American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America's Future, 7th Edition

With the economic crisis, intense partisan gridlock, and social movements like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, American Democracy in Peril encapsulates the tumultuous state of American politics more than ever. Hudson's provocative book offers a structured, yet critical look at the functioning of the American political system. This new edition incorporates the far-ranging impact of the Obama presidency-and the polarization that has accompanied it-along with these key updates: New discussion of the barriers of the separation of powers system, including the tortured politics of health care reform, the threats of government shutdown over deficit reform, and the use of institutional vetoes to prevent economic stimulus measures. New developments from the last election cycles, including changes in party politics, campaign funding, campaign media technologies and social media, and efforts at voter suppression. Fresh examination of the financial deregulation that led to the crisis, the massive financial bailout, and rising economic inequality. New insight regarding Obama's continuity with Bush-era national security practices from the use of secrecy to centralized executive control of policy.

William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College, where he teaches courses in American politics and public policy. He currently serves as director of the Public Administration Program and was the founding director of the Feinstein Institute for Public Service. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion, also published by CQ Press, 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.