Central / national / federal government Books

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Book SynopsisEmpirically rich and theoretically informed, this book is an innovative analysis of political decentralization under the Islamic Republic of Iran. Drawing upon Kian Tajbakhsh''s twenty years of experience working with and researching local government in Iran, it uses original data and insights to explain how local government operates in towns and cities as a form of electoral authoritarianism. With a combination of historical, political, and financial field research, it explores the multifaceted dimensions of local power and how various ideologically opposed actors shaped local government as an integral component of authoritarian state building. Ultimately, this book demonstrates how local government serves to undermine democratization and consolidate the Islamist regime. As Iran''s cities and towns grow and develop, their significance will only increase, and this study is vital to understanding their politics, administration and influence.Trade Review'Kian Tajbakhsh's study of local government under the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on careful and painstaking analysis of administrative and legal documents and is unmatched by any in current Iranian history.' Saïd Amir Arjomand, State University of New York'This deeply personal and academically rigorous account of the efforts to advance political decentralization in Iran raises critical questions for scholars of governance and democracy. By documenting how decentralization was as likely to be embraced by supporters of centralized state power as by reform advocates or even pragmatic technocrats, we are shown the complexities inherent in building democracy from the ground up.' Diane E. Davis, Harvard University'Kian Tajbakhsh's understanding of Iran is manifest on every page of this book. He convincingly argues, much to his own discontent, how the authoritarian regime consolidates its rule through political decentralization. His work is important for anyone interested in local democracy – a powerful read.' Peter Knip, Director of VNG International'Kian Tajbakhsh beautifully documents the tragedy of municipal democracy in Iran, from its hopeful beginnings in the mid-1990s to its defeat a decade later. Tajbakhsh was both a scholarly observer of the democratization movement and a participant, whose detention in Iran delayed this long-awaited book for years.' Charles Kurzman, University of North CarolinaTable of ContentsPreface; Overview; Part I. Launching Local Democracy: 1. Reshaping the state: political decentralization comes to Iran in the 1990s: 2. Launching municipal government, 1999-2003; Part II. Arguing for Local Democracy: 3. Reformists, local democracy and civil society: socio-political discourses; 4. Efficiency in governance: technocratic discourse; 5. The theocratic and Islamist discourse on the shura; Part III. Blocking Local Democracy: 6. The rocky path from elections to democracy; 7. City planning and the challenges of democractic governance; 8. Financing local democracy; 9. Geopolitics and the limits of international municipal cooperation; 10. What of the future of local democracy.

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Book SynopsisSince the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the Iranian political system has been subject to diminishing legitimacy. In recent years, various waves of protest have spread across the country and the question of the resilience of the revolutionary state becomes more pressing by the day. Drawing from extensive fieldwork and rare primary sources, Mehran Kamrava provides here a comprehensive and accessible analysis of the Iranian state and the various formal and informal institutions through which it operates. The book offers an in-depth analysis of the Iranian state, from the Constitution to the powers and offices of the Supreme Leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the several intelligence agencies. Paying careful attention to the nuances of Iranian politics, Kamrava also highlights how factional politics and rentierism have served to enhance state resilience. Presenting a range of original insights, this book is invaluable to understanding the inner workings of the contemporary Iranian state.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Authoritarian perseverance; 3. Ruling under stress; 4. The constitution, elections, & legitimacy; 5. Elected representatives; 6. The unelected leadership; 7. The praetorians; 8. Maintaining the system; 9. The deep state; 10. Intra-Elite dynamics; 11. The state and its riches; 12. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the consequences of legislators' strategic communication for representation, demonstrating how legislators present their work to cultivate constituent support. Using new statistical techniques to analyze massive data sets, Justin Grimmer makes the compelling case that to understand political representation, we must understand what legislators say to constituents.Trade Review"Representational Style in Congress targets a question long of interest to scholars of legislative politics: how and why do legislators engage in strategic communication with their constituents about their work on Capitol Hill? Grimmer uses new data and new methods to develop measures of senators’ discourse and then demonstrates convincingly how these presentational styles matter for dyadic and collective representation. This book is a compelling and important contribution to the study of congressional behavior and political communication." Tracy Sulkin, University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignTable of Contents1. Representation inside and outside Congress; 2. Representation and evaluation on the senator's terms; 3. Measuring presentational styles with Senate press releases; 4. Measuring presentational styles in thousands of press releases; 5. Types of presentational styles in the US Senate; 6. The electoral connection's effect on senators' presentational styles; 7. Correspondence between senators' work in Washington and presentational styles; 8. Why presentational styles matter for dyadic representation; 9. Why presentational styles matter for collective representation; 10. Presentational styles and representation.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1938, this book presents the diary of John Milward (15991670), Member of Parliament for Derbyshire from 1665 to 1670. Covering the period September 1666 to May 1668, the diary is reproduced as close to its manuscript form as possible. A bibliography, appendices and detailed editorial introduction are also incorporated.Table of ContentsThe Milwards of Derbyshire; Introduction; Bibliography of Parliamentary records 1666–8, with the abbreviations used in the lists and notes; Parliamentary business, 1666–8, and chronological guide to the Diary; Calendar for the period covered by the Diary; Alphabetical check-list of speakers and other persons mentioned in the Diary; Text of the Diary, September, 1666 to May, 1668; Appendix 1. Speeches by Sir John Holland, 1666–8; Appendix 2. Diary for October and November, 1667; Index.

