in identity politics. Over the past fifty years in America, our partisan identities have merged with our racial, religious, geographic, ideological, and cultural identities. These merged identities have attained a weight that is breaking much in our politics and tearing at the bonds that hold this country together. Klein shows how and why American politics polarized around identity in the 20th century, and what that polarization did to the way we see the world and one another. And he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis. “Well worth reading” (New York magazine), this is an “eye-opening” (O, The Oprah Magazine) book that will change how you look at politics—and perhaps at yourself.

Dynamics of American Democracy

Dynamics of American Democracy PDF Author: Wendy J. Schiller
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
ISBN: 0700630015
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Democracy is in crisis. Washington is failing. Government is broken. On these counts many politicians, policy experts, and citizens agree. What is less clear is why—and what to do about it. These questions are at the heart of Dynamics of American Democracy, which goes beneath the surface of current events to explore the forces reshaping democratic politics in the United States and around the world. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners of politics and governance, this volume charts a twenty-first-century landscape beset by ideological polarization and political tribalism; rapid demographic, economic, and technological change; the influence of online news and social media; and the increasing importance of public attitudes about gender and race. Against this fraught background the authors consider the performance of the two-party system, the operations of Congress and the presidency, and the ways in which ordinary citizens form their beliefs and make their voting decisions. The contributors’ work represents a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches and provides insight into what ails American governance, from the practice of politics as tribal warfare to the electoral rules that produce a two-party hegemony, and from the impact of social media—including how differently conservatives and liberals use Twitter—to the significance of President Trump in historical and institutional perspective. Finally, Dynamics of American Democracy goes beyond diagnosis to present and evaluate the value and viability of proposals for reforming politics.

Compromise in an Age of Party Polarization

Compromise in an Age of Party Polarization PDF Author: Jennifer Wolak
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0197510493
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
"Congressional debates are increasingly defined by gridlock and stalemate, with partisan showdowns that lead to government shutdowns. Compromise in Congress seems hard to reach. But do politicians deserve all the blame? Legislators who resist concessions and stand firm to their convictions might be doing just what voters want them to do. If this is true, however, then citizens must shoulder some of the responsibility for gridlock in Congress. This book challenges this wisdom and argues that Americans value compromise as a way to resolve differences in times of partisan division. Using evidence from a variety of surveys and innovative experiments, the book demonstrates that citizens want more from politics than just ideological representation - they also care about the processes by which disagreements are settled. Americans believe that compromise is a virtuous way to resolve political disputes. Because people's desire for compromise is deeply rooted in socialized support for democratic values, principled beliefs about compromise can serve as a check on partisan thinking. Across a range of settings, people's support for compromise persists even when it comes at the cost of partisan goals and policy objectives. People give warmer evaluations to members of Congress who are willing to compromise, and view compromise legislation as more legitimate. People care about not just outcomes, but also the way decisions are reached. Winning isn't everything in politics. People also value the democratic principle of compromise."--