Off center : the Republican revolution and the erosion of American democracy / Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hacker, Jacob S.

Contributor:

Pierson, Paul.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ).

Conservatism--United States.

Conservatism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (272 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Republicans who run American government today have defied the normal laws of political gravity. They have ruled with the slimmest of majorities and yet have transformed the nation's governing priorities. They have strayed dramatically from the moderate middle of public opinion and yet have faced little public backlash. Again and again, they have sided with the affluent and ideologically extreme while paying little heed to the broad majority of Americans. And much more often than not, they have come out on top. This book shows why-and why this troubling state of affairs can and must be changed.Written in a highly accessible style by two professional political scientists, Off Center tells the story of a deliberative process restricted and distorted by party chieftains, of unresponsive power brokers subverting the popular will, and of legislation written by and for powerful interests and deliberately designed to mute popular discontent. In the best tradition of engaged social science, Off Center is a powerful and informed critique that points the way toward a stronger foundation for American democracy.

Contents:

Introduction

Off center

Partying with the "people's money"

The off-center express

The race to the base

The Republican machine

The center does not hold

Conclusion: Meeting the challenge.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786611730789

9781281730787

1281730785

9780300130669

030013066X

OCLC:

1024017887