Political campaigning and advertising Books

Book Synopsis'Understanding what is happening in our country is critical if we want to fix it and Robert Reich is an exceptional teacher.' - Senator Bernie SandersMillions of Americans have lost confidence in their political and economic system. After years of stagnant wages, volatile job markets, and an unwillingness by those in power to deal with profound threats such as climate change, there is a mounting sense that the system is fixed, serving only those select few with enough money to secure a controlling stake. In The System Robert B. Reich shows how wealth and power have interacted to install an elite oligarchy, eviscerate the middle class, and undermine democracy. Addressing himself Jamie Dimon, the powerful banker and chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, Reich exposes how those at the top, be they Democrats or Republicans, propagate myths about meritocracy, national competitiveness, corporate social responsibility, and the 'free market' to distract most Americans from their own accumulation of extraordinary wealth, and their power over the system. Instead of answering the call to civic duty, they have chosen to uphold self-serving policies that line their own pockets and benefit their bottom line. Reich's objective is not to foster cynicism, but rather to demystify the system so that American voters might instill fundamental change and demand that democracy works for the majority once again.Trade ReviewRobert Reich is one of the most important voices in America, fighting for an economy that works for all people and not just those at the top. Understanding what is happening in our country is critical if we want to fix it and Robert Reich is an exceptional teacher. -- Senator Bernie SandersRobert Reich is one our country's most insightful commentators on politics and economics. Both a diagnosis and a call to arms, The System shows how our economy and our democracy are rigged to work for the wealthy and well-connected. Change is possible - if we are willing to fight for it. -- Senator Elizabeth WarrenIn this book Robert Reich exposes the con job of America’s present manic hyper-capitalism. He exposes a ‘system’ that is defined less by free markets than by elite capture. He shatters the myths about rising tides and boats and slices of pie and whatever else those hackneyed people say, propelled by the insight that while money may not be a zero-sum situation, power is. -- Anand Giridharadas, author of Winners Take All

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Book SynopsisThe greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This title looks at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results.Trade Review"The best political book this year."--Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times "Caplan thinks that democracy as it is now practiced cannot be salvaged, and his position is based on a simple observation: 'Democracy is a commons, not a market.'"--Louis Menand, The New Yorker "One of the two or three best books on public choice in the last twenty years."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "Like a few recent best sellers--Freakonomics, The Tipping Point, The Wisdom of Crowds--The Myth of the Rational Voter unwraps economic theories and applies them to everyday life. Mr. Caplan's thesis, though, lacks any semblance of a compliment: The 'unwisdom of crowds' is closer to his point. He believes that the American public is biased against sensible, empirically proved economic policies about which nearly all economists agree. Voters, he says, are not just ignorant in the sense of having insufficient information. They actually hold wrong-headed and damaging beliefs about how the economy works."--Daniel Casse, The Wall Street Journal "[P]rovocative."--Elsa Dixler, New York Times Book Review "The Myth of the Rational Voter usefully extends the discussion [about democracy] by linking it with 'public choice' theory... Public choice theory faces a dilemma. A rational and self-interested person has no incentive to study political issues, as the chances of his or her determining the outcome are negligible. This has become known as 'rational ignorance'. Caplan maintains that the reality is much worse. He shows that voters are not just ignorant but systematically biased in favor of mistaken views."--Samuel Brittan, Financial Times "Caplan is right to detect a stubborn irrationality in ordinary voters and he correctly points out to his rational choice colleagues that their models are hopelessly unrealistic."--Martin Leet, Australian Review of Public Affairs "Caplan argues convincingly that irrational behaviour is pervasive among many of us today... Caplan's point, however, is that most voters are irrational. And that is worse than being ignorant... Their irrationality comes with a host of misconceptions that drive policy choices."--Fazil Mihlar, The Vancouver Sun "This engaging and provocative volume describes why democracy gives us far less than its promise. Countering existing theories of rationally ignorant voters, Caplan argues persuasively that voters are irrational, registering systematically biased beliefs--and consequently votes--against markets and other sound economy policy metrics... [T]his is a compelling book, offering readers a well-written and well-argued competing theory for why democracy fails and why we should limit what is done through the political process."--M. Steckbeck, Choice "[Caplan] argues that voters' own irrational biases, rather than flaws in the democratic process, compel voters to support policies that are not in their interest. While one may quibble with his specifics, the overall argument is convincing and applicable across a variety of fields...Forces the reader to take a second look at our nation's unshakable faith in the wisdom of the electorate."--Pio Szamel, Harvard Political Review "A brilliant and disturbing analysis of decision making by electorates that--[Caplan] documents--are perversely ignorant and woefully misinformed."--Neil Reynolds, The Globe and Mail "Scintillating... Outstanding."--Gene Epstein, Barron's Magazine "Kudos to Caplan for not wanting to leave well enough alone, but he could have given democracy more credit for diffusing--to the relatively benign act of voting--irrational and reactionary human behaviour that has in the past led to violence and war. In the meantime, it certainly would not hurt for more people to learn about the law of supply and demand."--Adam Fleisher, International Affairs "Caplan's book is a major accomplishment, which breaks new ground in our understanding of democratic politics and opens up a new research territory for further exploration."--Gene Callahan, Independent Review "[Persons] who do not grasp the lessons in Bryan's book cannot understand politics as well as persons who do grasp those lessons. Buy a copy. Read it. Ponder it. Learn."--Don Bourdreaux, Cafe HayekTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix INTRODUCTION: The Paradox of Democracy 1 CHAPTER 1: Beyond the Miracle of Aggregation 5 CHAPTER 2: Systematically Biased Beliefs about Economics 23 CHAPTER 3: Evidence from the Survey of Americans and Economists on the Economy 50 CHAPTER 4: Classical Public Choice and the Failure of Rational Ignorance 94 CHAPTER 5: Rational Irrationality 114 CHAPTER 6: From Irrationality to Policy 142 CHAPTER 7: Irrationality and the Supply Side of Politics 166 CHAPTER 8: "Market Fundamentalism" versus the Religion of Democracy 182 CONCLUSION: In Praise of the Study of Folly 205 NOTES 211 REFERENCES 237 INDEX 267

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Book Synopsis The Sunday Times Number One BestsellerComplete with new afterword where she discusses the past eighteen months since President Donald Trump has been serving in office. ‘A compelling read’ - Financial Times ‘A sporadically absorbing, pleasingly vengeful and often darkly funny account of one woman’s bid for presidential history.’ Sunday Times ‘Her new book is more gossipy, it is meaner, more entertaining and more wrong-headed than anything she or her speechwriters have written before.’ Observer ‘What Happened is highly entertaining. It is spirited, well-written and informative.’ Guardian'In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.' -

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Book SynopsisParty competition for votes in free and fair elections involves complex interactions by multiple actors in political landscapes. This title offers a comprehensive treatment of party competition using the computational techniques of agent-based modeling. It shows how agent-based modeling can be used to reflect how political systems really work.Trade Review"[T]he book is an excellent starting point for everyone interested in party competition and provides food for future agent-based research."--Victor M. Eguiluz, JASSS "Besides political scientists who are interested in the topic, this book is well suited for any social scientist who looks for an exemplary introduction to basic techniques of simulation-based research."--Johannes Zschache, RMM "This is a rich and provocative book... For methodologically sophisticated political scientists, and especially those interested in spatial analysis, this is no doubt the best introduction available to the challenging, exciting, and, to many, still mysterious worlds of agent-based modeling."--Charles H. Blake, Perspectives on PoliticsTable of ContentsPreface vii Acknowledgments xiii Part One: Preliminaries 1 Chapter 1. Modeling Multiparty Competition 3 Chapter 2. Spatial Dynamics of Political Competition 15 Chapter 3. A Baseline ABM of Party Competition 28 Chapter 4. Systematically Interrogating Agent-Based Models 56 Part Two: The Basic Model 83 Chapter 5. Benchmarking the Baseline Model 85 Chapter 6. Endogenous Parties, Interaction of Different Decision Rules 106 Chapter 7. New Decision Rules, New Rule Features 132 Part Three: Extensions and Empirics 157 Chapter 8. The Evolutionary Dynamics of Decision Rule Selection 159 Chapter 9. Nonpolicy Factors in Party Competition 183 Chapter 10. Party Leaders with Policy Preferences 206 Chapter 11. Using Theoretical Models to Analyze Real Party Systems 228 Chapter 12. In Conclusion 258 References 267 Index 275

