Routledge Research in American Politics and Governance
Competitive Elections and Democracy in America: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
1st Edition
By Heather K. Evans
September 29, 2015
Competition seems to be an inevitable part of present-day elections in the United States. However, recent publications have debated whether we should encourage or discourage competitive elections. In Competitive Elections and Democracy in America, Heather Evans closely examines the debate over ...
Gender, Race, and Office Holding in the United States: Representation at the Intersections
1st Edition
By Becki Scola
September 29, 2015
Over the past several decades, the number of women elected to higher office in the United States has grown substantially. However, when the electoral gains of women are considered on a state-by-state basis, there are observable variations in the rate by state at which women are elected to state ...
Super PAC!: Money, Elections, and Voters After Citizens United
1st Edition
By Conor M. Dowling, Michael G. Miller
September 24, 2015
Recent federal court activity has dramatically changed the regulatory environment of campaign finance in the United States. Since 2010, the judiciary has decided that corporations and labor unions may freely spend in American elections, and that so-called "Super PACs" can accept unlimited ...
Democracy, Intelligent Design, and Evolution: Science for Citizenship
1st Edition
By Susan P. Liebell
September 08, 2015
Should alternatives to evolution be taught in American public schools or rejected as an establishment of religion? Democracy, Intelligent Design, and Evolution argues that accurate science education helps shape a democratic temperament. Rather than defending against Intelligent Design as religion, ...
Inventive Politicians and Ethnic Ascent in American Politics: The Uphill Elections of Italians and Mexicans to the U.S. Congress
1st Edition
By Miriam Jiménez
September 08, 2015
This innovative book investigates the process through which ethnic minorities penetrate into higher echelons of political power: specifically, how they succeed in getting elected to the U.S. Congress. Analysts today see ethnic politicians largely in relation to their collectivities, but by actually...
Voting and Migration Patterns in the U.S.
1st Edition
By George Hawley
September 08, 2015
In recent years, political scientists and journalists have taken a great interest in the question of whether the American electorate is "sorting" into communities based on partisan affiliation. That is, there is concern that American communities are becoming increasingly politically homogenous and ...
An Empire of Ideals: The Chimeric Imagination of Ronald Reagan
1st Edition
By Justin D. Garrison
August 27, 2015
Justin D. Garrison provides an original and groundbreaking analysis of Ronald Reagan’s imagination as it was expressed mainly in his presidential speeches. He argues that the predominant strain of Reagan’s imagination is "chimeric," that is, imbued with a high degree of optimism, romantic...
Interfaith Advocacy: The Role of Religious Coalitions in the Political Process
1st Edition
By Katherine E. Knutson
July 16, 2015
Using the historic Minnesota state government shutdown of 2011 as a backdrop, Interfaith Advocacy describes the work of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, an interfaith advocacy group that brings together leaders from Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim traditions to advocate on ...
Social Contract Theory in American Jurisprudence: Too Much Liberty and Too Much Authority
1st Edition
By Thomas R. Pope
July 16, 2015
Despite decades of attempts and the best intentions of its members, the United States Supreme Court has failed to develop a coherent jurisprudence regarding the state’s proper relationship to the individual. Without some objective standard upon which to ground jurisprudence, decisions have moved ...
Direct Democracy in the United States: Petitioners as a Reflection of Society
1st Edition
Edited
By Shauna Reilly, Ryan M. Yonk
May 21, 2015
The increased use of direct democracy measures across the United States has brought attention to the individual petitioner however their motivations and goals continue to be an enigma. Drawing on behavioral, historical and legal analysis to provide a more concrete depiction of these individuals, ...
The Latino Gender Gap in U.S. Politics
1st Edition
By Christina E. Bejarano
February 27, 2015
Many questions remain unanswered about the observable differences in voting behavior, partisanship, and cultural attitudes among men and women. Latino political participation in the United States is generally lower than the rest of the population, mainly due to their high proportion of youth and ...
Lobbying the New President: Interests in Transition
1st Edition
By Heath Brown
November 10, 2014
Presidential transitions offer the chance for new ideas, policies, and people to inhabit the White House. Transitions have triggered policy change for decades and eager interest groups have sought ways to capitalize on this often chaotic phase of US politics. President-Elect Barack Obama declared ...