Download or read book On Democracy s Doorstep written by J. Douglas Smith and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2014-06-10 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Henry Adams Prize from the Society for History in the Federal Government A Washington Post Notable Work of Nonfiction A Slate Best Book of 2014 The inside story of the Supreme Court decisions that brought true democracy to the United States As chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Earl Warren is most often remembered for landmark rulings in favor of desegregation and the rights of the accused. But Warren himself identified a lesser known group of cases—Baker v. Carr, Reynolds v. Sims, and their companions—as his most important work. J. Douglas Smith's On Democracy's Doorstep masterfully recounts the tumultuous and often overlooked events that established the principle of "one person, one vote" in the United States. Before the Warren Court acted, American democracy was in poor order. As citizens migrated to urban areas, legislative boundaries remained the same, giving rural lawmakers from sparsely populated districts disproportionate political power—a power they often used on behalf of influential business interests. Smith shows how activists ranging from city boosters in Tennessee to the League of Women Voters worked to end malapportionment, incurring the wrath of chambers of commerce and southern segregationists as they did so. Despite a conspiracy of legislative inaction and a 1946 Supreme Court decision that instructed the judiciary not to enter the "political thicket," advocates did not lose hope. As Smith shows, they skillfully used the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause to argue for radical judicial intervention. Smith vividly depicts the unfolding drama as Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy pressed for change, Solicitor General Archibald Cox cautiously held back, young clerks pushed the justices toward ever-bolder reform, and the powerful Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen obsessively sought to reverse the judicial revolution that had upended state governments from California to Virginia. Today, following the Court's recent controversial decisions on voting rights and campaign finance, the battles described in On Democracy's Doorstep have increasing relevance. With erudition and verve, Smith illuminates this neglected episode of American political history and confronts its profound consequences.

Download or read book Doorstep Democracy written by James H. Read and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The famous Tip O'Neill axiom "all politics is local" comes alive in this chronicle of Democrat James H. Read's hard-fought but unsuccessful--by 98 votes--bid for state legislature in the socially conservative communities of Stearns and Morrison Counties, Minnesota. Read door-knocked 7,500 households during his campaign, visiting with voters and engaging in genuine dialogue on doorsteps from St. Anthony to St. Joseph. At once a memoir of a hard-fought contest and a meditation on the state of American democracy, Read's work contrasts the modern media-driven political campaign, where candidates glean their knowledge of voters from pollsters and communication only flows one way, with the kind of true understanding of constituents and issues that can only grow from individual encounters. Face-to-face doorstep conversations, he claims, give a candidate (or volunteer) and voter an opportunity to truly persuade and learn from one another. In a district where the pro-life movement dominated politics, Read's invitation to honestly discuss abortion and reject single-issue politics resonated with many voters. Refusing the "red state" versus "blue state" view of American voters, Doorstep Democracy shows the power and importance of kitchen-table politics--people sitting down together to tackle the issues that affect us--and proves that voters and candidates can be convinced to change their minds. Read ultimately demonstrates how conversations between citizens concerned about their communities can get us beyond the television ads, mass mailings, and sound bites to rejuvenate American democracy.

Download or read book On Democracy s Doorstep written by J. Douglas Smith and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The inside story of the Supreme Court decisions that brought true democracy to the United States Today, Earl Warren is recalled as the chief justice of a Supreme Court that introduced school desegregation and other dramatic changes to American society. In retirement, however, Warren argued that his court's greatest accomplishment was establishing the principle of "one person, one vote" in state legislative and congressional redistricting. Malapportionment, Warren recognized, subverted the will of the majority, privileging rural voters, and often business interests and whites, over others. In declaring nearly all state legislatures unconstitutional, the court oversaw a revolution that transformed the exercise of political power in the United States. On Democracy's Doorstep tells the story of this crucial--and neglected--episode. J. Douglas Smith follows lawyers, activists, and Justice Department officials as they approach the court. We see Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy pushing for radical change and idealistic lawyers in Alabama bravely defying their peers. We then watch as the justices edge toward their momentous decision. The Washington Post called the result a step "toward establishing democracy in the United States." But not everyone agreed; Smith shows that business lobbies and their political allies attempted to overturn the court by calling the first Constitutional Convention since the 1780s. Thirty-three states ratified their petition--just one short of the two-thirds required"--