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly funny novel from the author of ‘The Abstinence Teacher’ and ‘Little Children’, made into an acclaimed film starring Reece Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick.Trade Review‘As J D Salinger most expertly showed, a certain kind of wit – honest, nervous and brave – often offers the only shield, however flimsy, against the true heart of adolescence. Perrotta captures this humour…“Election” provides those gratifyingly exact and telling portraits of the kids themselves. Solid plotting will guarentee that the reader really does want to learn who wins when the ballots are finally counted.’ New York Times Book Review ‘Captures the texture of high-school life in a refreshingly unromantic way’. Time Out New York ‘A neatly written, nimble-witted novel…a good-natured John Irvingesque portrait of the contemporary world…seamless storytelling.’ Washington Post ‘A darkly comic and winning novel.’ San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisThe history of American oratory exhibits, in the words of William F. Buckley, “powerful ignition points for hot flashes of indignation, contempt, rage, veneration and yearning.” This volume (the second of an unprecedented two-volume collection) gathers the unabridged texts of 83 eloquent and dramatic speeches delivered by 45 American public figures between 1865 and 1997, beginning with Abraham Lincoln’s last speech on Reconstruction and ending with Bill Clinton’s heartfelt tribute to the Little Rock Nine. During this period American political oratory continued to evolve, as a more conversational style, influenced by the intimacy of radio and television, emerged alongside traditional forms of rhetoric.Included are speeches on Reconstruction by Thaddeus Stevens and African-American congressman Robert Brown Elliott, Frederick Douglass’s brilliant oration on Abraham Lincoln, and Oliver Wendell Holmes’s “touched with fire” Memorial Day Address. Speeches by Robert Ingersoll and William Jennings Bryan capture the fervor of 19th-century political conventions, while Theodore Roosevelt and Carl Schurz offer opposing views on imperialism. Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell denounce the cruelty of lynching and the injustice of Jim Crow; Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt advocate the enfranchisement of women; and Woodrow Wilson and Henry Cabot Lodge present conflicting visions of the League of Nations.Also included are wartime speeches by George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower; an address on the atomic bomb by J. Robert Oppenheimer; Richard Nixon’s “Checkers Speech;” Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet;” Barry Goldwater’s speech to the 1964 Republican convention; Mario Savio urging Berkeley students to stop “the machine;” Barbara Jordan defending the Constitution during Watergate; and an extensive selection of speeches by Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.Each volume contains biographical and explanatory notes, and an indexLIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

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Book SynopsisThe instant #1 New York Times bestseller, now with an explosive new preface.From the reporter who was there at the very beginning comes the revealing inside story of the partnership between Steve Bannon and Donald Trump—the key to understanding the rise of the alt-right, the fall of Hillary Clinton, and the hidden forces that drove the greatest upset in American political history. Based on dozens of interviews conducted over six years, Green spins the master narrative of the 2016 campaign from its origins in the far fringes of right-wing politics and reality television to its culmination inside Trump’s penthouse on election night. The shocking elevation of Bannon to head Trump’s flagging presidential campaign on August 17, 2016, hit political Washington like a thunderclap and seemed to signal the meltdown of the Republican Party. Bannon was a bomb-throwing pugilist who’d never run a campaign and was despised by Democrats and

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Book SynopsisDonald Trump’s campaign and presidency represented a radical departure from political norms that are often classified by media and researchers as ‘populist’. Instead, this book theorizes Trump’s campaign and presidency with reference to Mikhail Bakhtin’s "carnival" – a medieval festival of transgression, ridicule, and renewal. In this book, Lisa Gaufman and Bharath Ganesh provide a closer insight into the Trump Carnival, developing interdisciplinary perspectives on populism, misogyny, misinformation, and far-right vernacular culture. Building on the idea of the carnivalesque, this book focuses on the laughing culture of the Trump campaigns and presidency that vilified minorities, disparaged women, and ultimately emboldened the far right. Bringing Bakhtin into dialogue with key developments in contemporary politics, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Trump phenomenon, American politics, and populism.

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Book SynopsisIn a sweeping work of reportage set over the course of 2016, New York Times bestselling author Ben Fountain recounts a surreal year of politics and an exploration of the third American existential crisis Twice before in its history, the United States has been faced with a crisis so severe it was forced to reinvent itself in order to survive: first, the struggle over slavery, culminating in the Civil War, and the second, the Great Depression, which led to President Roosevelt’s New Deal and the establishment of America as a social-democratic state. In a sequence of essays that excavate the past while laying bare the political upheaval of 2016, Ben Fountain argues that the United States may be facing a third existential crisis, one that will require a “burning” of the old order as America attempts to remake itself.Beautiful Country Burn Again narrates a shocking year in American politics, moving from the early days of t

