Reviews (2)

A political thinker to rival the founders, must read!
RESTORATION Respect for Government, Properly Understood
Will's case rests on a few suppositions. First, he provides examples of daily life in Congress which show that, first, the ideas of representation and deliberation have been replaced by servitude. Legislators are slaves who bring pork to their districts. Second, he argues that this servitude has institutionalized career politicians, thus making it nearly impossible to defeat an incumbent given his resources, and thus turning the job of legislator into a career, rather than the temporary position it was originally intended to be. Both of these have driven Congress out of balance, its power disproportionate to other branches of government. As it has invaded more into private life and taken over more responsibilities in society, it has become more corrupt and less respected. So the argument isn't one of punishment but of restoration -- a means of strengthening Congress by returning it to its original, limited function. For Will, this means reviving two vital concepts: deliberative democracy and classical republicanism.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1989-    2. Congress    3. General    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - National    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Term of office    11. United States    12. United States.    13. History / General    14. History-General    15. Political Science / Congress    16. Political Science-Government - National    17. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (17)

Thoughtful and Depressing--American Does Not Elect the Smart Ones
Bill Bradley and John McCain may go down in history as the two smartest men who should have been President, but could not get elected.This is an extraordinarily thoughtful book, and it makes one almost cry out in despair.America has given up the idea of an informed democracy led by informed representatives of the people, and as the author concludes his book, given over all the power to two kinds of technocrats: political technocrats like Karl Rove who will do anything to get their man elected, including unethical misrepresentations against Republicans like John McCain, never mind Democrats; and corporate technocrats, who will kill off the middle class and increase the working poor in the name of corporate bottom lines that pass off the social and economic costs to the very taxpayers being disenfranchised.
A great look at America
Bradley takes a thoughtful look at his life and many issues that faceAmerica.I liked reading of his Missouri youth and NBA days, plus hisanalysis of economic change, media sensationalism, and the corrosiveinfluence of money on politics.Bradley's superb (if short) discourse onthe inner workings of the U.S. Senate provides the type of usefulinformation one never gets from our sound-bite media. Bradley even takesissues like water policy and shows why they matter.The Senator'sblame-whites-only view of racial divisions was rather naive, but even herehe makes some points.This book is more than a readable memoir; it's acompassionate, thought-inspiring look at America.

Great Book
book with tremendous depth, dedication and ideas.. America is unfortunate to not to have man like Senator Bradley as President ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1943-    2. Basketball    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Bradley, Bill,    8. Government - U.S. Government    9. Legislators    10. Political    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / Political    13. Bradley, Bill   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Law    4. Legislation    5. Legislative bodies    6. Legislators    7. Litigation    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Reference    11. States    12. United States    13. Central government    14. Law / General    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1869-1936    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Byrns, Joseph Wellington,    7. Congress    8. Congress.    9. Historical - U.S.    10. House    11. Legislators    12. New Deal, 1933-1939    13. Political    14. Tennes    15. U.S. House Of Representatives    16. United States    17. United States.    18. Byrns, Joseph Wellington   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History    5. International Relations - General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. United States.    11. Voting    12. Central government    13. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Amateurism    2. Congress    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Legislators    5. Political Science    6. Politicians    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Political Science / Congress    12. Political science & theory    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. California    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Government - State & Provincial    5. History    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Referendum   

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Book
This book is an outstanding addition to the small but growing canon of literature on term limits.Carey clearly and successfully limns this complex issue.This is a rigerous academic book with important real worldconlcusions: a good read for serious scholars and politicos alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asamblea Legislativa    2. Congress    3. Costa Rica    4. Government - International    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Representative government and representation    12. Term limits (Public office)    13. Term of office    14. United States    15. Central government    16. Political Science / General    17. Political structures: democracy    18. United States.--Congress--Term of office   

Subjects:  1. Committees    2. Congress    3. Directories    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Reference    11. United States    12. United States.   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. U.S. Congress (General)    7. United States    8. United States.    9. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    10. Political Science / General    11. USA   

Reviews (2)

Interesting Background
This provides some "up close and personal" portaits of a number of persons directly affected by the HUAC hearings and the Hollywood Blacklist.Really interesting look at how individual lives were so drastically affected by this widespread witch hunt (and very relevant to the current state of our society!)

