Download or read book Breaking the Two party Doom Loop written by Lee Drutman and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2020 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: American democracy is in deep crisis. But what do we do about it? That depends on how we understand the current threat.In Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop, Lee Drutman argues that we now have, for the first time in American history, a genuine two-party system, with two fully-sorted, truly national parties, divided over the character of the nation. And it's a disaster. It's a party system fundamentally at odds withour anti-majoritarian, compromise-oriented governing institutions. It threatens the very foundations of fairness and shared values on which our democracy depends.Deftly weaving together history, democratic theory, and cutting-edge political science research, Drutman tells the story of how American politics became so toxic and why the country is now trapped in a doom loop of escalating two-party warfare from which there is only one escape: increase the numberof parties through electoral reform. As he shows, American politics was once stable because the two parties held within them multiple factions, which made it possible to assemble flexible majorities and kept the climate of political combat from overheating. But as conservative Southern Democrats andliberal Northeastern Republicans disappeared, partisan conflict flattened and pulled apart. Once the parties became fully nationalized - a long-germinating process that culminated in 2010 - toxic partisanship took over completely. With the two parties divided over competing visions of nationalidentity, Democrats and Republicans no longer see each other as opponents, but as enemies. And the more the conflict escalates, the shakier our democracy feels.Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop makes a compelling case for large scale electoral reform - importantly, reform not requiring a constitutional amendment - that would give America more parties, making American democracy more representative, more responsive, and ultimately more stable.

Download or read book Republican Party Politics and the American South 1865 1968 written by Boris Heersink and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-19 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces how the Republican Party in the South after Reconstruction transformed from a biracial organization to a mostly all-white one.

Download or read book Waltz the Hall written by Alan L. Spurgeon and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2005 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is the first book since the 1930s to study this important and little-remembered phenomenon of American folk culture. The author interviewed a large number of older Americans, both black and white, who performed play parties as young adults. A songbook of ninety musical examples and lyrics completes the picture of this vanished tradition."--Jacket.

Download or read book To Make Men Free written by Heather Cox Richardson and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2014-09-23 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the New York Times bestselling author of Democracy Awakening, “the most comprehensive account of the GOP and its competing impulses” (Los Angeles Times) When Abraham Lincoln helped create the Republican Party on the eve of the Civil War, his goal was to promote economic opportunity for all Americans, not just the slaveholding Southern planters who steered national politics. Yet, despite the egalitarian dream at the heart of its founding, the Republican Party quickly became mired in a fundamental identity crisis. Would it be the party of democratic ideals? Or would it be the party of moneyed interests? In the century and a half since, Republicans have vacillated between these two poles, with dire economic, political, and moral repercussions for the entire nation. In To Make Men Free, celebrated historian Heather Cox Richardson traces the shifting ideology of the Grand Old Party from the antebellum era to the Great Recession, revealing the insidious cycle of boom and bust that has characterized the Party since its inception. While in office, progressive Republicans like Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower revived Lincoln's vision of economic freedom and expanded the government, attacking the concentration of wealth and nurturing upward mobility. But they and others like them have been continually thwarted by powerful business interests in the Party. Their opponents appealed to Americans' latent racism and xenophobia to regain political power, linking taxation and regulation to redistribution and socialism. The results of the Party's wholesale embrace of big business are all too familiar: financial collapses like the Panic of 1893, the Great Depression in 1929, and the Great Recession in 2008. With each passing decade, with each missed opportunity and political misstep, the schism within the Republican Party has grown wider, pulling the GOP ever further from its founding principles. Expansive and authoritative, To Make Men Free is a sweeping history of the Party that was once America's greatest political hope -- and, time and time again, has proved its greatest disappointment.

