In this wide-ranging assessment of democracy in America today, fifteen scholars of American politics chart the strengths and weaknesses of the nation's democratic mechanisms and outline the challenges that lie ahead. They focus not on specific policies or elections but on the quality of American political life, the representativeness of its governing institutions, and the issues of racial and economic equity. The contributors cover a broad spectrum of the American political process. Topics include the extent and nature of political participation, the relevance of political parties, political fundraising and its policy consequences, demographic change and its likely effect on the national political agenda, and the future of racial politics. Others explore how representative Congress really are today, how the market economy affects public policy, the use of impeachment as a political weapon, and the degree of corporate influence on the political process. A final chapter explores the circumstances likely to shape policy agendas over the course of the twenty-first century. Taken together, these essays provide a clear picture of political evolution during the past fifty years and discuss possible problems and issues of the future. Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, the book is a critical analysis of contemporary American democracy.
Preface 1. Politics and Policy for a New Century Michael S. Dukakis, Northeastern University 2. Introduction: Perspectives on an Evolving Democratic Experiment in a New Century (and Millennium) William Crotty, Northeastern University 3. Political Mobilization in America M. Margaret Conway, University of Florida 4. Public Support for the Party System in the United StatesDiana Owen, Georgetown University; Jack Dennis, University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Casey A. Klofstad, Harvard University 5. Party Relevance over TimeWilliam Crotty, Northeastern University6. Does Congress Represent the American PeopleDonald R. Matthews, University of Washington 7. The Enduring Dilemma of Political Tolerancee in American Political History George E. Marcus, Williams College 8. The Future of Racial Politics: Beyond: Beyond Fatalism Edward G. Carmines, Indiana University, and Paul M. Sniderman, Stanford University 9. The Limits of the Market: New Examinations of an Old ProblemBetty Glad, University of South Carolina 10. Crossroads Blues: Business Representation, Public Policy, and Economic Growth for the Twenty-First CenturyCathie Jo Martin, Boston University11. Blowing Smoke: Impeachment, the Clinton Presidency, and the Political Economy Thomas Ferguson, University of Massachusetts at Boston 12. The Battle between Issue Expanders and Containers: The Elderly behind the Wheel in the Twenty-First CenturyRoger W. Cobb, Brown University, and Joesph F. Coughlin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Contributors Index
