Authoritarianism and polarization in American politics / Marc J. Hetherington, Jonathan D. Weiler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hetherington, Marc J., 1968- author.

Weiler, Jonathan, 1965- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Authoritarianism--United States.

Authoritarianism.

Right and left (Political science)--Case studies.

Right and left (Political science).

Polarization (Social sciences)--Case studies.

Polarization (Social sciences).

United States--Politics and government--2001-2009.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 234 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Authoritarianism & Polarization in American Politics

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Although politics at the elite level has been polarized for some time, a scholarly controversy has raged over whether ordinary Americans are polarized. This book argues that they are and that the reason is growing polarization of worldviews - what guides people's view of right and wrong and good and evil. These differences in worldview are rooted in what Marc J. Hetherington and Jonathan D. Weiler describe as authoritarianism. They show that differences of opinion concerning the most provocative issues on the contemporary issue agenda - about race, gay marriage, illegal immigration, and the use of force to resolve security problems - reflect differences in individuals' levels of authoritarianism. Events and strategic political decisions have conspired to make all these considerations more salient. The authors demonstrate that the left and the right have coalesced around these opposing worldviews, which has provided politics with more incandescent hues than before.

Contents:

Spanking or time out : a clash of worldviews?

Putting polarization in perspective

Authoritarianism and non-authoritarianism : concepts and measures

A historical account of the roots of worldview evolution

Authoritarianism's structuring of contemporary issues

Threat and authoritarianism : polarization or convergence

Evidence of worldview evolution

Immigration : a reinforcing cleavage that now constrains the Republican Party (GOP)

What the 2008 democratic nomination struggle reveals about party polarization

A new view of polarization.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

ISBN:

1-107-20033-4

0-511-80233-1

0-511-60442-4

0-511-60364-9

0-511-65165-1

0-511-60286-3

OCLC:

609845655