Download or read book American Folklore written by Jan Harold Brunvand and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-05-24 with total page 812 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains over 500 articles Ranging over foodways and folksongs, quiltmaking and computer lore, Pecos Bill, Butch Cassidy, and Elvis sightings, more than 500 articles spotlight folk literature, music, and crafts; sports and holidays; tall tales and legendary figures; genres and forms; scholarly approaches and theories; regions and ethnic groups; performers and collectors; writers and scholars; religious beliefs and practices. The alphabetically arranged entries vary from concise definitions to detailed surveys, each accompanied by a brief, up-to-date bibliography. Special features *More than 2000 contributors *Over 500 articles spotlight folk literature, music, crafts, and more *Alphabetically arranged *Entries accompanied by up-to-date bibliographies *Edited by America's best-known folklore authority

Download or read book America s Folklorist written by Lawrence R. Rodgers and published by University of Oklahoma Press. This book was released on 2014-10-20 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Folklorist, writer, editor, regionalist, cultural activist—Benjamin Albert Botkin (1901–1975) was an American intellectual who made a mark on the twentieth century, even though most people may be unaware of it. This book, the first to reevaluate the legacy of Botkin in the history of American culture, celebrates his centenary through a collection of writings that assess his influence on scholarship and the American scene. Through his work with the Federal Writers' Project during the New Deal, the Writers' Unit of the Library of Congress Project, and the Archive of American Folksong, Botkin did more to collect and disseminate the nation's folk-cultural heritage than any other individual in the twentieth century. This volume focuses on Botkin's eclectic but interrelated concerns, work, and vision and offers a detailed sense of his life, milieu, influences, and long-term contributions. Just as Botkin boldly cut across the boundaries between high and low, popular and folk, this book brings together reflections that range from the historical to the philosophical to the disarmingly personal. One group of articles looks at his career and includes the first extended analysis of Botkin's poetry; another probes the fruitful relationships Botkin had with leading musicologists, composers, poets, and intellectuals of his day. This is also the first book to bring together a collection of Botkin's best-known writings, giving readers an opportunity to appreciate his wide-ranging mind and clear, often memorable prose. For Botkin, the blurring of art and science, literature and folklore was not just a philosophy but a way of life. This book reflects that life and invites fans and those new to Botkin to appraise his lasting contributions.

Download or read book The Play Party in Indiana written by and published by . This book was released on 1916 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Play Party in Ripley County Indiana written by Leah Jackson Wolford and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Dulcimer Maker written by R. Gerald Alvey and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2021-10-21 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dulcimer making has long been considered an art. The exquisite design is also functional, and the best instruments sound as beautiful as they look. Homer Ledford, a legend among dulcimer makers, is known for his innovative but traditional craftsmanship. A biography and a step-by-step guide to dulcimer making, this classic book illuminates and celebrates the work of a master craftsman, musician, and folk artist. This new edition presents a foreword by Ron Pen, director of the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky, and an enlightening afterword featuring a conversation with Ledford. In an era when Americans are rediscovering their musical roots, Dulcimer Maker offers a unique look at a bluegrass legend.

Download or read book Our Singing Country written by Alan Lomax and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Melodies and words for over 200 authentic folk songs and ballads from all parts of the country -- spirituals, hollers, game songs, lullabies, courting songs, work songs, Cajun airs, breakdowns, many more.

Download or read book Our Singing Country written by John A. Lomax and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2014-08-11 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Melodies and words for over 200 authentic folk songs and ballads from all parts of the country — spirituals, hollers, game songs, lullabies, courting songs, work songs, Cajun airs, breakdowns, many more.

Download or read book Kod ly Today written by Mícheál Houlahan and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 673 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kodály Today provides teachers with a step-by-step road map for developing children's performance, creative movement, and literacy skills in an organic and thoughtful manner. Through six years of field-testing with music teachers in the United States, Great Britain, and Hungary (the home country of Zoltán Kodály), authors Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka have developed a methodology specifically for 21st century classrooms. Houlahan and Tacka use the latest research findings in cognition and perception to create a system not only appropriate for children's developmental stages but also one which integrates vertically between elementary music classes. The methods outlined in this volume encourage greater musical ability and creativity in children by teaching students to sing, move, play instruments, and develop music literacy skills. In addition, Kodály Today promotes critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. Although the book uses the Kodály philosophy, its methodology has also been tested by teachers certified in Orff and Dalcroze, and has proven an essential guide for teachers no matter what their personal philosophy and specific training might be. The new edition of Kodály Today provides a fully revised and updated core text, as well entirely new chapters on the application of the Kodály method to the elementary choir and the use of technology in the Kodály classroom. In addition, the revisions integrate it fully with the Kodály Today and the graded Kodály Today K-5 Handbooks Series feature methodology and sequential lesson plans specifically developed for the 21st century. They are sure to be an essential guide for music teachers everywhere. -- from back cover.

