You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Ethnocentrism—our tendency to partition the human world into in-groups and out-groups—pervades societies around the world. Surprisingly, though, few scholars have explored its role in political life. Donald Kinder and Cindy Kam fill this gap with Us Against Them, their definitive explanation of how ethnocentrism shapes American public opinion. Arguing that humans are broadly predisposed to ethnocentrism, Kinder and Kam explore its impact on our attitudes toward an array of issues, including the war on terror, humanitarian assistance, immigration, the sanctity of marriage, and the reform of social programs. The authors ground their study in previous theories from a wide range of disciplin...
Social scientists study complex phenomena about which they often propose intricate hypotheses tested with linear-interactive or multiplicative terms. While interaction terms are hardly new to social science research, researchers have yet to develop a common methodology for using and interpreting them. Modeling and Interpreting Interactive Hypotheses in Regression Analysis provides step-by-step guidance on how to connect substantive theories to statistical models and how to interpret and present the results. "Kam and Franzese is a must-have for all empirical social scientists interested in teasing out the complexities of their data." ---Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Ohio State University "Kam a...
This volume provides the first comprehensive overview of how political scientists have used experiments to transform their field of study.
The solution to youth voter turnout requires focus on helping young people follow through on their political interests and intentions.
Barack Obama’s presidential victory naturally led people to believe that the United States might finally be moving into a post-racial era. Obama’s Race—and its eye-opening account of the role played by race in the election—paints a dramatically different picture. The authors argue that the 2008 election was more polarized by racial attitudes than any other presidential election on record—and perhaps more significantly, that there were two sides to this racialization: resentful opposition to and racially liberal support for Obama. As Obama’s campaign was given a boost in the primaries from racial liberals that extended well beyond that usually offered to ideologically similar white candidates, Hillary Clinton lost much of her longstanding support and instead became the preferred candidate of Democratic racial conservatives. Time and again, voters’ racial predispositions trumped their ideological preferences as John McCain—seldom described as conservative in matters of race—became the darling of racial conservatives from both parties. Hard-hitting and sure to be controversial, Obama’s Race will be both praised and criticized—but certainly not ignored.
Introduction : Marable's forecast -- The elusive quest for people of color -- People of color, unite! -- The many faces of people of color -- New wine in new bottles -- I feel your pain, brother -- Galvanizing people of color -- Falling apart -- Conclusion : people of color in a diversifying world.
Sean Gailmard is the Judith E. Gruber Associate Professor in the Travers Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. John W. Patty is associate professor of political science at Washington University.
American government is in the midst of a reputation crisis. An overwhelming majority of citizens—Republicans and Democrats alike—hold negative perceptions of the government and believe it is wasteful, inefficient, and doing a generally poor job managing public programs and providing public services. When social problems arise, Americans are therefore skeptical that the government has the ability to respond effectively. It’s a serious problem, argues Amy E. Lerman, and it will not be a simple one to fix. With Good Enough for Government Work, Lerman uses surveys, experiments, and public opinion data to argue persuasively that the reputation of government is itself an impediment to govern...
"While government policies can build supportive coalitions, they can also mobilize powerful opposition forces. What causes backlashes in the American political system? Why do some policies generate resistance among political elites and mass publics? Drawing on case studies of key issues from immigration and trade to healthcare and gun control, Eric Patashnik explores how policies stimulate backlashes by imposing losses, overreaching, or challenging existing arrangements to which people are strongly attached. He argues that backlash politics is fueled by polarization, changes in American culture and society, and the negative feedback from activist government itself. Countermobilization shows that backlashes arise when policy motives, constituency means, and political opportunities converge, and debunks the claim that backlash politics is exclusively a right-wing phenomenon. It is essential reading for scholars and practitioners of U.S. politics and public policy, offering practical lessons for anyone who wishes to identify backlash risks-and design against them"--
A sobering portrait of the United States’ divided racial politics. For nearly two decades, Rogers M. Smith and Desmond King have charted the shifting racial policy alliances that have shaped American politics across different eras. In America’s New Racial Battle Lines, they show that US racial policy debates are undergoing fundamental change. Disputes over colorblind versus race-conscious policies have given way to new lines of conflict. Today’s conservatives promise to protect traditionalist, predominantly white, Christian Americans against what they call the “radical” Left. Meanwhile, today’s progressives seek not just to integrate American institutions but to more fully transf...