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Book SynopsisDemonstrates the federal highway program's role in the geographic sorting of Democrats and Republicans on urban-suburban lines, and in undermining investment in urban mobility. The book will appeal to audiences interested in public policy, polarization, inequality, and the politics of transportation and urban investment.Trade Review'The Road to Inequality deals with some of the most important and timely questions in American political science, namely the causes and consequences of political polarization. It focuses attention on a set of public policies - federal highway programs - that have been all but ignored by political scientists. These programs, we learn, being inherently spatial in nature and inherently permanent in their effects, have changed the American political landscape in fundamental and lasting ways. And by setting our attention on these major spatial infrastructure policies, the book demonstrates the importance of spatial political polarization and its consequences for social, economic, and political inequality. I consider this a major contribution to the literatures on American political development, political polarization, political geography, public opinion and public policy.' Elisabeth R. Gerber, University of Michigan'Clayton Nall has written an incredibly important book providing powerful evidence of the role that the federal highway program has played in the spatial distribution of the population, in dividing political interests, and ultimately in producing inequality. Using a tremendous amount of data and varied methodological approaches, and reaching back to the early decades of the twentieth century, Nall reveals that the federal government's trillion dollar investment in highways has helped to drive a deep wedge between largely urban Democrats and largely suburban Republicans.' Jessica Trounstine, University of California, Merced'The Road to Inequality is a fascinating study showing how federal infrastructure investments not only created a divided metropolis but also fostered new political loyalties. Nall offers a deeply researched analysis of how red and blue America took on a spatial form with enduring consequences for the politics of inequality.' Margaret Weir, Brown University, Rhode Island'Clayton Nall has rewritten the legacy of America's interstate highway system and with it, the historical geography of the post-war Republican Party. With a stunning mixture of methods, each of them appropriate to its question and carefully deployed, Nall probes how our highway network has fashioned unequal chances along dimensions of place, race and politics. A master stroke of modern political science.' Daniel Carpenter, Harvard University, Massachusetts'The author conducts insightful analyses of road atlases, historical housing ads, and a longitudinal panel survey to revisit well-studied concerns such as white flight and partisan realignment. The chapter on the partisan dimensions of transportation policy stands out for its analysis of original, recent surveys on transportation preferences. Strong bipartisan support remains for highway spending, but support for mass transit and other transportation priorities has become starkly partisan. Another strength is the author's ability to clearly present a large number of detailed spatial and quantitative analyses. … Overall, the author succeeds in increasing foundational knowledge about transportation policy and demonstrating the value of political geography analysis.' M. L. Godwin, Choice'… is a useful addition to the historical literature on the Interstates … Nall's book is worthwhile reading, both for its insights concerning connections between Interstate highways to politics in [the] United States.' Bruce Seely, H-FedHistTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. How highways facilitate partisan geographic sorting; 3. Highways polarize metropolitan political geography; 4. Transportation becomes a partisan issue; 5. Implications for transportation policymaking; 6. