Reviews (3)

Gives great insight to American government
I was amazed at how interesting this book was.I used it for a class I was taking, and I had many preconceived notions that I would not like the class.I was very surprised that everything was so interesting. The author has gathered all of the latest information that was available during the publication of the book, and intergrates the ideas and concepts very well.The book gives you information that a normal person of the "general public" would not have known.I found that every chapter had something to learn that benefited me and that everything in this book applied to me as an American.Great text for my online class; I'm glad we used this book.

Great Intro to American Politics Textbook
Excellent intro to politics text. I highly recommend it for a classroom or for anyone really who wants to sit down with a plain-spoken piece to get you to understand our government. Whether it is for someone with little knowledge as to who this vast bureaucracy works, or for someone with a fairly good knowledge of it all - I don't think it will disappoint. I love their attitude,I want to read it in English!
I'm reading this book in Chinese,I love it! Our teachers never told me about it, they just teached us what is 'right'. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Government - National    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Local government    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Science    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. Political structures: democracy   

Subjects:  1. Political Science    2. Politics / Current Events    3. History & Theory - General    4. Constitution: government & the state    5. Political Science / Democracy    6. Political structures: democracy    7. Politics | International Studies | International Organizations    8. Democracy    9. Comparative government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Democratization    12. Congresses   

Subjects:  1. Almanacs    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Law    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Reference    6. Referendum    7. States    8. United States    9. Political Science    10. State, Provincial & Local Government    11. Democracy    12. Direct democracy    13. Politics and government   

Reviews (1)

a thorough examination
The description of struggle gives a vast perspective on Latin America and the battle agaisnt poverty and social divisions.With theory and historical evidence the content is relevent for any ill informed America or person of the world. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Democratization    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Free trade    4. General    5. Latin America    6. Latin America - General    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Social aspects    11. Social justice    12. Sociology    13. Sociology - General    14. American studies    15. Political science & theory    16. Social Science / Sociology / General    17. Social issues   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Political Science    3. Politics - Current Events    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Public Policy - Social Policy    7. DEMOCRACY    8. Political Science / Democracy    9. SOCIAL HISTORY_21ST CENTURY    10. Sociology, Social Studies    11. WORLD POLITICS_21ST CENTURY   

Reviews (3)

A provocative presentation of the democratic "sine qua non"
First Democracy: The Challenge Of An Ancient Idea by Paul Woodruff (Darrel K. Royal Professor in Ethics and American Society and Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin) is an engaging and descriptive analysis of democratic national empowerment, providing a conclusive grasp of what democracy really is (or was), in an extensive study of the Greek city of Athens from which the democratic idea of a governmental system originated. First Democracy provides readers with an understanding of the barriers preventing contemporary America in the opening decade of the 21st century from being a true democracy, as well as offering readers a provocative presentation of the democratic "sine qua non": freedom from tyranny, social harmony, the rule of law, natural equality, citizen wisdom, reasoning without knowledge, and general education. A highly portable paperback that can be taken (and read) anywhere, First Democracy is very strongly recommended to all students of philosophy, political science, and the ancient Greece city state of Athens.

A"must have"for everybody
Rarely have I read a more clearly expressed definition of democracy and how the USA is not one. I am going to give this book to a lot of people to make them think. It would be a book for all high schools and colleges everywhere because it raises healthy questions about government and power. Even though the topic is a complex one the author has produced a wonderful and readable essay.Philosophy is not yet dead. Hurrah!!!

First Democracy
An overview of what democracy really is, where and how it started, why the US is NOT a democracy and what we can do about it.Easy and excellent read. Our legislators need this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Philosophy    3. Political    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Ancient Greece    7. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    8. Philosophy / Political    9. Philosophy | History | Ancient    10. Political structures: democracy   

Subjects:  1. Platforms    2. Political Ideologies - Democracy    3. Political Process - Political Parties    4. Political Science    5. Political parties    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Civil society    3. Democracy    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Political participation    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Human rights    12. Political structures: democracy    13. Public opinion & polls    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. General    3. Globalization    4. Human rights    5. Philosophy    6. Political    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Philosophy / General    10. Social & political philosophy   

Reviews (2)

great read
Some individuals might say this book is too liberal. However, the problem with most government textbooks is that they are too conservative and leave out important analysis of our governmental system. As a political scientist, I have found Edward Greenberg a sober voice in American government. To be liberal is not to be factual. If anything else, liberals use factual material more often than the ideological authors of the right, who are incapable of taking off their blinders.