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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 Synopsis#1 New York Times BestsellerFox News Channel’s Chief Political Anchor illuminates the heroic life of Ulysses S. Grant To Rescue the Republic is narrative history at its absolute finest. A fast-paced, thrilling and enormously important book. —Douglas BrinkleyAn epic history spanning the battlegrounds of the Civil War and the violent turmoil of Reconstruction to the forgotten electoral crisis that nearly fractured a reunited nation, Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Republic dramatically reveals Ulysses S. Grant’s essential yet underappreciated role in preserving the United States during an unprecedented period of division.Born a tanner’s son in rugged Ohio in 1822 and battle-tested by the Mexican American War, Grant met his destiny on the bloody fields of the Civil War. His daring and resolve as a general gained the attention of President Lincoln, then desperate for bold leadership. Lincoln appointed Grant as Lieutenant General of the Union Army in March 1864. Within a year, Grant’s forces had seized Richmond and forced Robert E. Lee to surrender.Four years later, the reunified nation faced another leadership void after Lincoln’s assassination and an unworthy successor completed his term. Again, Grant answered the call. At stake once more was the future of the Union, for though the Southern states had been defeated, it remained to be seen if the former Confederacy could be reintegrated into the country—and if the Union could ensure the rights and welfare of African Americans in the South. Grant met the challenge by boldly advancing an agenda of Reconstruction and aggressively countering the Ku Klux Klan. In his final weeks in the White House, however, Grant faced a crisis that threatened to undo his life’s work. The contested presidential election of 1876 produced no clear victory for either Republican Rutherford B. Hayes or Democrat Samuel Tilden, who carried most of the former Confederacy. Soon Southern states vowed to revolt if Tilden was not declared the victor. Grant was determined to use his influence to preserve the Union, establishing an electoral commission to peaceably settle the issue. Grant brokered a grand bargain: the installation of Republican Hayes to the presidency, with concessions to the Democrats that effectively ended Reconstruction. This painful compromise saved the nation, but tragically condemned the South to another century of civil-rights oppression.Deep with contemporary resonance and brimming with fresh detail that takes readers from the battlefields of the Civil War to the corridors of power where men decided the fate of the nation in back rooms, To Rescue the Republic reveals Grant, for all his complexity, to be among the first rank of American heroes.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis hefty volume takes a multidisciplinary look at the machinations involved in electoral persuasion... Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and faculty. * J. A. Hardenbrook, Carroll University *Table of Contents1. A Framework for the Study of Electoral Persuasion Elizabeth Suhay, Bernard Grofman, and Alexander H. Trechsel Part I. General Models of Political Persuasion 2. Classic Models of Persuasion Richard R. Lau 3. When, How, and Why Persuasion Fails: A Motivated Reasoning Account Ryan G. Cotter, Milton Lodge, and Robert Vidigal 4. The Boundary Conditions of Motivated Reasoning Ryan G. Cotter, Milton Lodge, and Robert Vidigal 5. Reasoned Persuasion Bernard Grofman 6. Persuasion and Issue Voting Bernard Grofman 7. Party Cues John G. Bullock 8. How the News Media Persuades: Framing Effects and Beyond Thomas J. Leeper and Rune Slothuus 9. The Emotional Aspects of Political Persuasion Bethany Albertson, Lindsay Dun, and Shana Kushner Gadarian 10. Do Election Campaigns Matter? A Comparative Perspective and Overview J. Alexander Branham and Christopher Wlezien Part II. Persuasion by Parties, Candidates, and Outside Groups 11. The Utility and Content of Traditional Ads Michael Franz 12. The Persuasion Effects of Political Endorsements Cheryl Boudreau 13. Mobilization Strategies and Get Out the Vote Melissa R. Michelson 14. Appealing to Diverse Electorates in the United States David M. Searle and Marisa Abrajano 15. Race and Racism in U.S. Campaigns Christopher Sebastian Parker, Christopher C. Towler, Loren Collingwood, and Kassra AR Oskooii 16. Gendered Aspects of Political Persuasion in Campaigns Kelly Dittmar 17. Persuasion and Non-Party Groups in the Digital Age Deana A. Rohlinger 18. Interest Groups and Elections Jeffrey M. Berry 19. How Electoral Spending Relates to Political Persuasion David B. Magleby 20. Low-Resource Candidates and Fundraising Appeals Richard Johnson Part III. Media Influence 21. Campaigns and Elections in a Changing Media Landscape Michael X. Delli Carpini and Bruce A. Williams 22. Sowing Distrust of the News Media as an Electoral Strategy Jonathan M. Ladd and Alexander R. Podkul 23. Beyond Infotainment: Political-Entertainment Media and Electoral Persuasion Geoffrey Baym and R. Lance Holbert 24. Horse-Race and Game-Framed Journalism's Effects on Turnout, Vote Choice, and Attitudes toward Politics Benjamin Toff 25. Misinformation, Fake News, and Dueling Fact Perceptions in Public Opinion and Elections David C. Barker and Morgan Marietta 26. Conspiracy Theories Joseph E. Uscinski 27. Polarization and Media Usage: Disentangling Causality Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, Matthew A. Baum, and Adam J. Berinsky 28. National and Cross-National Perspectives on Political Media Bias Yphtach Lelkes 29. The Incentives and Effects of Independent and Government-Controlled Media in the Developing World Horacio Larreguy and John Marshall Part IV. Interpersonal Influence 30. Persuasion in Interpersonal Networks Anand Edward Sokhey and Carey Stapleton 31. Social Network Effects in Developing Countries Cesi Cruz, Horacio Larreguy, and John Marshall 32. Voter Mobilization in Intimate Networks Florian Foos and Eline A. de Rooij 33. Citizen Deliberation Online Patrícia Rossini and Jennifer Stromer-Galley 34. Networks and Media Influence David A. Siegel 35. Bandwagon Effects, Information Cascades, and the Power in Numbers Susanne Lohmann 36. Lobbying Networks Jennifer Nicoll Victor Part V. Electoral Persuasion across Contexts 37. Electoral Persuasion in the New Democracies: Challenges and Opportunities Rosario Aguilar and Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz 38. A Menu of Clientelist Methods to Buy and Coerce Voters: The Dark Side of Electoral Persuasion Gilles Serra 39. How and Why the Populist Radical Right Persuades Citizens Elisabeth Ivarsflaten, Scott Blinder, and Lise Bjånesøy 40. The Strategic Adaptation of the Populist Radical Right in Western Europe: Shifting the Party Message Elie Michel 41. Party Nominations and Electoral Persuasion J. Andrew Sinclair 42. Persuasion and Ballot Propositions Shaun Bowler and Stephen P. Nicholson 43. Online versus Offline Strategies in Comparative Perspective Tiago Silva 44. Voting Advice Applications: The Power of Self-Persuasion Alexander H. Trechsel and Diego Garzia 45. How Voters Distort Their Perceptions and Why This Matters Andrea De Angelis Part VI. Empirical Methodologies for Understanding Electoral Persuasion 46. Accounting for Complex Survey Designs: Strategies for Post-stratification and Weighting of Internet Surveys Erin Hartman and Ines Levin 47. Debating How to Measure Media Exposure in Surveys Seth K. Goldman and Stephen M. Warren 48. Studying Electoral Persuasion Using Online Experiments Thomas J. Leeper 49. Citizens, Elites, and Social Media: Methodological Challenges and Opportunities in the Study of Persuasion and Mobilization Philip Habel and Yannis Theocharis

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Book SynopsisIn a book that blends anecdote with analysis, Kathleen Hall Jamieson--author of the award-winning Packaging the Presidency--offers a perceptive and often disturbing account of the transformation of political speechmaking. Jamieson addresses such fundamental issues about public speaking as what talents and techniques differentiate eloquent speakers from non-eloquent speakers. She also analyzes the speeches of modern presidents from Truman to Reagan and of political players from Daniel Webster to Mario Cuomo. Ranging from the classical orations of Cicero to Kennedy''s Ich bin ein Berliner speech, this lively, well-documented volume contains a wealth of insight into public speaking, contemporary characteristics of eloquence, and the future of political discourse in America.Trade Review"An eye-opening, well-written text which clearly describes how radio and television have influenced our political discourse. No one can fully understand politics in the Electronic Era without consulting this fine volume."--David W. Anderson, Indiana University, South Bend"In her most timely and instructive book, Eloquence in an Electronic Age, Jamieson...casts her learning on the political rhetoric (or 'eloquence') of today, drawing on fascinating comparisons with historical practice....Applying her own criteria, we see that Ms. Jamieson's work not only makes an excellent book, but it would make an excellent speech."--James David Barber, The New York Times Book Review"Kathleen Hall Jamieson has produced an interesting, well-researched and indeed important book ..." Political Studies"Stimulating and thoughtful....Jamieson takes us on a tour of rhetoric from the Greeks to Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, with side trips to examine the problems of less successful communicators, such as Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter."--The Christian Science Monitor"An excellent summary of a subject that in some ways touches us all. Jamieson's in-depth summaries of the speaking styles of Truman, Dewey, Reagan, Carter, Bush, and Ferraro are classic and classy."--Kirkus Reviews"Jamieson's scholarship, her command of ideas, and her insights are superb."--Los Angeles Times"A brilliant and engrossing study of how American rhetoric has changed over the years....Rich in anecdote, often extremely funny, scholarly, and somewhat unsettling."--The Washington Post Book World"A brilliant and engrossing study of how American rhetoric has changed over the years. It is rich in anecdote, often extremely funny, scholarly, and somewhat unsettling....This is [also] an important book, about much more than highfalutin' phrasing. It is about our very soul as a nation, for what our leaders say reflects what we are.""--The Washington Post Book World"In this important study of the impact of television on presidential rhetoric, Kathleen Hall Jamieson shows how successful (and not so successful) presidents have measured up to the demand for up-close and personal communication....Couldn't be more timely. It conveys an enormous amount of information, some of it academic, some of it anecdotal, with charm and wit and wisdom."--The Houston Post"I'm extremely pleased by the integration of rhetorical theory with practical concerns of providing explanation and advice about political advice."--John McKiernan, University of South Dakota"An interesting book on a most important topic!"--David A. Freeman, Washburn University"If there was ever a doubt that the mass media have changed politics, Jamieson's work removes that doubt once and for all."--Robert R. Mendenhall, Southwestern Adventist College"I'm extremely pleased by the integrtion of rhetorical theory into practical concerns of providing explanation and advice about political rhetoric."--John McKiernan, University of South Dakota"Insightful and thought provoking, Eloquence reminds students of the critical role of public discourse in the past and challenges them to apply critical tools of analysis to contemporary political and social leaders as they address the key issues of the day."--Dr. Kevin Dean, West Chester University"Conveys an enormous amount of information, some of it academic, some of it anecdotal, with charm and wit and wisdom. Its central thesis--that the TV style is the effeminate style--has remarkable explanatory power."--Christian Science Monitor"This volume is essential reading for political scientists, historians, and scholars of political communication."--Presidential Studies Quarterly"An excellent summary of a subject that in some ways touches us all. Jamieson's in-depth summaries of the speaking styles of Truman, Dewey, Reagan, Carter, Bush, and Ferraro are classic and classy."--Kirkus Reviews"[Jamieson's] probing analysis of presidential rhetoric provides some fascinating insights into the minds of America's recent leaders."--Booklist