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis volume seeks to explain the political economy of the Abe government and the so-called ''Abenomics'' economic policies. The Abe government represents a major turning point in postwar Japanese political economy. In 2019, Abe became the longest serving Prime Minister in Japanese history. Abe''s government stood out not only for its longevity, but also for its policies. Abe came to power promising to reinvigorate Japan''s economy under the banner of Abenomics. He pursed a host of structural reforms and industrial promotions to increase Japan''s potential growth rate. Abe also achieved important legislative victories in security policy. However, the government also faced significant controversies. The book will hold appeal to scholars and students specializing in the study of Japanese politics, comparative political economy, the politics of contemporary advanced democracies, macroeconomic policy, labor market reforms, corporate governance, gender equality, agricultural reforms, energy Trade Review'17 papers, this edited volume presents highly granular, academically rigorous research of the macroeconomic policies and political system reforms of Abenomics. By highlighting what has worked and what has not, the book makes a very important, fact- and data-based contribution to the assessment of Prime Minister Abe's legacy.' Ulrike Schaede, Professor of Japanese Business, School of Global Policy & Strategy, University of California San Diego'This insightful, substantive, readable book covers Japan's current political economy under Prime Minister Abe. In addition to their own excellent chapters, Hoshi and Lipscy have assembled outstanding specialists who address a wide range of specific issues.' Hugh T. Patrick, Chairman, Center on Japanese Economy and Business, Columbia UniversityTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. The political economy of the Abe government Takeo Hoshi and Phillip Y. Lipscy; Part II. Political Context: 2. Expansion of the Japanese Prime Minister's power and transformation of Japanese politics Harukata Takenaka; 3. Why does the Abe government's approval rating always recover? Masaru Kohno; 4. The LDP under Abe Yukio Maeda and Steven R. Reed; 5. The third arrow of Abenomics: est. in 2013 – or 2007? Takatoshi Ito; Part III. Macroeconomic Policy: 6. Abenomics, monetary policy, and consumption Joshua K. Hausman, Takashi Unayama and Johannes F. Wieland; 7. The great disconnect: the decoupling of wage and price inflation in Japan Takeo Hoshi and Anil K. Kashyap; 8. Abenomics, the exchange rate, and markup dynamics in Japanese industries Kyoji Fukao and Shuichiro Nishioka; 9. The crisis that wasn't: How Japan has avoided a bond market panic Mark Bamba and David E. Weinstein; Part IV. Third Arrow of Abenomics: 10. Abe's slight left turn: how a labor shortage transformed politics and policy Steven K. Vogel; 11. Abe's Womenomics policy: did it reduce the gender gap in management? Nobuko Nagase; 12. Corporate governance reforms under Abenomics: the economic consequences of two codes Hideaki Miyajima and Takuji Saito; 13. Abenomics and Japan's entrepreneurship and innovation: is the third arrow pointed in the right direction for global competition in the silicon valley era? Kenji E. Kushida; 14. Japanese agricultural reform under Abenomics Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay Shimizu; 15. The politics of energy and climate change in Japan under the Abe government Trevor Incerti and Phillip Y. Lipscy; Part V. Foreign Policy: 16. Japan's defense reforms under Abe: assessing institutional and policy change Adam P. Liff; 17. The enduring challenges of history issues Mary M. McCarthy.

