Description
Book SynopsisNew Directions in American Politics introduces students not just to how the American political system works but also to how political science works. La Raja brings together top scholars to write original essays across the standard curriculum of American government and politics, capturing emerging research in the discipline in a way that is accessible for undergraduates. Each chapter combines substantive knowledge with the kind of skill-building and analytical inquiry that is being touted in higher education everywhere. Contributors to New Directions highlight why the questions they seek to answer are critical for understanding American politics, and situate them in the broader context of controversies in research.
The teaching of American politics follows a well-worn path. Textbooks for introductory courses hew to a traditional set of chapters that describe the Founding, American institutions, the ways citizens participate in politics, and sometimes publ
Trade Review
"This is the book that brings intellectual stimulation to an introductory American politics course. Faculty will be excited to introduce students to this book because it highlights current research puzzles and controversies in the field and will help develop the analytical skills that students need."
—Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Ohio State University
"The chapters in this impressive volume are provocative, sophisticated, and grounded in some of the best scholarship in political science. Students and scholars hoping to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary politics and many of the core challenges facing the nation will benefit from New Directions in American Politics."
—Marc Eisner, Wesleyan University
"Raymond La Raja has produced a vital book featuring an impressive, accessible exploration of cutting-edge theoretical and empirical questions in political science. The all-star panel of authors write engagingly, creatively introducing students to the process of scientific discovery while simultaneously teaching students how the contemporary American political system works. Readers will also come away from this book with an analytical framework through which they can ask important questions about how the system is and how they think it should be."
—Michael W. Wagner, University of Wisconsin - Madison
"New Directions in American Politics is an engaging and stimulating read full of scholarly puzzles, research practices, and normative concerns. This book is a much needed contribution to our understanding of key questions raised in traditional American Politics texts. It is not the typical supplemental Reader that contains classic literature from long ago, or contemporary newspaper accounts by political journalists. Rather, New Directions asks readers to consider the logic and evidence gleaned from scholarly examination. Each chapter addresses a major issue or controversy in the academic literature, presents relevant literature reviews and evidence, and then provides solutions derived from detailed research and analyses. The chapters are a pleasure to read, engaging, accessible to a wide audience, and simply well done. I anticipate much success for this volume and encourage students and interested citizens to consider the deeper and more precise vision of our American Political System that New Directions represents."
—Mark Joslyn, University of Kansas
"This is the book that brings intellectual stimulation to an introductory American politics course. Faculty will be excited to introduce students to this book because it highlights current research puzzles and controversies in the field and will help develop the analytical skills that students need."
—Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Ohio State University
"The chapters in this impressive volume are provocative, sophisticated, and grounded in some of the best scholarship in political science. Students and scholars hoping to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary politics and many of the core challenges facing the nation will benefit from New Directions in American Politics."
—Marc Eisner, Wesleyan University
"Raymond La Raja has produced a vital book featuring an impressive, accessible exploration of cutting-edge theoretical and empirical questions in political science. The all-star panel of authors write engagingly, creatively introducing students to the process of scientific discovery while simultaneously teaching students how the contemporary American political system works. Readers will also come away from this book with an analytical framework through which they can ask important questions about how the system is and how they think it should be."
—Michael W. Wagner, University of Wisconsin - Madison
"New Directions in American Politics is an engaging and stimulating read full of scholarly puzzles, research practices, and normative concerns. This book is a much needed contribution to our understanding of key questions raised in traditional American Politics texts. It is not the typical supplemental Reader that contains classic literature from long ago, or contemporary newspaper accounts by political journalists. Rather, New Directions asks readers to consider the logic and evidence gleaned from scholarly examination. Each chapter addresses a major issue or controversy in the academic literature, presents relevant literature reviews and evidence, and then provides solutions derived from detailed research and analyses. The chapters are a pleasure to read, engaging, accessible to a wide audience, and simply well done. I anticipate much success for this volume and encourage students and interested citizens to consider the deeper and more precise vision of our American Political System that New Directions represents."
—Mark Joslyn, University of Kansas
Table of ContentsPart 1: Overview: New Directions in American Politics Introduction Raymond J. La Raja Part 2: Governing Institutions 1. American Federalism as a Political Weapon David Brian Robertson 2. Reintroducing the Policy Process into Studying Congress Sean M. Theriault and JoBeth Surface Shafran 3. Presidential Authority in a Separated System of Governance Andrew Rudalevige 4. The Supreme Court in the American Political System: The Politics of Law Cornell W. Clayton Part 3: Influencing Politics 5. The Networked Party: How Social Network Analysis is Revolutionizing the Study of Political Parties Seth Masket 6. The Influence of Interest Groups in American Politics: Myth vs. Reality Matt Grossman 7. The Reach of the Partisan Media: How Choice Affects the Political Influence of Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow Kevin Arceneaux and Martin Johnson 8. Polarized Populism: Masses, Elites, and Ideological Conflict Paul J. Quirk 9. Why Tough Campaigns Are Good for Democracy Keena Lipsitz 10. The Motivational Underpinnings of Political Participation Joanne M. Miller Part 4: Politics and Policy 11. The Politics of Immigration in a Nation of Immigrants Jack Citrin and Matthew Wright 12. Race, Ethnicity, and Politics: Controversies and New Directions Jennifer R. Garcia and Katherine Tate 13. Parties, Leaders, and the National Debt Daniel J. Palazzolo 14. What War’s Good For: Minority Rights Expansions in American Political Development Robert P. Saldin
