You Decide! Current Debates in American Politics, 2008 Edition

by John T. Rourke

This best-selling, debate-style reader is edited and updated annually by John Rourke to examine the most important and provocative issues in American politics.  The topics featured in You Decide! have been selected for their currency, importance, and student interest, and the pieces arguing various sides of a given issue come from recent journals, congressional hearings, think tanks, and periodicals.   The text has once again been fully updated to keep pace with the issues that are most pressing in our political system and most important to engage in an American government class.  New debate topics include the cultural assimilation of immigrants, the oil industry and energy prices, the ideological shift of the Supreme Court, government scientists on global warming, U.S. troops in Iraq, commuting the prison sentence of “Scooter Libby,”  and many more.

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2003

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent presentation of various major issues that affect the United States in the form of mini-debates. Each topic includes a summary explanation of the main issues involved in the case and then an expert presents a "pro" and another presents a "con" arguement. The issues were well chosen and the experts that wrote on each side of each issue were qualified and articulate. It's a great introduction to U.S. policy issues and current affairs. The publisher needs a good proofreader, however. The typos and grammatical problems became distracting.