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Book SynopsisNational Identity Identity and Partisan Polarization examines how national identity has become a central issue in political and social life across the world. Questions of identity--who should be counted as a true member of a society and who deserves assistance from the government--have displaced other social and economic issues across nations in many countries. This study considers the role of identity theoretically and in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Israel, and Taiwan. Identity varies over time and over countries. Some such as Sweden have a more inclusive sense of identity--one does not need to be born in the country or have ancestry to be considered a true Swede. Other countries, such as Austria, France, Hungary, Poland, Israel, and Taiwan, have a more exclusive notion of identity--where one was born and a common heritage (race, religion, ethnicity) are seen as essential for seeing others as true members of society. OutsidTrade ReviewThere is no doubt this is a hugely important book. In the current era, there is an urgent need to understand better why a feeling of national identity seems such a powerful attitude. This volume brings everything together to arrive at this understanding. It offers the accumulation of a lifetime of profound scholarly work. The combination of historical evidence and a profound knowledge of data and statistical analysis is more than impressive. This book brings also a powerful moral message: it demonstrates how important education, and the universal access to education are. The evidence, assembled in this volume is just overwhelming and conclusive; and it sheds new light on current debates. Uslaner shows in this volume what political science can do, based on rigorous methods, and how this work can lead to a more just society. Maybe that is the most important contribution political science has to offer. * Marc Hooghe, University of Leuven (Belgium) *This volume is an important book on an important topic. Employing data from ten widely different cultures, it nails down the significance of national identity throughout the globe. Besides political scientists, this book should also be of great interest to sociologists and social psychologists. * Thomas F. Pettigrew, University of California, Santa Cruz *In National Identity and Partisan Polarization, Uslaner presents an array of empirical data showing how the partisan divisions in modern democracies have shifted from economic issues to questions of national identity, and how democracies differ in their willingness to treat diverse populations inclusively. This book is critical in understanding the nature of today's politics, from a top scholar in the field. * Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University *At a time when nationalistic political parties are experiencing an upsurge in many countries, this is a valuable contribution to our understanding of the meanings and variations among national identities. I am especially impressed with the book's fair and balanced treatment as well as the extensive research that underlies this important comparative inquiry. * Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University *This is an excellent book, providing a fascinating account of some of the most important questions of our time. Uslaner, a leading social capital theorist, scrutinizes the increasing political significance of national identity. * Nils Holtug, University of Copenhagen *This is a singular study of inflamed politics. It is exceptional in scope, covering ten counties in all, drawing on a massive number of public opinion surveys and voting studies. And it floodlights a climactic dimension of contemporary political polarization—the electoral battle between political parties committed to opposing conceptions of national identity. * Paul Sniderman, Stanford University *The relationship between national identity and politics is one of the most pressing issues in current politics. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the current political situation in Western countries. * Bo Rothstein, University of Gothenburg *Understanding the interplay between national identity and political polarisation is a central issue of our age, and Eric Uslaner handles it with depth and subtlety. Ranging across ten countries, this book brings together a rich understanding of history and a deep dive into the data. If you've ever wondered why nations have different answers to the question 'who is a true member of our society?', then this book is a must-read. * Andrew Leigh, Parliament of Australia *If you want to understand why politics has become increasingly and dangerously polarized, Ric Uslaner's new book provides important insights. As Uslaner explains, people with an "exclusive" national identity often perceive grave threats from "outsiders," which has unleashed challenging political forces. Donald Trump is one manifestation of national identity politics, but there are many others around the world. Uslaner makes clear that national identity and perceived threats to it play a critical role in our current predicament. That not every country's politics has been as consumed by tribalism provides some hope for better management of these forces. * David Madland, Center for American Progress, and author of Re-Union *Eric Uslaner did it again. One of the most prolific political scientists of our generation, has deciphered the link between national identity and political polarization in a wide-ranging study that includes ten different countries. Beyond being a gifted scholar, Uslaner has earned a reputation for his phenomenal writing ability, which he demonstrates in the book. Like its predecessors, this book will soon become one of the pillars of contemporary comparative political research. * Ami Pedahzur, The University of Texas at Austin *This book creatively explores the sources of political polarization across ten countries and over various time periods. It is a fine example of scholarship that zeroes in on the effects of diversifying societies on political outcomes. Based on a wealth of data sources and via sophisticated data analysis this book reveals that the determinants of polarization are found in the type of national identity electorates possess, rather than in the countries' institutional variation as oftentimes claimed. Guided by the idea as to who counts as a 'true member of society,' the book powerfully demonstrates the importance of being moored to a sense of belonging, community, and identity in shaping people's political choices. * Markus M. L. Crepaz, University of Georgia *At a time when researchers talk about a dispersed identity when borders are disappearing, and citizens try to belong to many, often difficult to define, places, Eric M. Uslaner's book National Identity and Partisan Polarization is indispensable reading. It shows the processes of redefining national identities and using political identities in political communication. Comparing the indicated approaches in different countries increases the book's value, showing the role of specific factors. * Agnieszka Turska-Kawa, University of Silesia in Katowice *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The United States Chapter 3: The United Kingdom Chapter 4: France Chapter 5: Germany and Austria Chapter 6: Sweden Chapter 7: Central and Eastern Europe Chapter 8: Israel and Taiwan Chapter 9: Deservingness Chapter 10: Reprise References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn this important book, Adam Harris develops a novel theory of how ethnic attributes shape attachments to identities with implications for political behavior. He rigorously scrutinizes his theory using a range of original experimental and observational approaches, which are ultimately compelling. In turn, Everyday Identity and Electoral Politics simultaneously contributes to scholarly literatures on comparative ethnic politics and to our understanding of racial politics in the important South African case. * Evan Lieberman, Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Harris deftly moves us beyond binaries of 'co-ethnic' and 'non-coethnic', developing a nuanced concept of ethnic distance, to understand political behavior in diverse societies. Through a rich, multi-method study around the 2014 South African elections, as well as evidence from the United States and Uganda, Harris's must-read book elevates literatures on ethnic politics to new theoretical and empirical heights. * Gwyneth McClendon, Associate Professor in the Wilf Family Department of Politics, New York University *In an exciting twist to the co-ethnic voting literature, Harris argues for the importance of 'everyday' interactions in shaping political behavior. Individuals who look different from the group norm vote against the group norm and do so because other group members treat them differently. Required reading for anyone interested in the microfoundations of ethnic voting. * Karen Ferree, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California-San Diego *Adam Harris has produced an impressive study that takes us beyond conventional wisdom in understanding how ethnic and racial identities shape political preferences. Based on insightful theorizing and original empirics, Harris provides a nuanced depiction of identity construction and how it differentially affects people's everyday life experiences. This book offers profound insights for anyone who seeks to understand the complex impact of race or ethnicity on political behavior in diverse societies around the world. * Leonardo R. Arriola, Director of the Center for African Studies, University of California, Berkeley *

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Book SynopsisPublic opinion and the media form the foundation of the United States'' representative democracy. They are the subject of enormous scrutiny by scholars, pundits, and ordinary citizens. This Oxford Handbook takes on the ''big questions'' about public opinion and the media-both empirical and normative-focusing on current debates and social scientific research. Bringing together the thinking of a team of leading academic experts, its chapters provide a cutting assessment of contemporary research on public opinion, the media, and their interconnections. Emphasizing changes in the mass media and communications technology-the vast number of cable channels, websites and blogs, and the new social media, which are changing how news about political life is collected and conveyed-they describe the evolving information interdependence of the media and public opinion. In addition, the volume reviews the wide range of influences on public opinion, including the processes by which information communiTable of ContentsPART I INTRODUCTION; PART II THE MEDIA; PART III PUBLIC OPINION; PART IV ISSUES AND POLITICS

