Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America (Great Questions in Politics Series) (2nd Edition) - Softcover

Fiorina, Morris P.; Abrams, Samuel J.; Pope, Jeremy C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0321366069 ISBN 13: 9780321366061

Publisher: Longman, 2005

Synopsis

Part of the "Great Questions in Politics" series, Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America combines polling data with a compelling narrative to debunk commonly-believed myths about American politics–particularly the claim that Americans are deeply divided in their fundamental political views. This second edition of Culture War? features a new chapter that demonstrates how the elections of 2004 reinforce the book’s argument that Americans are no more divided now than they were in the past. In addition, the text has been updated throughout to reflect data from the 2004 elections.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

What Culture War?

Abortion, Gay Marriage, School Prayer, Gun Control

 

Is the nation really polarized on these hot-button moral, religious, and cultural issues?  Should we believe the media pundits and politicians who tell us that Americans are deeply divided?

No, says Morris Fiorina.  At a time when the rift between the “red” and “blue” states can seem deeper than ever, Fiorina debunks the assumption that Americans are deeply split over national issues.  He presents quite a contrary picture — that most Americans stand in the middle of the political landscape and are in general agreement even on those issues thought to be most divisive.

Poking holes in the concept of a “culture war,” Fiorina explains that the majority of Americans are both moderate and tolerant, and that their greatest concerns are leadership and security, not moral values.  Supporting his position with election data and a variety of public surveys, Fiorina concludes that the view of a divided America is simply false and that by recognizing our common ground, we have a basis for creating a more unified and moderate approach to government and politics in the near future.

A new epilogue relates the 2008 campaign and election to the general argument of the book, looking at the people and issues affecting the road to the White House in 2008, and speculating on what lies ahead for (un)polarized America.

 

 

Morris P. Fiorina is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute and the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University.  His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and he is the author of several books, including Divided Government and The New American Democracy.

About the Author:

Morris P. Fiorina is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

About this edition

• Publisher: Longman
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0321366069
• ISBN 13: 9780321366061
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 256