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Book SynopsisBehavioral science is playing an increasing role in public policy, and it is raising new questions about fundamental issues - the role of government, freedom of choice, paternalism, and human welfare. In diverse nations, public officials are using behavioral findings to combat serious problems - poverty, air pollution, highway safety, COVID-19, discrimination, employment, climate change, and occupational health. Exploring theory and practice, this Element attempts to provide one-stop shopping for those who are new to the area and for those who are familiar with it. With reference to nudges, taxes, mandates, and bans, it offers concrete examples of behaviorally informed policies. It also engages the fundamental questions, include the proper analysis of human welfare in light of behavioral findings. It offers a plea for respecting freedom of choice - so long as people''s choices are adequately informed and free from behavioral biases.Table of Contents1. The behavioral revolution; 2. Do our choices make us happy; 3. Government; 4. Mistakes; 5. Judgments; 6. Theory and practice; 7. Welfare; 8. Freedom; 9. Paths forward.

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Book SynopsisCollected by the Ronald Reagan Foundation, this book includes both Reagan's own original writing that honors a lifetime of work in the arts and politics, and includes his favorite quotations, proverbs, and excerpts from speeches, poetry, and literature. It encapsulates a lifetime of reflections on work, marriage, and family in classic one liners.Trade Review"The book offers a window into the mind of the nation's 40th president and displays the effort he made behind the scenes to hone his performance as a speechmaker and storyteller driving home a conservative political philosophy." -- USA Today "This volume provides an illuminating glimpse into Reagan's mind... The entries show the directness of Reagan's thought and his uncanny ability to make a point." -- The Daily "These notes are wonderful things... Although a few recent books have proclaimed to have finally uncovered the real Reagan, there's a chance we'll never get any closer than in these scribbles, which reveal so much." -- Christopher Buckley, Bloomberg News "Now with the discovery of his note cards, we can better appreciate just how hard Reagan himself labored to be clear and convincing-and, yes, sometimes funny-to his many audiences." -- The American Spectator "This is a book to return to often and sample the collected wisdom found there that buttressed a remarkable man's vision." -- The Washington Times

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Book SynopsisFifty years after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, presidential historian Robert Dallek, whom the New York Times calls “Kennedy’s leading biographer,” delivers a riveting portrait of this president and his inner circle of advisors—their rivalries, personality clashes, and political battles. In Camelot’s Court, Dallek analyzes the brain trust whose contributions to the successes and failures of Kennedy’s administration—including the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam—were indelible.Kennedy purposefully put together a dynamic team of advisors noted for their brilliance and acumen, including Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy, and trusted aides Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger. Yet the very traits these men shared also created sharp divisions. Far from being unified, this was an uneasy band of rivals whose ambitions and clashing beliefs ignited fiery internal debates.Robert Dallek illuminates a president deeply determined to surround himself with the best and the brightest, who often found himself disappointed with their recommendations. The result, Camelot''s Court: Inside the Kennedy White House, is a striking portrait of a leader whose wise resistance to pressure and adherence to principle offers a cautionary tale for our own time.Trade Review"Dallek's portraits of advisers including Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Walt Rostow are lapidary, and it is difficult to quarrel with his judgments." -- The New York Times Book Review "Dallek is an assiduous digger into archives... The story of how a glamorous but green young president struggled with conflicting and often bad advice while trying to avoid nuclear Armageddon remains a gripping and cautionary tale of the loneliness of command." -- Evan Thomas, The Washington Post "Think The Best and the Brightest meets Team of Rivals... Dallek is one of the deans of presidential scholarship." -- Beverly Gage, The Nation "Dallek brings us closer to the complexity and the humanity of Kennedy's geopolitics, and helps us grasp the uncertainties he and his men faced in an abbreviated presidency." -- USA Today

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Chait's brilliant new book, Audacity, upends the conventional wisdom of the Washington commentariat -- and a surprising number of liberals -- that Barack Obama's presidency was little more than eight years of disappointment...setting out a compelling case that he was one of the most successful presidents of modern times." -- The Guardian "A timely, trenchant and relentlessly argued book presenting the 44th president in terms that he himself would approve. Not only did Obama change America for the better, Chait writes, he also cemented a new policy infrastructure that will resist Trump's efforts to tear it down." -- New York Times Sunday Book Review "Audacity, by Jonathan Chait of New York magazine, one of today's must-read political journalists...documents the scale of Obama's domestic policy, on health care, taxes, finance, climate, civil rights and education. Chait also explains why [Obama's successes] won't simply disappear... The book is a brave one." -- David Leonhardt, New York Times Op-Ed columnist "Chait offers a well-organized, clearly written case that will be valuable to future historians in their assessments." -- Kirkus Reviews "[Chait] lacerates wimpish liberals and the duplicitous cynics on the right. He points out, over and over again, that, ideologically speaking, Obama's policies were largely derived from a liberal Republican tradition." -- Brooklyn Rail "Chait's command of policy and politics, and his clarity of thought, guarantee that Audacity will remain an essential starting point for those assessing the Obama presidency." -- Washington Monthly "[Chait is] one of the most influential political journalists of our time...the verve with which he pursues his quarries has made him one of our great polemicists." -- New Republic "Audacity is a sturdy defense of the past eight years and an attack on left-wing Americans who moan about Obama's timidity. And in this endeavor it is a rip-roaring success. Chait tells the Obama story with enormous sympathy, but with enough detachment to make it credible." -- The Times (UK)

