The parties versus the people [[electronic resource] ] : how to turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans / / Mickey Edwards

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910462235303321
• Autore: Edwards Mickey <1937->
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: New Haven, : Yale University Press, c2012
• ISBN: 1-283-57133-1; 9786613883780; 0-300-18602-9
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (233 p.)
• Disciplina: 320.973
• Soggetti: Political parties - United States; Democracy - United States; Polarization (Social sciences) - United States; Two-party systems - United States; Divided government - United States; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Front matter -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- One. American Tribalism -- Two. The Disappearing Dream -- Three. Reclaiming Our Democracy -- Four. Drawing a Line in the Sand -- Five. The Money Stream -- Six. Government Leaders, Not Party Leaders -- Seven. Debate and Democracy -- Eight. Rearrange the Furniture -- Nine. Rivals, Not Enemies -- Ten. The Partisan Presidency -- Eleven. Declarations of Independence -- Twelve. Beyond Partisanship -- Thirteen. The Way Forward -- Appendix: Citizen Initiative Information by State -- Notes -- Suggested Reading -- Index
• Sommario/riassunto: America's political system is dysfunctional. While this is a widely held view, it is a problem that-so far-has proved intractable. After every election, voters discover yet again that political ";leaders"; are simply quarreling in a never-ending battle between the two warring tribes, the Republicans and Democrats. In this critically important book, a distinguished statesman and thinker identifies exactly how our political and governing systems reward intransigence, discourage compromise, ; and undermine our democracy. He then describes exactly what must be done to banish the negative effects of partisan warfare from our political system. As a former congressman, Mickey Edwards witnessed firsthand how important legislative battles can devolve into struggles not over principle but over party advantage. He offers graphic examples of how this problem has intensified and reveals how political battles have become nothing more than conflicts between party machines. Edwards's solutions-specific, practical, fair, and original-show the way to break the stranglehold of the political party system. The Parties Versus the People offers hope for a fundamental renewal of American democracy.