Lean Left
This book has a very Left leaning liberal bent.If you just want the facts, this is not the book for you.If you don't mind just hearing one side of events (the left side) then by all means get this book.It is a commentary not a history book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Government - Comparative    2. Political Ideologies - Democracy    3. Political Science    4. Politics - Current Events    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Political Science / General    8. Political structures: democracy    9. USA   

Reviews (1)

The Tradition of Democracy
Stout eloquently argues that Democracy itself, which is considered the antithesis of tradition by many, constitutes a tradition.He argues that within the history of the democratic tradition, as articulated by people like Emerson, Whitman, Dewey, and Ellison, is a set of virtues and vices that correspond to a democratic conception of character.Among the virtues it extols are piety, hope, and charity.He then forges a way between Rawls and Rorty on one side and MacIntyre and Hauerwas on the other.He vigoursly attacks Hauerwas and the other "new traditionalists" whom he says isolate themselves from the broader conversation in favor of sectarian pursuits.Finally, he articulates a way forward with ethics in a time of pluralism.Religious voices can express contasting justifiably held beliefs in common forum.Each should express their beliefs, support them with reasons, and then engage in immanent criticism of those in oposition.Steeped in pragmatism, Stout argues that ethics can be truthful without defining truth.Further, this can be done without metaphysics.What we are left with is a system that allows for truth claims, pluralism, and public debate.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Philosophy    3. Political    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Philosophy / Political    8. Political Philosophy    9. Political structures: democracy    10. Religion    11. Religious social & pastoral thought & activity    12. Social & political philosophy   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Contribution!!!!!
This book fills an obvious gap in contemporary east-European political literature. Unlike other books on Belarus, the strong point this book has is that is written primarily by young Belarusian scholars who have studied both within Belarus and in the west and thus gives a far more even account of the true nature of this interesting nation.Read more

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    3. International - Economics    4. International Relations - General    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Belarus (Belorussia)    10. EU (European Union)    11. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    12. European studies    13. History / Asia    14. International relations    15. Social history    16. History    17. Politics   

Reviews (3)

What Democrats Need to Know
Jeff Taylor's book is a must read for anyone who is interested in answering the question why the Democratic Party has struggled so much in national elections since 1950.His analysis of the terms Liberal and Conservative and how little they truly mean these days helps to clear away the misconceptions that are perpetuated by most pundits.Taylor is able to cut through the glossy veneer of platitudes used by both parties and substantiate that the Democratic Party of today has become disconnected from its populist origins.This is an outstanding work of scholarship.As a history professor, I highly recommend this book.

this book is revolutionary
Jeff Taylor's book is an excellent history of the Democratic party, exploring its history through the ideologies of Jefferson, William Jennings Bryan and Hubert Humpherey.Taylor views Bryan as the last of the populist, middle America Democrats, the type of isolationist, anti-Supreme Court, pro-direct democracy and pro-small government Democrat that is very rare in today's world. Humpherey, and by implication the usual nominees of the Democrats of today, represents a pro-globalist, pro-mass immigration (in spite of its impact on wages), often pro-war, pro-corporate pro-big government, pro-activist Supreme Court.Concerning religion, Bryan also represented a pro-Christian, albeit a populist, "social" Christian outlook that is sorely lacking among current Democratic nominees, though not among its electorate, as is proven by the votes of Democratic leaning voters in referenda and opinion polls on issues as diverse as immigration, abortion and same sex marriage.
Jefferson's Party Is not what he left
This excellent book outlines the various phases that the Democratic Party has transitioned through the ages since it's founding by Thomas Jefferson. This is a study in Jeffersonism and includes many pages of notes and references. It takes us through the period of William Jennings Bryan and Hubert Humphrey as well as some interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson.
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Subjects:  1. Democratic Party (U.S.)    2. History    3. History & Theory - General    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States - General    10. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    11. American history: from c 1900 -    12. Political parties    13. USA   

Reviews (2)