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Brower is quickly becoming a brand-name Washington writer because of her ability to deliver juicy tidbits and insider information while steering her books toward a mainstream audience without sacrificing historical credibility.” — Christian Science Monitor “Illuminating and anecdote-laden . . . . Presidential history buffs will enjoy this respectful peek into one of America’s most exclusive clubs.” — Publishers Weekly “Brower does not deny partisan politics, but she finds an overarching spirit of camaraderie among those who’ve borne the office’s burdens. Based on what Brower has learned from the past, she guardedly and generously tries to anticipate how Donald Trump will fare when he eventually joins this tiny fraternity. Insights into presidential life beyond the rancor of everyday politics will make this a very popular read for the general public.” — Booklist (starred review) “Downton Abbey for the White House Staff.” — Today on The Residence “An intimate, compulsively readable account of the dynamics that have shaped—and sometimes destroyed—relations at the top of the American political hierarchy.... [and] a valuable addition to the literature of the modern presidency.” — Wall Street Journal on First in Line “Crisp, engrossing.... Brower delivers what she did in her previous books, a readable, insightful account of how the vice presidency has evolved and the men could end up in the Oval Office some day.” — USA Today on First in Line “Combining fascinating inside stories with astute political insights, First in Line fills a long-missing hole in American history. We learn here how men from Richard Nixon to Mike Pence have played their sometimes essential, sometimes useless roles in the prestigious but peculiar job of Vice President.” — Cokie Roberts, author of Ladies of Liberty, on First in Line “Kate Andersen Brower has a wonderful reporter’s eye for the telling detail that makes history engaging and real.” — Evan Thomas, author of Ike’s Bluff and Being Nixon, on First in Line “A highly readable . . . deep look at the women who help and sometimes overshadow their powerful husbands.” — USA Today on First Women “A revealing look at America’s first ladies, shining a spotlight on both their friendships and feuds.” — The Today Show on First Women “The tell-all The Residence, featuring intimate anecdotes collected from past and current White House staff members, is absolutely delicious.” — Washington Post on The Residence “Americans rarely get a glimpse of what life is really like in the fishbowl that is the White House. Kate Andersen Brower’s intimate portrait of what it’s like to take care of the first family is a compelling read. Whether you’re a political or history junkie or devoted Downton Abbey viewer, this book adds unique context to understanding our presidents as human beings, something that’s too often forgotten in our daily media grind.” — Chuck Todd, Meet the Press, on The Residence “Superbly reported. . . . A fascinating backstage account of the world’s most famous residence.” — Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour, and former White House Correspondent for NBC News, on The Residence

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Book SynopsisA deeply researched, narrative history recounting the little-known late-Reconstruction era mission of General Philip Sheridan, a Union Army hero dispatched to the South ten years after the Civil War to protect the rights of newly freed black citizens, who were under siege by violent paramilitary groups like the White League intent on erasing their postwar gains.In late 1874, nearly ten years after the Civil War, former slaves, or freedmen, found themselves under siege in the South by violent paramilitary groups like the White League, intent on erasing their newly won voting rights and other postwar gains and consigning them to a condition little better than slavery. President Ulysses S. Grant, vowing to enforce, “with rigor,” laws protecting the rights of former slaves, asked General Philip H. Sheridan to visit New Orleans and other Southern trouble spots to investigate the freedmen’s plight, all while pretending to be on vacation. Sheridan&

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Democrats and the media continue to just lie through their teeth. What we’ve lived through— are still living through—has been a coup from the get-go. It is a plot to overthrow President Trump. There are so few people telling the whole truth about this; Gregg Jarrett is.” — Rush Limbaugh “Gregg Jarrett has done it again by writing a superb follow-up book to his number one bestseller, The Russia Hoax. His stunning account of how unelected officials plotted in the shadows to influence an election, sabotage a duly elected president, and drive him from office should alarm all Americans.” — Sean Hannity “If for no other reason, one should read Gregg Jarrett’s new book, Witch Hunt, for its excellent and penetrating analysis of the Mueller Report. In-depth and comprehensive, Jarrett’s breakdown unmasks the false narrative still being peddled by Democrats and the media.” — Joseph DiGenova, Former Independent Counsel and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia “Witch Hunt is both a riveting account of abuse of authority and a reminder of just how fragile our democracy can be. Jarrett thoroughly and convincingly paints a scary picture of officials at the highest levels of our federal government breaching the trust of the people in an attempt to undermine Trump’s presidency and remove him from office.” — Jon A. Sale, Criminal Defense Attorney and Former Assistant Watergate Prosecutor “Witch Hunt is a spectacular compendium….an encyclopedia of what went on in the biggest hoax and scandal in American history. I highly recommend it; it is an awesome book.” — Dan Bongino “When this moment in history finally passes, history will have Gregg Jarrett’s Witch Hunt to remind — on the record — of what really happened and who, really, was responsible for this disgrace.” — American Spectator