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Book SynopsisThe Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for big time power by explaining and analysing the 2008 Presidential campaign in the United States.Trade ReviewIn an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture. * Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia *Table of ContentsPreface ; Prologue ; Power, Performance and Representation ; Chapter 1 Civil Sphere and Public Drama ; Chapter 2 Becoming a Collective Representation ; Chapter 3 Spirit of the Ground Game ; Heroes, Binaries and Boundaries ; Chapter 4 Imagining Heroes ; Chapter 5 Working the Binaries ; Chapter 6 Walking the Boundaries ; Victory and Defeat ; Chapter 7 Celebrity Metaphor ; Chapter 8 Palin Effect ; Chapter 9 Financial Crisis ; Epilogue ; Note on Concept and Method ; Appendix ; Endnotes ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn 2011, the international community watched as a shockingly unlikely community of citizens toppled three of the world''s most entrenched dictators: Ben Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt, and Qaddafi in Libya. This movement of cascading democratization, commonly known as the Arab Spring, was planned and executed not by political parties, but by students, young entrepreneurs, and the rising urban middle class. International experts and the popular press have pointed to the near-identical reliance on digital media in all three movements, arguing that these authoritarian regimes were in essence defeated by the Internet. Is that true? Should Mubarak blame Twitter for his sudden fall from power? Did digital media cause the Arab Spring? In Democracy''s Fourth Wave?, Philip N. Howard and Muzammil M. Hussain examine the complex role of the Internet, mobile phones, and social networking applications in the Arab Spring. Examining digital media access, level of grievance, and levels of protest forTrade ReviewDemocracy's Fourth Wave? guides readers through the avalanche of factors that meshed with digital media to produce the Arab Spring. The authors subtly adapt traditional methodologies to decode mysteries of complex causal effects. In doing so, their book brings clarity and insight to the conundrums of new technologies as factors in regime fragility and protest success. * Monroe E. Price, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania *This unprecedented multidisciplinary approach to the examination of the Arab Spring situates itself in digital revolutions and political transformations. I highly recommend it for students, activists, and policy makers seeking to understand how modern communication technologies are driving the Fourth Wave of Democracy in the Arab world. * Imad Salamey, Associate Professor of Political Science, Lebanese American University *This book represents the first serious effort to transcend the polarized debate between cyber-utopians and tech-skeptics regarding digital media's role in the 2011 Arab Uprisings. Carefully argued and documented, it is of landmark importance and should be required reading for all those who seek to understand the interface of technology and political change and the future of democratization. * Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, author of Global Political Islam *Philip N. Howard and Muzammil M. Hussain's study implies that... digital media played a much longer term role in creating favorable conditions for uprisings, helped to publicize key igniting events, and then facilitated those uprisings and their diffusion; but digital media did not do this alone or as suddenly as some observers have claimed... There are a number of other unique contributions, but there is insufficient space to review them all. Overall, I predict that future research will look kindly to the authors' key findings, particularly the book's central claim that digital media were one essential ingredient in larger casual recipes for revolution and democratization. * Political Science Quarterly *Table of ContentsList of Tables ; List of Figures ; Acknowledgements ; Dedication ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: Digital Media and the Arab Spring ; Chapter 2: The Recent History of Digital Media and Dissent ; Chapter 3: Information Infrastructure and the Organization of Protest ; Chapter 4: Authoritarian Responses and Consequences ; Chapter 5: Al Jazeera, Social Media, and Digital Journalism ; Conclusion: Digital Media and the Rhythms of Social Change ; References ; Endnotes ; Index

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Book SynopsisFor decades, conventional wisdom has held that Americans hate negativity in political advertising. Arguing against this commonly held view, the authors show that some negativity is accepted by voters as part of the political process, but that negative advertising is necessary to convey valuable information that would not otherwise be revealed.Trade Review"As America continues to polarize, the frequency of attacks in campaigns will only increase. Despite evidence showing that negativity has many payoffs, there is still substantial doubt about such claims. This book enters that breach with a timely array of data and theory that should find many interested readers." (John G. Geer, Vanderbilt University)"

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Book SynopsisArgues that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other's views, voters - and the democratic process - benefit. This study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on political issues.Trade Review"This provocative and important book will be of interest not only to scholars in the fields of political advertising, media, and elections, but will also be vital to campaign consultants, political journalists, and political junkies of all sorts." - Ann Crigler, University of Southern California"

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1: Why Responsibility Matters 2: Framing Effects of News Coverage 3: Methods of Research 4: Effects of Framing on Attributions of Responsibility for Crime and Terrorism 5: Effects of Framing on Attributions of Responsibility for Poverty, Unemployment, and Racial Inequality 6: Effects of Framing on Attributions of Responsibility for the Iran-Contra Affair 7: Effects of Attributions on Issue-Specific Opinions 8: Effects of Attributions on General Opinions 9: The Role of Individual Differences Conclusion Appendix A: Content Analysis Appendix B: Field Experiments Appendix C: Correlational Analysis Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisThis analysis of the 1992 US presidential campaign looks at how citizens use information in the media to make their voting decisions and how politicians and the media interact to shape that information.

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Book SynopsisIn 2016, when millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, many believed his claims that personal wealth would free him from wealthy donors and allow him to drain the swamp. But then Trump appointed several billionaires and multimillionaires to high-level positions and pursued billionaire-friendly policies, such as cutting corporate income taxes. Why the change from his fiery campaign rhetoric and promises to the working class? This should not be surprising, argue Benjamin I. Page, Jason Seawright, and Matthew J. Lacombe: As the gap between the wealthiest and the rest of us has widened, the few who hold one billion dollars or more in net worth have begun to play a more and more active part in politicswith serious consequences for democracy in the United States. Page, Seawright, and Lacombe argue that while political contributions offer a window onto billionaires' influence, especially on economic policy, they do not present a full picture of policy preferences and political actions

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Book SynopsisIn 2016, when millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, many believed his claims that personal wealth would free him from wealthy donors and allow him to drain the swamp. But then Trump appointed several billionaires and multimillionaires to high-level positions and pursued billionaire-friendly policies, such as cutting corporate income taxes. Why the change from his fiery campaign rhetoric and promises to the working class? This should not be surprising, argue Benjamin I. Page, Jason Seawright, and Matthew J. Lacombe: As the gap between the wealthiest and the rest of us has widened, the few who hold one billion dollars or more in net worth have begun to play a more and more active part in politicswith serious consequences for democracy in the United States. Page, Seawright, and Lacombe argue that while political contributions offer a window onto billionaires' influence, especially on economic policy, they do not present a full picture of policy preferences and political actions