Download or read book Hoedowns Reels and Frolics written by Phil Jamison and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics, old-time musician and flatfoot dancer Philip Jamison journeys into the past and surveys the present to tell the story behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. These distinctive folk dances, Jamison argues, are not the unaltered jigs and reels brought by early British settlers, but hybrids that developed over time by adopting and incorporating elements from other popular forms. He traces the forms from their European, African American, and Native American roots to the modern day. On the way he explores the powerful influence of black culture, showing how practices such as calling dances as well as specific kinds of steps combined with white European forms to create distinctly "American" dances. From cakewalks to clogging, and from the Shoo-fly Swing to the Virginia Reel, Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics reinterprets an essential aspect of Appalachian culture.

Download or read book Ozark Country written by Otto Ernest Rayburn and published by University of Arkansas Press. This book was released on 2021-03-01 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Published just days before America’s entry into World War II, Ozark Country is Otto Ernest Rayburn’s love letter to his adopted region. One of several chronicles of the Ozarks that garnered national attention during the Depression and war years, when many Americans craved stories about people and places seemingly untouched by the difficulties of the times, Rayburn’s colorful tour takes readers from the fictional village of Woodville into the backcountry of a region teeming with storytellers, ballad singers, superstitions, and home remedies. Rayburn’s tales—fantastical, fun, and unapologetically romantic—portray a world that had already nearly disappeared by the time they were written. Yet Rayburn’s depiction of the Ozarks resonates with notions of the region that have persisted in the American consciousness ever since.

Download or read book Follow de Drinkin Gou d written by James Frank Dobie and published by . This book was released on 1928 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Play-Party in Oklahoma.--B. Botkin. Folk-Lore Relating to Texas Birds.--J. Strecker. Tall Tales for the Tenderfeet.--A. Penn. Fishback Yarns from the Sulphurs.--J. Deaver. Paul Bunyan:Oil Man.--J. Brooks. Pipeline Days and Paul Bunyan.--A. Garland. Le Loup Blanc of Bolivar's Peninsula.--P. Tucker. Pioneer Folk Tales.--M. Atkinson and J. Dobie. The Corn Thief-A Folk Anecdote.--J.raddock. The Texas Pecan; The Man in the Moon.--G. Bludworth. Follow the Drinking Gourd.--H. Parks. Some Negro Folk-Songs of Texas.--M. Bales. Six Negro Folk-Songs.--N. Smith. Confidences from Old Nacogdoches.--M. Emmons. The Ghosts of Lake Jackson.--B. Dobie. How Mr. Polecat Got His Scent.--K.O'Connor. De Pot-Song.--P. Throop. Notes on Some Recent Treatments of Negro Folk-Lore.--R. Law. Some Characteristics of Cowboy Songs.--N. Gaines. More Ballads and Songs of the Frontier Folk.--J. Dobie.

Download or read book American Folklore written by and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book HALLOWEEN written by Lesley Bannatyne and published by Pelican Publishing Company. This book was released on 1998-08-31 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Lesley Bannatyne's fascinating book . . . will be widely appealing to anyone who ever wondered where witches, trick-or-treating, and jack-o-lanterns really came from. It is by far the best book on the history of Halloween available today."--Alison Guss, senior producer,"The Haunted History of Halloween," The History Channel"An excellent resource for research into the history of holidays...in the United States...Highly Recommended."--The Book Report"Deserves attention as a recommended library acquisition with years of 'life' to its information."--The Midwest Book Review"Overflows with rich and provocative details of ritual, feasts, superstition, and devilment." --North Carolina Historical ReviewHalloween has evolved from the Celtic celebrations of 2,000 years ago to become today the fastest-growing holiday in the country. This, the only book to completely cover All Hallow's Eve, from its beginnings to the present, examines the ancient origins as well as its traditions and celebrations, from costuming to bobbing for apples. Jack-o-lanterns, black cats, and witches are explained. Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins lurk behind every page.The book traces the contributions of America's immigrants to the holiday, documenting the beliefs each ethnic group has added to the mix. Related recipes, poems, songs, and photos perfectly complement the meticulously documented text. The result is the most educational and entertaining examination of Halloween, its myths, and its truths.