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Bret Baier has done it again! To Rescue The Constitution is a masterful exploration of the electrifying struggle to unite a young United States. Meticulously researched and powerfully written, in these pages Baier presents riveting portraits of the era’s key leaders and above all of George Washington himself. This book should be required reading in Washington, DC and the rest of the nation. With To Rescue The Constitution, Baier clearly takes his place as the country’s most significant journalist-historian. What a tour de force!" — Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of April 1865 “Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Constitution is the epic saga of how George Washington emerged as the indispensable leader of the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787. Written with historical exactness, dramatic flare, and reader-friendly prose, Baier once again proves that he is a first-rate popular historian. The George Washington who emerges from these pages is a decorated Revolutionary War hero whose personality strengths are pragmatic risk-taking, philosophical wisdom, good judgment, and unwavering patriotism. As Baier makes clear, our first president was duty-bound to build a durable United States of America. Highly recommended!” — Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race “Bret Baier gives us a stylish and sensible portrait of the Foundingest Father of them all. At a time when a serious political dialogue has become virtually impossible, it is refreshing to be transported to a time when argument itself was the answer, and one man understood that surrendering power was the ultimate measure of leadership.” — Joseph J. Ellis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation and His Excellency: George Washington "Once again Bret Baier has taken readers on a journey into American history, dramatizing the suspenseful years around the birth of our nation. The scenes have striking relevance in today’s fractured political climate, underscoring the need for constant vigilance to protect the values of our republic." — Mark Levin, #1 New York Times bestselling author “It is not possible for one book to do justice to George Washington. But it is possible, and long overdue, for one book to put Washington’s role in the framing our Constitution center stage. Kudos to Bret Baier for resurrecting these critical months in Washington’s life, and reminding the reader, again, that along with ‘No Washington, no country’ and ‘No Washington, no presidency,’ there is surely a third absolute: ‘No Washington, no Constitution.’ A book that could not be more timely as the country again seeks leaders of dignity and courage, resolve and restraint.” — Hugh Hewitt, Washington Post columnist and host of The Hugh Hewitt Show “Bret Baier’s narrative--careful, detailed, and evocative--captures what is arguably the most interesting (and in our schools often largely ignored) periods of American history. George Washington’s times were more divisive than today’s, but Baier clearly demonstrates how our first president brought the country together, largely by force of his character and example. To Rescue the Constitution fills the gaps in all readers minds; it informs, illuminates and deepens understanding. And gives us perspective from which hope might arise. It is very much worth reading.” — William J. Bennett, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Bret Baier has once again written a thoroughly enjoyable book about American history and its leading figures. I highly recommend To Rescue the Constitution to anyone who wants to learn more about our indispensable Founding Father – George Washington.” — David Rubenstein, New York Times bestselling author of The American Experiment

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Book Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerPeter Schweizer says that, in a quarter-century as an investigative journalist, this is the scariest investigation he has ever conducted. That the Chinese government seeks to infiltrate American institutions is hardly surprising.

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Book SynopsisAmerica’s liberal media keeps getting the news wrong.In Suppression, Deception, Snobbery, and Bias, Fleischer notes that half the country is keenly aware that they are routinely mocked and looked down on by much of the media.

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Book SynopsisINSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The former attorney general provides a candid account of his historic tenures serving two vastly different presidents, George H.W. Bush was largely the result of chance, while his second tenure under President Donald Trump a deliberate and difficult choice.

