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Dynamics of American Democracy

Dynamics of American Democracy

Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance

by Eric M. Patashnik and Wendy J. Schiller

Sales Date: December 2020

360 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in

Hardcover
9780700630004
Published: December 2020

$84.99

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Paperback
9780700630011
Published: December 2020

$39.99

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eBook
9780700630028
Published: December 2020

Ebook delivery via VitalSource

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Description
Authors
Praise
Contents

Democracy is in crisis. Washington is failing. Government is broken. On these counts many politicians, policy experts, and citizens agree. What is less clear is why—and what to do about it. These questions are at the heart of Dynamics of American Democracy, which goes beneath the surface of current events to explore the forces reshaping democratic politics in the United States and around the world.

Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners of politics and governance, this volume charts a twenty-first-century landscape beset by ideological polarization and political tribalism; rapid demographic, economic, and technological change; the influence of online news and social media; and the increasing importance of public attitudes about gender and race. Against this fraught background the authors consider the performance of the two-party system, the operations of Congress and the presidency, and the ways in which ordinary citizens form their beliefs and make their voting decisions. The contributors’ work represents a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches and provides insight into what ails American governance, from the practice of politics as tribal warfare to the electoral rules that produce a two-party hegemony, and from the impact of social media—including how differently conservatives and liberals use Twitter—to the significance of President Trump in historical and institutional perspective.

Finally, Dynamics of American Democracy goes beyond diagnosis to present and evaluate the value and viability of proposals for reforming politics.

Eric M. Patashnik Julis-Rabinowitz Professor of Public Policy, professor of political science, and director of the Master of Public Affairs Program, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University.

Wendy J. Schiller is Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science, professor of political science, and chair of the Department of Political Science at Brown University.

"An impressively comprehensive—and, at times, rather worrying—dive into the causes and consequences of the United States’ tandem rise in partisan competition and ideological polarization over the past several decades."—Perspectives on Politics
“Patashnik and Schiller assemble an all-star cast to cover the landscape of current challenges in American politics. With topics ranging from tribal politics in the age of Trump to states taking a greater role in governance to citizens self-sorting on social media, this volume offers valuable insights and potential paths forward for American democracy.”—Craig Volden, codirector of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, and coeditor of Leadership in American Politics
“Dynamics of American Democracy provides a compelling account of the major challenges plaguing contemporary American politics. The superb team of authors provides a wealth of insights into the sources of our polarized politics and its impact on the quality of governance and on the state of American democracy more generally.”—Eric Schickler, Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Endowed Chair, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism, 1932–1965

Acknowledgments

Introduction, Eric M. Patashnik and Wendy J. Schiller

Part One: A Historical Perspective on Today’s Tribal Politics

1. The Rise of Tribal Politics in Historical Perspective, James A. Morone

2. Incremental Liberalism or Prolonged Partisan Warfare, Matt Grossmann

Part Two: Political Institutions and Government Performance

3. Legislative Stalemate in Postwar America, 1947-2018, Sarah A. Binder

4. Challenges of Measuring Party Unity in a Polarized Era: The 115th Congress, Frances E. Lee

5. Polarization and the Changing American Constitutional System: The Case of Federalism, Nolan McCarty

Part Three: Public Opinion and Political Behavior in a Polarized Era

6. She’s Not My Governor: Negative Partisanship and Trust in Government in the American States, Kristin Kanthak

7. Gender Attitudes and American Public Opinion in the Trump Era, John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck

8. Curating the News: How Social Media Facilitates Selective Exposure, Samara Klar and Yotam Shmargad

9. Charge and Retreat: Asymmetric Patterns of Political Engagement among Liberals and Conservatives, Deborah J. Schildkraut, Jeffrey M. Berry, and James M. Glaser

Part Four: Ideas for Reform

10. Politics Industry Theory, Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter

11. Spoiler Alert: Why Americans’ Desires for a Third Party Are Unlikely to Come True, Lee Drutman, William A. Galston, and Tod Lindberg

Part Five: Donald Trump and the Evolution of American Politics

12. Our “Undivided Support”: Donald Trump the Republican Party, and Executive-Centered Partisanship, Nicholas F. Jacobs and Sidney M. Milkis

Conclusion: Reflections and Paths Forward, Eric M. Patashnik and Wendy J. Schiller

About the Contributors

Index