Download or read book Democracy s Data written by Dan Bouk and published by MCD. This book was released on 2022-08-23 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2022 From the historian Dan Bouk, a lesson in reading between the lines of the U.S. census to uncover the stories behind the data. The census isn’t just a data-collection process; it’s a ritual, and a tool, of American democracy. Behind every neat grid of numbers is a collage of messy, human stories—you just have to know how to read them. In Democracy’s Data, the data historian Dan Bouk examines the 1940 U.S. census, uncovering what those numbers both condense and cleverly abstract: a universe of meaning and uncertainty, of cultural negotiation and political struggle. He introduces us to the men and women employed as census takers, bringing us with them as they go door to door, recording the lives of their neighbors. He takes us into the makeshift halls of the Census Bureau, where hundreds of civil servants, not to mention machines, labored with pencil and paper to divide and conquer the nation’s data. And he uses these little points to paint bigger pictures, such as of the ruling hand of white supremacy, the place of queer people in straight systems, and the struggle of ordinary people to be seen by the state as they see themselves. The 1940 census is a crucial entry in American history, a controversial dataset that enabled the creation of New Deal era social programs, but that also, with the advent of World War Two, would be weaponized against many of the citizens whom it was supposed to serve. In our age of quantification, Democracy’s Data not only teaches us how to read between the lines but gives us a new perspective on the relationship between representation, identity, and governance today.

Download or read book The Policy Governance Fieldbook written by Caroline Oliver and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 1999-06-18 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring policy governance - Deciding if policy governance is right for your organization - Beginning to implement policy governance - Developing executive limitations policies - Creating ends policies - Identifying and linking with owners - Monitoring policies to ensure accountability - Staying on track - Bringing it all together.

Download or read book The Department of State Bulletin written by and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strangers Next Door written by Tim Lindsey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-02-22 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are no two neighbouring countries anywhere in the world that are more different than Indonesia and Australia. They differ hugely in religion, language, culture, history, geography, race, economics, worldview and population (Indonesia, 270 million, Australia less than 10 per cent of that). In fact, Indonesia and Australia have almost nothing in common other than the accident of geographic proximity. This makes their relationship turbulent, volatile and often unpredictable. Strangers Next Door? brings together insiders and leading observers to critically assess the state of Australia–Indonesia relations and their future prospects, offering insights into why the relationship is so important for Australia, why it is so often in crisis, and what this means for the future. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the Indo-Pacific region, Southeast Asia, Australia and Indonesia, and each country's politics, economy and foreign policy. It contains chapters that will interest specialists but are written in a style accessible to a general audience. The book spans a diverse range of subjects, including political relations and diplomacy, security and defence, the economy and trade, Islam, education, development, the arts, legal cooperation, the media, women, and community ties. Contributors assess the current state of relations in their sphere of expertise, and outline the factors and policies that could shape bilateral ties – and Indonesia's future – over the coming decades. University of Melbourne scholars Tim Lindsey and Dave McRae, both prominent observers and commentators on Indonesia and its relations with Australia, edited the volume, providing a synthesising overview as well as their own thematic chapters.

Download or read book Government Is Good written by Douglas J. Amy and published by Dog Ear Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why a book defending government? Because for decades, right-wing forces in this country have engaged in a relentless and irresponsible campaign of vicious government bashing. Conservatives and libertarians have demonized government, attacked basic safety net programs like Medicare, and undermined vital regulations that protect consumers, investors, workers, and the environment. This book takes on this anti-government movement and shows that most of its criticisms of this institution are highly exaggerated, misleading, or just plain wrong. In reality, American government - despite its flaws - plays a valuable and indispensable role in promoting the public good. Most government programs are working well and are actually improving the lives of Americans in innumerable ways. Democratic government is a vital tool for making our world a better place; and if we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector. Part I: Why Government is Good. The section of the book describes how government acts as a force for good in society. One chapter chronicles a day in the life of an average middle-class American and identifies the myriad ways that government programs improve our lives. Other chapters describe the forgotten achievements of government; how government is the only way to effectively promote public values like justice and equality; and how a free market economy would be impossible without the elaborate legal and regulatory infrastructure provided by government. Part II: The War on Government. This section of the book chronicles the unrelenting assault on government being waged by conservative forces in this country. Chapters describe how cuts in social programs and rollbacks of regulations have harmed the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans and how these assaults have taken place on many fronts - in Congress, the administrative branch, and the federal courts, as well as on the state and local level. Also addressed: how the right's radical anti-government agenda is out of touch with the views and priorities of most Americans, and what the real truth is about government deficits. Part III: How to Revitalize Democracy and Government. There are, in fact, some problems with American government, and we need to address these if we are to restore Americans' faith in this institution. One of the main problems with our government is that it is not accountable and responsive enough to the public. Moneyed special interests too often win out over the public interest. Chapters in this section describe this problem and how we can fix it. There are several reforms - including public financing of elections - that could help our government live up to its democratic ideals. The final chapter discusses strategies for building a pro-government coalition in this country.

