The New Politics of Pornography

by Donald Alexander Downs

Fresh empirical evidence of pornography's negative effects and the resurgence of feminist and conservative critiques have caused local, state, and federal officials to reassess the pornography issue. In The New Politics of Pornography , Donald Alexander Downs explores the contemporary antipornography movement and addresses difficult questions about the limits of free speech. Drawing on official transcripts and extensive interviews, Downs recreates and analyzes landmark cases in Minneapolis and Indianapolis. He argues persuasively that both conservative and liberal camps are often characterized by extreme intolerance which hampers open policy debate and may ultimately threaten our modern doctrine of free speech. Downs concludes with a balanced and nuanced discussion of what First Amendment protections pornography should be afforded. This provocative and interdisciplinary work will interest students of political science, women's studies, civil liberties, and constitutional law.

Genres: Pornography

290 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1989

Reviews

[Chucky Fire]

Kinky.

[Alex]

ObDisclosure: Downs was my professor for 1st Amendment Law at the University of Wisconsin. This book provides an up-to-date analysis of first amendment jurisprudence re: pornography.