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Book SynopsisNew York Times bestelling author T. R. Reid travels around the world to solve the urgent problem of America's failing tax code, unravelling a complex topic in plain English - and telling a rollicking story along the way. The U.S. tax code is a total write-off. Crammed with loopholes and special interest provisions, it works for no one except tax lawyers, accountants, and huge corporations. Not for the first time, we have reached a breaking point. That happened in 1922, and again in 1954, and again in 1986. In other words, every thirty-two years. Which means that the next complete overhaul is due in 2018. But what should be in this new tax code? Can we make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer, and more efficient? Yes, yes, and yes. Can we cut tax rates and still bring in more revenue? Yes.   Other rich countries, from Estonia to New Zealand to the UK—advanced, high-tech, free-market democracies—have all devised tax regimes that a

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Book SynopsisEnergized and inspired by the 2008 elections, celebrated illustrator Maira Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C., launching a year-long investigation of American democracy and its workings. The result is an artist’s idiosyncratic vision of history and contemporary politics. Whether returning to America’s historical roots at the Lincoln archive and Jefferson’s Monticello, or taking the pulse of the present day at a town hall meeting in Vermont, an Army base in Kentucky, and the inner chambers of the Supreme Court, Kalman finds evidence of democracy at work all around us. Her route is always one of fascinating indirection, but one that captures and shares in hundreds of beautiful, colorful reasons why we  are proud to be Americans.

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of Watergate, Gerald Ford appointed eminent lawyer and scholar Edward H Levi to the post of attorney general - and thus gave him the onerous task of restoring legitimacy to a discredited Department of Justice. This title features Levi's speeches that offer a sense of the man and his work.Trade Review"It was Edward H. Levi's first and overwhelming task as attorney general to end the cynicism of Watergate. This wonderful collection of his speeches shows how he did it: with eloquent words that expressed his profound belief in American values. In our time of meanness and strife, Levi reminds us what we should be." (Anthony Lewis)"

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Book SynopsisThis volume looks to the legislative and executive branches for insights into the development of constitutional interpretation. The author, David Currie, examines the period of Republican hegemony from the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson in 1801 to the election of Andrew Jackson in 1829.

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Book SynopsisWhy do majority congressional parties seem unable to act as an effective policy-making force? They routinely delegate their power to othersinternally to standing committees and subcommittees within each chamber, externally to the president and to the bureaucracy. Conventional wisdom in political science insists that such delegation leads inevitably to abdicationusually by degrees, sometimes precipitously, but always completely. In The Logic of Delegation, however, D. Roderick Kiewiet and Mathew D. McCubbins persuasively argue that political scientists have paid far too much attention to what congressional parties can't do. The authors draw on economic and management theory to demonstrate that the effectiveness of delegation is determined not by how much authority is delegated but rather by how well it is delegated. In the context of the appropriations process, the authors show how congressional parties employ committees, subcommittees, and executive agencies to accomplish policy goals.

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Book SynopsisFor most bills in American legislature, the issue of turf - or which committee has jurisdiction over a bill - is crucial. This study explains how jurisdictional areas for committees are created and changed in Congress, and dissects the politics of turf-grabbing.Table of ContentsFigures Tables Acknowledgments Introduction 1: Turf Wars on Capitol Hill 2: The Nature of Committee Jurisdictions 3: What Happens When Jurisdictions Are Reformed? 4: Parliamentarians as Institutional Guardians 5: Essential Strategies for Staking Claims 6: Flying Trains and Turf Wars 7: Governing Through Fragmented Committees Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe congressional agenda includes many issues about which liberals and conservatives generally agree. Even over these matters, though, Democratic and Republican senators tend to fight with each other. This book argues that many partisan battles are rooted in competition for power rather than disagreement over the rightful role of government.Trade Review"Innovative, interesting, and important, Beyond Ideology gives us rich new insights on an institution about which we still know relatively little compared with the House. It is a substantial contribution that sheds new light on complex relationships and offers engaging illustrations drawn from political interactions on legislation." - David W. Rohde, Duke University"