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Book SynopsisLainey Newman and Theda Skocpol provide timely insight into the relationship between the decline of unions and the shift of working-class voters away from Democrats.Trade ReviewWhen workers decades ago spoke the words, 'This is a union town!' they were describing not just a statistical fact but, more importantly, a lived and embedded reality. Unions, as Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol write, represented 'a dense social web of interconnected workers, family members and neighbors.' Rust Belt Union Blues is an immensely important book, both for politics and for the social sciences. Politically, it explains why many white workers strayed from their old Democratic loyalties not because their views changed radically but because of transformations in their reference points and the ways they answered the need for community. Rust Belt Union Blues also calls on social scientists to enrich and go beyond survey research by paying far more attention to the networks people build and the lives they live. This book deserves wide readership—and may it encourage more volumes like it. -- E.J. Dionne Jr., author of Why the Right Went Wrong, coauthor of 100% DemocracyIn recent decades many working-class voters have turned away from the Democratic Party, especially in the country's former industrial regions. Rust Belt Union Blues shows how the decline of labor unions contributed to this trend. Unions historically built solidarity around shared values in working-class communities; the erosion of union strength has weakened these communities and this solidarity, profoundly changing working-class life. Rust Belt Union Blues is fascinating and important reading for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of working-class politics in America. -- Jeffry Frieden, author of Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century and Its Stumbles in the Twenty-FirstHow refreshing to read a challenging account of how and why the Democratic Party lost a major constituency that attends to the people themselves, their communities, their organizations, and their struggles to make meaning of a politics that ceased to see them, hear them, or value them—to even respect them. For once, the authors enable us to hear the voices of human beings—not data points, utility functions, ideological categories, or labels. This work challenges us to focus on what a real constituency is—not a 'base' to be managed, but people who learn to stand together, work together, decide together, and act together. -- Marshall Ganz, Harvard Kennedy SchoolRead this book to better understand the roots of today’s political polarization. Newman and Skocpol document local unions’ historical role in the social life of manufacturing communities and show how deindustrialization and the disappearance of local unions helped turn these communities from blue to red. -- Frank Levy, MITA more granular look at the pre-Biden Democrats’ abandonment of working-class America...that illuminates the decline of an economic, social, and political world that once bolstered progressive and Democratic prospects. * American Prospect *Newman and Skocpol’s diagnosis of the causes and basic solution to the problem of working-class dealignment in the rust belt is right on the mark. * Jacobin *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Figures and Tables1. Understanding Social and Political Change in the Rust Belt2. The Social Underpinnings of the “Union Man”3. The Economic Breakdown of Big Labor from Without and Within4. Union Membership Transformed5. From Union Blue to Trump Red6. On Union Decline and the Potential for ResurgenceAppendix A. Voting Patterns in Western PennsylvaniaAppendix B. Sample Interview QuestionsAppendix C. Photographs in IBEW and USW NewslettersAppendix D. Local Union Mentions in IBEW and USW NewslettersNotesGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisPatrick J. Charles charts the rise of gun rights activism from the early twentieth century through the 1980 presidential election, pinpointing the role of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Offering a deep dive into the politicization of gun rights, Vote Gun reveals the origins of the acrimonious divisions that persist to this day.Trade ReviewIn Vote Gun, Patrick Charles sheds light on the historical origins of the gun debate, drawing on painstaking archival research and challenging received wisdom about the historical role of the “gun lobby.” This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the balance of gun rights and regulation in the United States. -- Joseph Blocher, coauthor The Positive Second Amendment: Rights, Regulation, and the Future of HellerVote Gun challenges the NRA’s narrative of its own history, including the claim that it has the power to swing elections, as well as the conventional wisdom that the NRA only became a fierce gun lobby in the late 1970s. The book is an important history of the role of the gun rights movement, as well as the evolution of gun politics and policy, throughout the first eight decades of the twentieth century. -- Kristin Goss, coauthor of The Gun Debate: What Everyone Needs to KnowAn illuminating history of an oft-misunderstood political movement, Vote Gun is a thorough and persuasive account of the rise and transformation of gun rights politics. Patrick Charles is one of the most respected voices on gun law historiography, and this meticulous account will further cement that status. -- Eric Ruben, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of LawNo study has excavated NRA history to this depth and detail. The basic outlines of this narrative have been often told, but Charles here provides a degree of detail, nuance, and complexity that has not been brought to light until now. This alone makes it an important, and also highly readable, contribution. -- Robert J. Spitzer, author of The Gun Dilemma: How History Is Against Expanded Gun RightsThe story put together here is an important one. * National Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. “A Shot Sure to Be Heard Around Congress”2. The Rise of the “Gun Lobby”3. The Great “Gun Lobby” Awakening4. A Political Synopsis of the Great “Gun Lobby” Awakening5. The Evolution of the NRA and Firearms Control Politics6. 1968: Firearms Control Becomes an Election Issue7. 1969–1970: The “No Compromise” Gun Rights Movement Arrives8. 1971–1974: Firearms Control Politics and the Saturday Night Special9. 1974–1980: The Gun Rights ReformationEpilogueNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisHow do upcoming elections influence presidents’ behavior during wartime? War on the Ballot examines how electoral politics shaped presidential decisions on military and diplomatic strategy during the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.Trade ReviewAndrew Payne has written a truly excellent book. From the Korean and Vietnam Wars to the recent conflict in Iraq, his copiously researched and cogently argued case studies persuasively underline the importance of elections in shaping crucial presidential decisions. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the politics of America’s wars. -- Steven Casey, author of The War Beat, Pacific: The American Media at War Against JapanWith its razor-sharp conceptual framework and meticulously researched cases—backed up by a treasure trove of sources—this book opens a new window on the many and often surprising effects of the U.S. electoral cycle on presidential decision-making in times of war. -- Louise Fawcett, author of Iran and the Cold WarAndrew Payne has written an important book on the impact of the electoral cycle on American foreign policy. His well-conceived model for how domestic political considerations affect decision-making is grounded on finely crafted and well-researched case studies of the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. An important contribution to a crucial dimension of American foreign-policy making. -- William B. Quandt, author of Camp David: Peacemaking and PoliticsWar on the Ballot is a richly detailed account of how electoral constraints affect presidential decision-making in war. In this important study of domestic politics and war, Payne shows how the shadow of an upcoming election can shape presidents’ choices—often with results that do not serve the voters well. -- Elizabeth N. Saunders, author of Leaders at War: How Presidents Shape Military InterventionsPayne effectively demonstrates that domestic electoral politics does indeed affect presidential decisions, often decisively. He presents the argument in such a systematic and persuasive way that it will be very difficult to read his book and still see the recent American wars in the same light. -- Thomas A. Schwartz, author of Henry Kissinger and American Power: A Political BiographyAndrew Payne’s War on the Ballot is replete with compelling evidence that attests to the influence of the electoral cycle on the military strategy of United States presidents. -- Jonny Hall, London School of Economics and Political Science * International Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Presidents, Politics, and War2. Korea: Truman, Eisenhower, and America’s First Limited War3. Vietnam: Lyndon Johnson and the “Americanization” of the War4. Vietnam: Richard Nixon and the “Vietnamization” of the War5. Iraq: George W. Bush and the Decision to Double Down6. Iraq: Barack Obama and the EndgameConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHow do upcoming elections influence presidents’ behavior during wartime? War on the Ballot examines how electoral politics shaped presidential decisions on military and diplomatic strategy during the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.Trade ReviewAndrew Payne has written a truly excellent book. From the Korean and Vietnam Wars to the recent conflict in Iraq, his copiously researched and cogently argued case studies persuasively underline the importance of elections in shaping crucial presidential decisions. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the politics of America’s wars. -- Steven Casey, author of The War Beat, Pacific: The American Media at War Against JapanWith its razor-sharp conceptual framework and meticulously researched cases—backed up by a treasure trove of sources—this book opens a new window on the many and often surprising effects of the U.S. electoral cycle on presidential decision-making in times of war. -- Louise Fawcett, author of Iran and the Cold WarAndrew Payne has written an important book on the impact of the electoral cycle on American foreign policy. His well-conceived model for how domestic political considerations affect decision-making is grounded on finely crafted and well-researched case studies of the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. An important contribution to a crucial dimension of American foreign-policy making. -- William B. Quandt, author of Camp David: Peacemaking and PoliticsWar on the Ballot is a richly detailed account of how electoral constraints affect presidential decision-making in war. In this important study of domestic politics and war, Payne shows how the shadow of an upcoming election can shape presidents’ choices—often with results that do not serve the voters well. -- Elizabeth N. Saunders, author of Leaders at War: How Presidents Shape Military InterventionsPayne effectively demonstrates that domestic electoral politics does indeed affect presidential decisions, often decisively. He presents the argument in such a systematic and persuasive way that it will be very difficult to read his book and still see the recent American wars in the same light. -- Thomas A. Schwartz, author of Henry Kissinger and American Power: A Political BiographyAndrew Payne’s War on the Ballot is replete with compelling evidence that attests to the influence of the electoral cycle on the military strategy of United States presidents. -- Jonny Hall, London School of Economics and Political Science * International Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Presidents, Politics, and War2. Korea: Truman, Eisenhower, and America’s First Limited War3. Vietnam: Lyndon Johnson and the “Americanization” of the War4. Vietnam: Richard Nixon and the “Vietnamization” of the War5. Iraq: George W. Bush and the Decision to Double Down6. Iraq: Barack Obama and the EndgameConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring collection of original writing from world-leading 'green' voices on why contact with nature is vital for our mental, physical and social wellbeingAlready, concrete outweighs every tree, bush and shrub on Earth. Nature deprivation is a fast-growing epidemic, harming the health and happiness of hundreds of millions of people worldwide - especially vulnerable and marginalized groups. To combat this, Nature is a Human Right, founded by Ellen Miles in 2020, is working to make access to green space a recognized right for all, not a privilege. This book brings together a collection of engaging essays, interviews and exercises, curated by Ellen, from a selection of expert ambassadors and supporters (including authors, scientists, human rights experts, TED speakers, and climate activists). Through each contributor, we discover a new perspective on why contact with nature should be a protected human right, journeying through personal narratives on mental health, disability, racism, environmental inequality, creativity, and activism. This is a captivating collection of original writing and ideas that highlights the importance of nature, the threats of nature deprivation, and the work that must be done to make our future happier, healthier and more equal.