exploration into one of our most difficult periods
When I bought this, I was uncertain that I could trust the perspective of the author:as publisher of The Nation (which I have written for) he is certifiably of the "left".I feared that he would take an obvious side, and hammer it into the ground.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Blacklisting of entertainers    2. Communism    3. Film & Video - History & Criticism    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. History    6. History: American    7. Motion picture industry    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. United States    10. United States - 20th Century   

Subjects:  1. Political Science    2. Politics / Current Events    3. United States.    4. United States    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. American studies    7. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    8. Political Science / General    9. USA    10. Congress    11. Government - Legislative Branch    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Legislation   

Reviews (4)

The best book I've read in a long while, period
This book not only paints a beautiful and compelling portrait of Bobby Kennedy, it presents a very real and tangible snapshot of our country and the process of the political machine in the late 60s.Jack Newfield is (or sadly, was) a great writer who can keep the reader transfixed, most probably because this is his story as well.What Jack Newfield reveals to us about Bobby Kennedy is what he reveals to us about himself.

"by the awful grace of god"
I grew up with mixed feeling about RFK. Being raised by Goldwater Republicans, the Kennedy mythos held little sway. But I was 6 years old when RFK was assasinated and I saw him dying lying spread eagle on the floor, his head haloed in a corona of blood, his face impassive.
A fine book with a personal touch
Robert kennedy gave this country his life, his vision and sence of hope and peace to all. Newfield's writing does a fine job of showing RFK struggle to do just that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1925-1968    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Congress.    7. Government - Legislative Branch    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Kennedy, Robert F.,    10. Legislators    11. Political    12. Senate    13. U.S. Political History    14. U.S. Senate    15. United States    16. United States.   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics and government    6. Politics/International Relations    7. U.S. Congress (General)    8. United States    9. United States.    10. Central government    11. Political Science / General    12. Political structure & processes    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. European Community    2. European Parliament    3. European Union countries    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. International Relations - General    6. Legislative Bodies    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Public Affairs & Administration    11. Constitution: government & the state    12. EU & European institutions    13. Europe    14. Political Science / International Relations    15. Political science & theory    16. Politics | International Studies   

Reviews (2)

A Graduate Student's Review
The Congressional Experience by David Price is one congressman/professor's first hand account of representing the Fourth District of North Carolina. As he explains it, he is only one person out of 435 in congress, but he is also the only one who serves his constituents. His deep dedication to ensuring "all politics is local" is what has made him well-respected as a member of congress and as a political science academic. Price describes the role of a representative, as he has interpreted it, while also expressing his frustrations with a system of government he views as admirable and inadequate.
Congress from the Inside
Price tells the real story of how the Congress works. What happens to a new member upon arrival to the Capitol Hill? Many people have a picture in their mind that gives a simple, mechanical explanation of how the Congress works: a representative is elected and works for his/her constituency. Price show the inner power dynamic of Congress, with its system of seniority and committee assignments. This is a valuable, readable, and very informative contribution. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Congress    3. Government - Legislative Branch    4. Legislators    5. North Carolina    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics, Practical    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Price, David Eugene    11. United States    12. Central government    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1799-1859    2. 1815-1861    3. Choate, Rufus,    4. Politics and government    5. U.S. History - Antebellum Period (1840-1860)    6. United States    7. Choate, Rufus   

Subjects:  1. Government - Legislative Branch    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Process - Leadership    5. Political Science    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Referendum    10. United States    11. Elections & referenda    12. Political Science / Elections    13. Political structures: democracy    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Congress    2. Congress.    3. Election districts    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. House    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Elections And Voting    9. United States    10. United States.    11. Elections & referenda    12. USA   

Reviews (2)

Great History
This is a great narrative about a facinating individual.This is a highly recommended read.In contrast to current politics, it is an inspiration story.I highly recommend this book.

Mr. Sam
I must start off by saying that the book was great. It was filled with the kind of insider stories that make political biographies great. The writing, at times, was so good that the reader felt what Rayburn was feeling, whether it was frustration during the Republican years, sadness over his failed marriage, or relief when a bill was passed. It was definitely a page-turner, and, despite its length, it read relatively quickly. The best parts are the parts that deal with Rayburn's relationships with other politicians, most notably Jack Garner, Harry Truman, and Lyndon Johnson. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1882-1961    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Congress    7. General    8. House    9. Legislators    10. Rayburn, Sam,    11. United States    12. United States.    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Rayburn, Sam