Middle Class Role
I agree with the first review posted on this book, but I think there is an important point of the book missing there. Rueschemeyer, Stephens and Stephens emphasize the pivotal role of the middle class in the emergence and persistence of democracy, just as Seymour Lipset and Barrington Moore did before, but they add something new. In their studies in Latin America, they found that the middle class was a positive factor for democratization only when it aligned with the popular sectors. But if the working class is too large or too powerful and the middle class feels threatened, it aligns with the military or the landing elites, with the opposite result: democracy doesn't emerge, or if it exists, it breaks down. This is a key finding that ratifies a study by Jose Nun about Latin America, published in 1967, called "Middle Class military coup." It is important to keep this in mind, especially when in the US Congress the arguments to vote for the Free Trade Agreement with Central America (CAFTA) were that it will promote a strong middle class and therefore the consolidation of democracy. Nun's study first and now this book by Rueschemeyer et al are important alerts for us to keep in mind that this argument is true, but has to be qualified. Not always the middle class will be a positive force for democracy.

Convincing account capitalist-democratic consolidation
In this groundbreaking work, Rueschemeyer, Stephens and Stephens establish not only a strong correlation between capitalist development and democracy, but also a convincing causal mechanism by which this development can bring about democracy. The authors choose to focus on a relative class power model in their account of democracy: capitalist development initiates a profound shift in the class structure and the relative power of each class. According to the authors, in a pre-capitalist society the subordinate classes are most likely to support a transition demoracy because they essentially have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are opposed in this respect by the landowning aristocracy, the dominant class in pre-industrial society and the class that has everything to lose in a democratization of the political system. Thus, the strenghtening of the subordinate (working) class brought about by industrialization bodes well for democracy. Capitalism also brings about an entirely new player--the middle class--that, when it allies with the interests of subordinate classes, intensifies the push for democracy. The analysis of social actors is joined by an analysis of social structure. That is, Rueschemeyer, et al believe that a balance between the state's power and the power of social actors must be established in order for democracy to become a possibility. A strong state counters the power of the elites while a strong landowning class prevents a totalitarian state from forming. The key to creating this balance is the development of a strong civil society between these two forces. Autonomous of both the government and the class system, civil society consists in the aggregation of social actors in various organizations (such as community-based or religious groups and trade unions). Capitalist development frees people from their preoccupation with subsistence agriculture, allowing them to join in such associations and increasing thier power in voicing their collective interests. The most significant contribution of this account is the reassertion of individual agency in the process of democracy, a concept that is often ignored in purely structural accounts of democratization. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Capitalism    2. Case studies    3. Democracy    4. Economic development    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    10. Political Science / Democracy   

Reviews (1)

teacher to the world
This small work is packed with wonderfully articulate insights, philosophical, political and practical, about education and how we should go about teaching young students.Paulo Friere is an enemy of oppression, coercion and neo-liberalism, a proponent of the human spirit and the possibility of a better world.If you are really interested in the ideas of existentialism, socialism, democracy and social justice, you will find yourself entralled with Friere's practical ideas in this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Critical pedagogy    2. Education    3. Philosophy & Social Aspects    4. Philosophy Of Education    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Popular education    7. Sociology    8. Sociology - Social Theory    9. Teaching    10. Teaching Methods & Materials - General    11. Education / Philosophy & Social Aspects    12. Ethics & moral philosophy    13. Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies    14. Political structures: democracy    15. Science / General    16. Western philosophy, from c 1900 -   

Subjects:  1. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    2. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    3. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    4. Political Ideologies - Anarchism    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Terrorism    10. Terrorists    11. Political Science / General    12. Political structures: democracy    13. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. History & Theory - General    3. Liberalism    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    6. Political Ideologies - Democracy    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Prevention    11. Terrorism    12. Political Science / Political Freedom & Security / General    13. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. Democratization    3. Developing countries    4. Economic Conditions    5. Government - Comparative    6. History & Theory - General    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political Science    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics and government    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Political Science / Economic Conditions    14. Political structures: democracy   

Reviews (1)

Gets me interested in political philosophy
I started noticing the works of Habermas because of his discourse ethics and its affinity with Kant's position.I never really had much interests in political / social philosophy (e.g. Locke, Hobbes, Marx, Weber, Freud, etc.) but this book changed me.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1989-    2. Democracy    3. History & Theory - General    4. National state    5. Philosophy    6. Political    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. World politics    11. Philosophy / General   

Subjects:  1. Civil supremacy over the military    2. Civil-military relations    3. Military - General    4. Political Ideologies - Democracy    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Political Science / Democracy    9. Political science & theory