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Book SynopsisEllen Miles is an activist and author whose work centres on bringing nature to neighbourhoods. She runs Nature is a Human Right, the campaign for the United Nations to enshrine daily access to nature as a legal right for all, and Dream Green, a social enterprise that helps communities get guerrilla gardening. @OctaviaChill

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Book SynopsisFrom the nation’s leading expert, an indispensable analysis of key threats to the integrity of the 2020 American presidential electionTrade Review“A prescient book.”—Adam Liptak, New York Times“Extremely timely...There are a lot of specific problems and I think [Hasen’s] got a handle on what those issues are and how to stay ahead of them.”—Pete Buttigieg, The Guardian [Interview]“There is no better work describing the astonishing attacks on the most basic element of our democracy—voting—nor a more hopeful account of the changes that could fix it. If there is a plan to establish democracy in America, this book is a central chapter.”—Lawrence Lessig, author of They Don’t Represent Us“Hasen’s informative and important book makes a compelling case for long-term, systemic reform of our elections."—Trevor Potter, Founder and President of the Campaign Legal Center"Voters losing faith in the integrity of elections is one of the greatest risks any democracy faces. Rick Hasen chronicles why that risk is increasing in the United States and what to do about it before it’s too late."—Richard H. Pildes, author of The Law of Democracy"Richard Hasen’s new book is well named, because unless we pay close attention and act fast, an election meltdown may be exactly what we get in 2020. If you want to see honest, fair elections in 2020 and beyond, you must read this book—and then act."—Larry J. Sabato, Director, University of Virginia Center for Politics

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Book SynopsisHow popular democracy has paradoxically eroded trust in political systems worldwide, and how to restore confidence in democratic politics Democracies across the world are adopting reforms to bring politics closer to the people. Parties have turned to primaries and local caucuses to select candidates. Ballot initiatives and referenda allow citizens to enact laws directly. Many democracies now use proportional representation, encouraging smaller, more specific parties rather than two dominant ones. Yet voters keep getting angrier. There is a steady erosion of trust in politicians, parties, and democratic institutions, culminating most recently in major populist victories in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. Frances Rosenbluth and Ian Shapiro argue that devolving power to the grass roots is part of the problem, not the solution. Efforts to decentralize political decision-making make governments and especially political parties less effective and less able to address coTrade Review“Other political parties across the Western world have, in the past few years, experienced hostile takeovers of their own . . . Responsible Parties is one of the first books to give serious attention to the political effects of this transformation.”—Yascha Mounk, New Yorker“A trenchant and fiercely argued diagnosis of the growing pathology of representative democracy.”—John Dunn, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Fellow of King's College, Cambridge"Democracies that serve majorities over the long run require strong, cohesive legislative parties. Full stop. In their brilliant analysis of party systems across post-industrial democracies—steeped in the latest scholarship, animated by dramatic stories, and made urgent by the dangerous flowering of extremist parties and demagogues—Rosenbluth and Shapiro serve as expert, impassioned guides to why we must have strong parties and why, in efforts to be more representative, parties everywhere are failing democracy."—Nancy Rosenblum, Senator Joseph S. Clark Research Professor of Ethics in Politics and Government, Harvard University"One of the best books in many years on comparative democratic politics . . . compelling, courageous, and unconventional . . . A must read for anyone interested in how to restore the vitality of our democratic institutions and politics."—Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU School of Law

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Book SynopsisUPDATED FOR THE 2016 ELECTIONThe book Politico calls “Moneyball for politics” shows how cutting-edge social science and analytics are reshaping the modern political campaign.Renegade thinkers are crashing the gates of a venerable American institution, shoving aside its so-called wise men and replacing them with a radical new data-driven order. We’ve seen it in sports, and now in The Victory Lab, journalist Sasha Issenberg tells the hidden story of the analytical revolution upending the way political campaigns are run in the 21st century.     The Victory Lab follows the academics and maverick operatives rocking the war room and re-engineering a high-stakes industry previously run on little more than gut instinct and outdated assumptions. Armed with research from behavioural psychology and randomized experiments that treat voters as unwitting guinea pigs, the smartest campaigns now believe they know who you will vote for even before you do.  Issenberg tracks these fascinating techniques—which include cutting edge persuasion experiments, innovative ways to mobilize voters, heavily researched electioneering methods—and shows how our most important figures, such as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, are putting them to use with surprising skill and alacrity.     Provocative, clear-eyed and energetically reported, The Victory Lab offers iconoclastic insights into political marketing, human decision-making, and the increasing power of analytics.

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Book Synopsis NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Explosive... A blistering tell-all.---Washington Post People should sit up, take notes and change things.---Ace Smith, Los Angeles Times Brazile most certainly has a story to tell.... Vivid.---The GuardianFrom Donna Brazile, former DNC chair and legendary political operative, an explosive and revealing new look at the 2016 election: the first insider account of the Russian hacking of the DNC and the missteps by the Clinton campaign and Obama administration that enabled a Trump victory.In the fallout of the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee--and as chaos threatened to consume the party''s convention--Democrats turned to a familiar figure to right the ship: Donna Brazile. Known to millions from her frequent TV appearances, she was no stranger to high stakes and dirty opponents, and the longtime Democratic straTrade ReviewWith bracing honesty, enchanting self-awareness, and a wonderful storyteller's voice, Donna Brazile recounts the fascinating inside story of the 2016 campaign and what it was like being hacked. It is a deeply emotional story, but she tells it with great humor and insight. Her book is filled with urgent history and vital lessons for living in this age of cyber warfare and political discontent. This book is a triumph. - Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs, The Innovators, and Leonardo da VinciThe former DNC chair's memoir of election defeat has it all... Brazile most certainly has a story to tell.... An easy and vivid read, everything one expects in a first-person campaign narrative--except for its detailed discussion of Russia's hacks, WikiLeaks, and threats to Brazile herself. On that score, the book is down-right alarming. - The GuardianExplosive... Perhaps not since George Stephanopoulos wrote All Too Human, a 1999 memoir of his years working for former president Bill Clinton, has a political strategist penned such a blistering tell-all. - Washington Post

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental President comes the thrilling story of the 1948 presidential election, one of the greatest election stories of all time, as Truman mounted a history-making comeback and staked a claim for a new course for America. On the eve of the 1948 election, America was a fractured country. Racism was rampant, foreign relations were fraught, and political parties were more divided than ever. Americans were certain that President Harry S. Truman’s political career was over. “The ballots haven’t been counted,” noted political columnist Fred Othman, “but there seems to be no further need for holding up an affectionate farewell to Harry Truman.” Truman’s own staff did not believe he could win. Nor did his wife, Bess. The only man in the world confident that Truman would win was Mr. Truman himself. And win he did.  The year 1948 was a fight for t