Download or read book The Broken Ladder written by Anirudh Krishna and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explains the paradox of India's rapid growth and widespread poverty by looking at hundreds of life stories and the latest research.

Download or read book Nothing But written by Brigadier Samir Bhattacharya and published by Partridge Publishing. This book was released on 2014-01-24 with total page 651 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the FIFTH PART of the six part saga titled "NOTHING BUT!" and subtitled 'ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR' This part covers the period 1971 to 1984 and tells the story of how Bangladesh came into being--the rise of Sikh militancy in India --the proxy war in Kashmir --the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi and the beginning of the love story between a Bengali Hindu girl and a Muslim army officer.and how circumstances separated them.It also covers the hanging of Mr Bhutto the military regime of General Zia and the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman.The political turmoil in India, Pakistan and the Bangladesh and the advent of dynastic and commmunal political parties in India.

Download or read book Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy written by Barrington Moore and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 1993-09-01 with total page 598 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This classic work of comparative history explores why some countries have developed as democracies and others as fascist or communist dictatorships Originally published in 1966, this classic text is a comparative survey of some of what Barrington Moore considers the major and most indicative world economies as they evolved out of pre-modern political systems into industrialism. But Moore is not ultimately concerned with explaining economic development so much as exploring why modes of development produced different political forms that managed the transition to industrialism and modernization. Why did one society modernize into a "relatively free," democratic society (by which Moore means England)? Why did others metamorphose into fascist or communist states? His core thesis is that in each country, the relationship between the landlord class and the peasants was a primary influence on the ultimate form of government the society arrived at upon arrival in its modern age. “Throughout the book, there is the constant play of a mind that is scholarly, original, and imbued with the rarest gift of all, a deep sense of human reality . . . This book will influence a whole generation of young American historians and lead them to problems of the greatest significance.” —The New York Review of Books

Download or read book American Foreign Policy Current Documents written by and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 902 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book European Misunderstanding written by André Gauron and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An advisor to Lionel Jospin, this author paints a picture of the messy march toward a unified Europe and calls for a more representative system, starting with a Constitution for al or Europe.

Download or read book Democracy for Hire written by Dennis W. Johnson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 617 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a history of political consulting in America, examining how the consulting business developed, highlighting the major figures in the consulting industry and assessing the impact of professional consulting on elections and American democracy. A key focus is on presidential elections, beginning in 1964, and the important role played by consultants and political operatives.

Download or read book Almost a Revolution written by Tong Shen and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An eyewitness account of Tiananmen Spring, available once again to commemorate the ten year anniversary of these historic events of China's recent past

Download or read book How Cities Can Transform Democracy written by Ross Beveridge and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2022-10-12 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in an urban age. It is well known that urbanization is changing landscapes, built environments, social infrastructures and everyday lives across the globe. But urbanization is also changing the ways we understand and practise politics. What implications does this have for democracy? This incisive book argues that urbanization undermines the established certainties of nation-state politics and calls for a profound rethinking of democracy. A novel way of seeing democracy like a city is presented, shifting scholarly and activist perspectives from institutions to practices, from jurisdictional scales to spaces of urban collective life, and from fixed communities to emergent political subjects. Through a discussion of examples from around the world, the book shows that distinctly urban forms of collective self rule are already apparent. The authors reclaim the ‘city’ as a democratic idea in a context of urbanization, seeing it as instrumental to relocating democracy in the everyday lives of urbanites. Original and hopeful, How Cities Can Transform Democracy compels the reader to abandon conventional understandings of democracy and embrace new vocabularies and practices of democratic action in the struggles for our urban future.

Download or read book Stealth Democracy written by John R. Hibbing and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-08-29 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans often complain about the operation of their government, but scholars have never developed a complete picture of people's preferred type of government. In this provocative and timely book, Hibbing and Theiss-Morse, employing an original national survey and focus groups, report the governmental procedures Americans desire. Contrary to the prevailing view that people want greater involvement in politics, most citizens do not care about most policies and therefore are content to turn over decision-making authority to someone else. People's wish for the political system is that decision makers be empathetic and, especially, non-self-interested, not that they be responsive and accountable to the people's largely nonexistent policy preferences or, even worse, that the people be obligated to participate directly in decision making. Hibbing and Theiss-Morse conclude by cautioning communitarians, direct democrats, social capitalists, deliberation theorists, and all those who think that greater citizen involvement is the solution to society's problems.