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Book SynopsisThis work explains why and how more than 100,000 US citizens demonstrated their protests against the Reagan administration's policy of sponsoring wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. The book concentrates on the peace movements of Witness for Peace, Sanctuary and the Pledge of Resistance.Table of ContentsList of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments Acronyms Introduction 1: The Sources of Central American Unrest 2: United States Intervention 3: Low-Intensity Warfare 4: Launching the Peace Movement 5: Grasping the Big Picture 6: The Social Structure of Moral Outrage 7: The Individual Activists 8: Negotiating Strategies and Collective Identity 9: Fighting Battles of Public Discourse 10: Facing Harassment and Repression 11: Problems for Protesters Closer to Home 12: The Movement's Demise 13: What Did the Movement Achieve? 14: Lessons for Social-Movement Theory Appendix: The Distribution and Activities of Central America Peace Movement Organizations Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA Washington Post Notable Work of NonfictionFrom the moment Chief Justice Roberts botched Barack Obama's oath of office, the relationship between the Court and the White House has been a fraught one. Grappling with issues as diverse as campaign finance, abortion, and the right to bear arms, the Roberts court has put itself squarely at the center of American political life. Jeffrey Toobin brilliantly portrays key personalities and cases and shows how the President was fatally slow to realize the importance of the judicial branch to his agenda. Combining incisive legal analysis with riveting insider details, The Oath is an essential guide to understanding the Supreme Court of our interesting times.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Top 10 Best Book of the YearA Washington Post Notable BookTheirs was the most captivating American political partnership since Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger: a bold and untested president and his seasoned, relentless vice president. Confronted by one crisis after another, they struggled to protect the country, remake the world, and define their own relationship along the way.The real story of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney is far more fascinating than the familiar suspicion that Cheney was the power behind the throne. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with key players, and thousands of pages of private notes, memos, and other internal documents, Baker paints a riveting portrait of a partnership that evolved dramatically over time, during an era marked by devastating terror attacks, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and financial collapse. Peter Baker has produced a monumental and definitive work that ranks with the be

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Book SynopsisFormer Senator Gary Hart’s The Republic of Conscience is a meditation on the growing gap between the founding principles of the United States Constitution and our current political landscape. Going back as early as 400 BC, the idea of a true republic has been threatened by narrow, special interests taking precedence over the commonwealth. The United States Constitution was drafted to protect against such corruption, but as Gary Hart details in The Republic of Conscience, America is nowhere near the republic it set out to be almost 250 years ago, falling to the very misconduct it hoped to avoid.   In his latest book, the former Colorado Senator and presidential contender describes ‘the increasing gap between purpose and performance’ in America, emphasizing how the sense of national interest has become distorted and diluted over time. Focusing on the years after World War II, Hart tackles major American institutioTrade Review“Gary Hart’s The Republic of Conscience is a thought-provoking analysis of modern American democracy and how powerful special interests have impacted our national security and civil society. It’s a must-read from one of the brightest minds of his generation.” —Senator John McCain “Gary Hart may be out of office but he’ s not out of ideas. This provocative analysis is a welcome addition to the national dialogue that should take place in both parties, the news media and the electorate as we head into another presidential election with a political system so broken it is shameful.” —Tom Brokaw This is a passionate and powerful plea for us Americans to recover the democratic-republican principles of the founders, a plea that is made all the more effective by the book’s clear and forceful prose. The idealism that runs through the book is not utopian; it is firmly grounded in the extensive civic experience of the author and in his clear-eyed appreciation of the realities of our twenty-first century world. It’s a very persuasive book. —Gordon S. Wood, Alva O. Way Professor of History Emeritus, Brown UniversityA self-proclaimed "political fundamentalist" and staunch proponent for the reformation of the "massively corrupt" congressional structure, [Hart] intelligently appraises government first from a historical context, referencing the Constitution, the ideals of past presidents, Federalists, and even foreign theorists like Machiavelli. He contrasts this with an astute discussion on the decline in moral authority of 21st-century governmental policy and procedure, and he places blame on the country's foreign entanglements, its accepted "burden of policing the world," deteriorating social justice, and an imbalance of security and liberty—none of which our pragmatic forebears ever intended. Hart is insistent that the only way to improve our governmental track record is to restrategize with progressive thinking, the reconciliation of current political policies, and a divergence from the concentrated economic powers that have such an undue influence on members of Congress and other politicians … Hart's impassioned plea for reform seeks to empower political compatriots to rethink the direction of U.S. governance, thus closing "the gap between promise and performance." A proactive appeal to restore confidence in the American republic. --Kirkus

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisUses a multimethod research design, incorporating quantitative and qualitative analyses, to examine the ways that the US Congress has used the legislative veto over the past 80 years. This parliamentary manoeuvre raises troubling questions about the fundamental principle of separation of governmental powers.

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