1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910813717303321

Autore

Edwards Mickey <1937->

Titolo

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

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New Haven, Connecticut ; ; London, England : , : Yale University Press, , [2012]

©2012

ISBN

1-283-57133-1

9786613883780

0-300-18602-9

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (233 p.)

Disciplina

320.973

Soggetti

Polarization (Social sciences) - United States

Political parties - United States

Two-party systems - United States

Divided government - United States

Democracy - United States

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 (pages [187]-192) 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.