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Book SynopsisIn this era of pervasive automation, Mark Andrejevic provides an original framework for tracing the logical trajectory of automated media and their social, political, and cultural consequences. This book explores the cascading logic of automation, which develops from the information collection process through to data processing and, finally, automated decision making. It argues that pervasive digital monitoring combines with algorithmic decision making and machine learning to create new forms of power and control that pose challenges to democratic forms of accountability and individual autonomy alike. Andrejevic provides an overview of the implications of these developments for the fate of human experience, describing the bias of automation through the logics of pre-emption, operationalism, and framelessness. Automated Media is a fascinating and groundbreaking new volume: a must-read for students and researchers of critical media studies interested in the intersectionsTable of Contents1. Intro 2. Bias of Automation 3. Automated Culture 4. Pre-emption 5. The Operational City 6. Framelessness 7. Desire 8. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis introductory text is a critical theory toolkit on how to how to make use of Karl Marxâs ideas in media, communication, and cultural studies.Karl Marxâs ideas remain of crucial relevance, and in this short, student-friendly book, leading expert Christian Fuchs introduces Marx to the reader by discussing 15 of his key concepts and showing how they matter for understanding the digital and communicative capitalism that shapes human life in twenty-first century society. Key concepts covered include: the dialectic, materialism, commodities, capital, capitalism, labour, surplus-value, the working class, alienation, means of communication, the general intellect, ideology, socialism, communism, and class struggles.Students taking courses in Media, Culture and Society; Communication Theory; Media Economics; Political Communication; and Cultural Studies will find Fuchs' concise introduction an essential guide to Marx.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Dialectic 3. Materialism: The Base/Superstructure-Problem 4. Commodities, Capital, Capitalism 5. Labour and Surplus-Value 6. The Working Class 7. Alienation 8. Means of Communication and the General Intellect 9. Ideology 10. Socialism and Communism 11. Class Struggles

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Book SynopsisThis introductory text is a critical theory toolkit on how to how to make use of Karl Marxâs ideas in media, communication, and cultural studies.Karl Marxâs ideas remain of crucial relevance, and in this short, student-friendly book, leading expert Christian Fuchs introduces Marx to the reader by discussing 15 of his key concepts and showing how they matter for understanding the digital and communicative capitalism that shapes human life in twenty-first century society. Key concepts covered include: the dialectic, materialism, commodities, capital, capitalism, labour, surplus-value, the working class, alienation, means of communication, the general intellect, ideology, socialism, communism, and class struggles.Students taking courses in Media, Culture and Society; Communication Theory; Media Economics; Political Communication; and Cultural Studies will find Fuchs' concise introduction an essential guide to Marx.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Dialectic 3. Materialism: The Base/Superstructure-Problem 4. Commodities, Capital, Capitalism 5. Labour and Surplus-Value 6. The Working Class 7. Alienation 8. Means of Communication and the General Intellect 9. Ideology 10. Socialism and Communism 11. Class Struggles

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Book SynopsisThe New Scientist recently declared that âœPhilosophers of knowledge, your time has comeâ and even Barack Obama has warned of an âœepistemological crisisâ. Following the election of Donald Trump for the second time, the rise of populism and the proliferation of misinformation and conspiracy theories, epistemological questions are now forefront in our political lives. Can epistemology explain the challenges of post-truth? Is voter ignorance a political or epistemic challenge? Is political disagreement epistemically valuable or harmful?This extremely timely introduction to political epistemology tackles these questions and many more. In a clear and engaging style, Michael Hannon and Elise Woodard examine the following key topics: the relation between truth and politics, including the arguments of Plato, Mill and Rawls; the epistemology of democracy, including questions about how democracies must be fair and representative and also make good decisions; how political ignor

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Book SynopsisBrexit and the Migrant Voice provides a platform for the perspectives of European citizens and migrants living and working in the UK by assessing their representation in British and European cultural productions (literature, drama, the media) and by foregrounding their attitudes, their fears, and their concerns about Brexit.The book looks at Brexit through the eyes of Britainâs European citizens (âEurope in Britainâ), while also looking at European perceptions of Britain as a nation (âBritain in Europeâ), via a geographical journey â from West to East âacross Europe. The book assesses how these countries, their citizens, and their cultural productions engage with the questions and challenges posed by Brexit. It brings together an exciting line-up of European academics and scholars, both early-career and well-established, from a variety of subject disciplines. Some live and work within UK Higher Education Institutions and thus look at Britain from within, while others

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Book SynopsisThe Architects of Toxic Politics in America: Venom and Vitriol explains the history of poison politics in America by profiling some of the key political attack dogs who have shaped the modern landscape.Comparing and contrasting the Trump and Biden presidencies with administrations of the past, the book explains the unique character of the current toxic political moment and the forces that have created it. The book also focuses quite extensively on non-presidential architects of toxic politics: other politicians, campaign strategists, activists, and media figures (and a few key figures that have fulfilled two or more of these roles).  Drawing on his long career as a journalist specializing in presidential coverage, Kenneth T. Walsh argues that due to the complex, often conflicting nature of American government, the angriest, most decisive voices can command media, voter, and legislative attention and thereby maintain and consolidate power. This results in frus

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the societal dynamics of memory politics in Russia. Since Vladimir Putin became president, the Russian central government has increasingly actively employed cultural memory to claim political legitimacy and discredit all forms of political opposition. The rhetorical use of the past has become a defining characteristic of Russian politics, creating a historical foundation for the regimeâs emphasis on a strong state and centralised leadership.Exploring memory politics, this book analyses a wide range of actors, from the central government and the Russian Orthodox Church, to filmmaker and cultural heavyweight Nikita Mikhalkov and radical thinkers such as Aleksandr Dugin. In addition, in view of the steady decline in media freedom since 2000, it critically examines the role of cinema and television in shaping and spreading these narratives. Thus, this book aims to gain a better understanding of the various means through which the Russian government practTable of ContentsChapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Memory Politics and the Remediation of Cultural Memory Case Studies Chapter 3 - Petr Stolypin Chapter 4 - Aleksandr Nevskii Chapter 5 - The Time of Troubles Chapter 6 - Ivan the Terrible and the Oprichnina Chapter 7 - The Trial of Time Chapter 8 - Conclusion

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Book SynopsisAlongside the Arab Spring, the 'Occupy' anti-capitalist movements in the West, and the events on the Maidan in Kiev, Russia has had its own protest movements, notably the political protests of 2011â12. As elsewhere in the world, these protests had unlikely origins, in Russiaâs case spearheaded by the 'creative class'. This book examines the protest movements in Russia. It discusses the artistic traditions from which the movements arose; explores the media, including the internet, film, novels, and fashion, through which the protesters have expressed themselves; and considers the outcome of the movements, including the new forms of nationalism, intellectualism, and feminism put forward. Overall, the book shows how the Russian protest movements have suggested new directions for Russian â and global â politics. Table of ContentsIntroduction: genres and genders of protest in Russia's petrostateAlexander EtkindPart I: Origins and traditions of protest1. Fathers, sons, and grandsons: generational changes and political trajectory of Russia, 1989–2012Vladimir Gel'man2. Dissidents reloaded? Anti-Putin activists and the Soviet legacyValentina Parisi3. Why ‘two Russias’ are less than ‘United Russia’: cultural distinctions and political similarities: dialectics of defeatIlya Kalinin4. Are copycats subversive? Strategy-31, the Russian Runs, the Immortal Regiment and the transformative potential of non-hierarchical movementsMischa Gabowitsch5. Political consumerism in Russia after 2011Olga Gurova 6. Even the toys are demanding free elections: humour and the politics of creative protest in Russia Jennifer G. MathersPart II: Artistic and performative forms of protest 7. Biopolitics, believers, bodily protests: the case of Pussy RiotAlexandra Yatsyk8. Hysteria or enjoyment? Recent Russian actionismJonathan Brooks Platt9. Bleep and ***: speechless protestBirgit Beumers10. On the (im)possibility of a third opinionKristina Norman11. Performing poetry and protest in the age of digital reproductionMarijeta Bozovic12. When satire does not subvert: Citizen Poet as nostalgiaSanna Turoma

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