Political Science : Federal Government

A visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith has combined with the degration of the public sphere to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason At the time George W. Bush ordered American forces to invade Iraq, 70 percent of Americans believed Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11. Voters in Ohio, when asked by pollsters to list what stuck in their minds about the campaign, most frequently named two Bush television ads that played to fears of terrorism. We live in an age when the thirty-second television spot is the most powerful force shaping the electorate's thinking, and America is in the hands of an administration less interested than any previous administration in sharing the truth with the citizenry. Related to this and of even greater concern is this administration's disinterest in the process by which the truth is ascertained, the tenets of fact-based reasoning-first among them an embrace of open inquiry in which unexpected and even inconvenient facts can lead to unexpected conclusions. How did we get here? How much damage has been done to the functioning of our democracy and its role as steward of our security? Never has there been a worse time for us to lose the capacity to face the reality of our long-term challenges, from national security to the economy, from issues of health and social welfare to the environment. As The Assault on Reason shows us, we have precious little time to waste. Gore's larger goal in this book is to explain how the public sphere itself has evolved into a place hospitable to reason's enemies, to make us more aware of the forces at work on our own minds, and to lead us to an understanding of what we can do, individually and collectively, to restore the rule of reason and safeguard our future. Drawing on a life's work in politics as well as on the work of experts across a broad range of disciplines, Al Gore has written a farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking. more...

Price: $16.00

The Research Assessment Exercise is used to assess the quality of, and determine core government funding for, research carried out in UK universities. This report provided evidence for a review of the process. The overwhelming majority of participants thought research should be assessed using a system based on peer review; that there was a strong desire for a system with clear rules and transparent procedures; and that there was a need for improved systems to assess inter- and multi-disciplinary research work. more...

Price: $9.95

In his acclaimed book American Theocracy, Kevin Phillips warned of the perilous interaction of debt, financial recklessness, and the spiking cost (and growing scarcity) of oil? warnings that are proving to be frighteningly accurate. Now, in his most significant and timely book yet, Phillips takes the full measure of this crisis. They are a part of what he calls ?bad money?? not just the depreciated dollar, but also the dangerous attitudes and the flawed products of wayward mega-finance. His devastating conclusion: In its hubris, the financial sector has hijacked the American economy and put our very global future at risk?and it may be too late to stop it. more...

Price: $16.00

Reveals the political forces at work behind the charisma of rising Democratic star Barack Obama, in his message of inclusion and hope, in his campaigning, and in his work as a U.S. Senator from Illinois. more...

Price: $43.95

Exploring the advantages and disadvantages of different voting systems used in the USA and many other Western democracies, this text provides information and analytical tools needed to examine voting systems and their far-reaching political implications. more...

Price: $115.50