American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America′s Future - Softcover

Hudson, William E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0872899705 ISBN 13: 9780872899704

Publisher: CQ Press, 2009

Synopsis

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Most would agree that American democracy thrives when citizens are informed and responsive. So how best to teach today’s students not only how government works, but also why it works―and maybe, more importantly, why it doesn’t always work?

Hudson provides the perfect supplement for those who want to elicit a more critical look at the functioning of our political system. He outlines eight major challenges facing America as a new president takes office, ranging from the strength of the judiciary to the trade-offs between national security and personal privacy. Challenging students to respond robustly to these challenges, he also offers possible solutions to each. The end result is to provide a sound conceptual framework for evaluating the American political system―one that stimulates analytical thinking and discussion.

Timely updates examine elections and voting―specifically primaries and how they work, "machine" politics, and voting restrictions― and the national security state, with a focus on the Bush administration’s expansion of presidential power, as well as questions of spreading democracy abroad and the rationale for international intervention.

About this title

About the Author:

William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion, American Democracy in Peril, 5th Edition, and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.

Review:

I use American Democracy in Peril as a supplement in my American politics graduate seminar. Individual chapters are gems and complement the standard set of topics contained in an introductory American politics course. The book is a rich compilation of political theory and political science research that students should know, and a well-crafted examination of specific threats to democracy. While Hudson s perspective is seldom in doubt, he does present counter-arguments, which taken together effectively stimulate reflection and discussion about the contemporary condition of American democracy. --- Clyde Brown, Miami University

"Hudson's book provides a comprehensive and eye-opening introduction for introductory students to the contradictions and dysfunctions of American democracy, from trivialized elections to corporate privilege and declining civic engagement ... and provides a challenging and helpful set of roadmaps out of our currently challenging territory." - --Justin Vaughn, Cleveland State University

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0872899705
• ISBN 13: 9780872899704
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 341