What do you think?
The Democratic Debate: American Politics in an Age of Change
Focusing on the tension between elite and popular models, individuals who made a difference, and recent events, THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE makes American democracy both relevant and compelling.
489 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 24, 2020
Absolutely recommend! Read this along with A History of Culture Wars to be solid. Finally got a jist of the electoral college, thank goodness!
January 28, 2010
If I were looking for an American Politics textbook that I most agreed with, this would probably be it. The authors argue for more popular democracy and critique a number of institutions (political, social, and economic) that result in decreased democracy and control for everyday people and increased, unchecked rule by elites. And so, on a personal level, I think this is a fantastic book.
As a teacher, I am not sure that I would want to use this book. Because it is so critical, and because students have been so thoroughly socialized to expect "fair and balanced" information (even when one side's arguments are often not supported by evidence and rest on dubious assumptions), I would imagine that this book would turn many students off--making it more difficult to get them to engage in the critical thinking about the AP system.
It seems to me that a more middle-left textbook is a better solution, as it would frame issues in terms of justice, fairness, and citizen empowerment with out the potential for defensive reactions this book seems to pose.
However, the companion book, Debating Democracy, seems very useful in conjunction with a center-left book for providing opportunities for critique.
As a teacher, I am not sure that I would want to use this book. Because it is so critical, and because students have been so thoroughly socialized to expect "fair and balanced" information (even when one side's arguments are often not supported by evidence and rest on dubious assumptions), I would imagine that this book would turn many students off--making it more difficult to get them to engage in the critical thinking about the AP system.
It seems to me that a more middle-left textbook is a better solution, as it would frame issues in terms of justice, fairness, and citizen empowerment with out the potential for defensive reactions this book seems to pose.
However, the companion book, Debating Democracy, seems very useful in conjunction with a center-left book for providing opportunities for critique.
January 4, 2008
Yes. It's a textbook. lol Keep in mind that I'm a person who cannot seem to make it through any book that is a history book. This book is WONDERFUL. I actually have an earlier edition - I even opted to keep it rather than sell it back to the bookstore if that says anything.
April 28, 2013
Boring as hell, not cohesive at all and the timeline is all out of order.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews