Voices of Dissent : Critical Readings in American Politics

by Grover, William F.; Peschek, Joseph G.

• ISBN13: 9780205560011
• ISBN10: 0205560016
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

This distinctive reader is the only collection of truly critical readings on American government available. Its approach goes far beyond the mainstream debate between liberalism and conservatism to fundamentally challenge the status quo, stimulating reconsideration about what are sometimes assumed to be "givens" within the American system.

Author Biography

William F. Grover is Professor of Political Science at Saint Michael's College in Vermont Joseph G. Peschek is Professor of Political Science at Hamline University in Minnesota

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Structure	p. 7
Democracy and Political Economy	p. 8
This Land is Your Land	p. 9
A Short History of Neo-Liberalism	p. 19
Why Does the Air Stink? Corporate Power and Public Policy	p. 26
Global Ecology and the Common Good	p. 36
Ideology and Political Culture	p. 41
What is the American Dream?	p. 42
Liberal Individualism and the Crisis of Citizenship	p. 55
Kingdom Coming: Resisting the Power of the Christian Right	p. 63
The Greatest Nation on Earth	p. 69
Constitutional and State Structures	p. 76
American Exceptionalism and the Politics of Fragmentation	p. 77
The Dark Side of the Constitution	p. 84
Our Godless Constitution	p. 96
Some Truths are not Self-Evident	p. 101
Politics and Institutions	p. 105
Mass Media and Politics	p. 107
It's the Media, Stupid	p. 108
News Content and Illusion: Four Information Biases that Matter	p. 119
The Military-Industrial-Media Complex	p. 129
Take Public Broadcasting Back	p. 135
Parties and Elections	p. 146
What's the Matter with America?	p. 147
The Shrinking Electoral Battleground	p. 152
Let Them Eat War	p. 165
After the Deluge: Electoral Reform in the Wake of the Election of 2000	p. 171
Congress	p. 176
Congress and Big Business	p. 177
Democracy on Drugs: How a Bill Really Becomes a Law	p. 184
Four Amendments and a Funeral: The House of Horrors that is Congress	p. 192
Congressional Inertia: Iron Triangles Old and New	p. 204
The Presidency	p. 213
The Limits of Presidential Power	p. 214
The Presidential Spectacle	p. 219
The "Unitary Executive" and the Threat to Democratic Government	p. 236
George W. Bush's Imperial Presidency	p. 243
Law and the Courts	p. 253
Corporations, the Law, and Democracy	p. 254
Democracy Versus Judicial Review	p. 264
This Dangerous Patriot's Game	p. 269
Neo-Patriarchy and the Anti-Homosexual Agenda	p. 275
Politics and Vision	p. 285
Political Challenges at Home and Abroad	p. 286
The Tax-Cut Con	p. 287
Doing it for Ourselves: Can Feminism Survive Class Polarization?	p. 298
Black America and the Dilemma of Patriotism	p. 303
Sorrows of Empire	p. 308
Visions of a New Democracy	p. 315
Letter from Birmingham Jail	p. 316
Reclaiming the Commons	p. 323
Ten Steps to Improve Our Democracy	p. 329
All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy	p. 335
Resources for Further Study	p. 340
Appendix
The Declaration of Independence	p. 344
The Constitution of the United States	p. 347
The Federalist No. 10	p. 359
Credits	p. 363
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