American Politics Commons^™

Addressing The State Of The Union: The Evolution And Impact Of The Presidents's Big Speech, Donna Hoffman, Alison Howard

Alison Dana Howard

The State of the Union is no ordinary speech on at least two accounts: it is a fundamental statement of how a president approaches current policy debates, and it is the one presidential address that US citizens are most likely to hear each year. Donna Hoffman and Alison Howard document the political significance and legislative impact, or often, lack of impact, of this most visible of presidential communications. Exploring how and why the State of the Union address came to be a key tool in the exercise of presidential power, the authors outline the ways presidents use it to gain …

The Political Activities Of American Corporate Leaders, Nurgul Aitalieva, Anthony Nownes

Nurgul Aitalieva

What is the nature and extent of corporate leader involvement in American national politics? The results of a mail survey of nearly 100 such individuals show that leaders are quite active, devoting an average of nearly 1 hour per day to national political activity. We also show that corporate leaders engage in a wide range of advocacy activities. Monetary activities loom particularly large in the political lives of American corporate leaders, as large numbers are approached by members of Congress for contributions, and many who are approached answer the call. In addition, we find that corporate leaders, unlike advocacy professionals, …

The Role Of The Common Core In The Gubernatorial Elections Of 2014, Jonathan Supovitz, Bobbi Newman, Ariel Smith

Bobbi Newman

After the Spring 2014 primaries, the Common Core State Standards were viewed as a political hot potato. As former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said, “the Common Core has become toxic, I think it’s radioactive…It has become an incredibly controversial topic on both the left and the right.” Even so, the Common Core turned out to play a role in some of the governor’s races in November 2014. In this analysis of candidate positions and the role of the Common Core across the 36 gubernatorial races of 2014, CPRE researchers Bobbi Newman, Jonathan Supovitz and Arial Smith used campaign websites, debate …

Can Deliberative Democracy Work In Hierarchical Organizations?, Jason Pierce, Grant Neeley, Jeffrey Budziak

Grant W. Neeley

Some measure of equality is necessary for deliberative democracy to work well, yet empirical scholarship consistently points to the deleterious effect that hierarchy and inequalities of epistemological authority have on deliberation. This article tests whether real-world deliberative forums can overcome these challenges. Contrary to skeptics, it concludes that the act of deliberation itself and the presence of trained moderators ameliorate inequalities of epistemological authority, thus rendering deliberative democracy possible, even within hierarchical organizations.

Fighting Over The Founders: How We Remember The American Revolution, Andrew Schocket

Andrew M Schocket

The American Revolution is all around us. It is pictured as big as billboards and as small as postage stamps, evoked in political campaigns and car advertising campaigns, relived in museums and revised in computer games. As the nation’s founding moment, the American Revolution serves as a source of powerful founding myths, and remains the most accessible and most contested event in U.S. history: more than any other, it stands as a proxy for how Americans perceive the nation’s aspirations. Americans’ increased fascination with the Revolution over the past two decades represents more than interest in the past. It’s also …

Teaching Better, Teaching Together: A Coordinated Student Exit Poll Across The States, Jennifer Kelkres Emery, Alison D. Howard, Jocelyn Evans

Alison Dana Howard

Seeking Security In An Insecure World, Dan Caldwell, Robert Williams

Dan Caldwell

This comprehensive yet concise introduction to international security explores the constantly changing conditions that lead to an insecure world. During the Cold War, the Soviet-American nuclear rivalry generated insecurity. Since then, state-based nuclear threats have diminished while the threat of non-state actors wielding weapons of mass destruction has increased. A global surge in mass-casualty terrorism, persistent and costly intrastate wars, and environmental threats have reshaped our thinking about security threats and how best to respond to them. Now in a thoroughly updated edition, the text considers today's security agenda, including the threat posed by the spread of infectious disease, drug …

White Nationalism, Black Interests, And Contemporary American Politics, Corey Cook

Corey Cook

No abstract provided.

Firsts: The Election Of Asian American Mayors In Oakland And San Francisco, Corey Cook

Corey Cook

This paper utilizes an original dataset to comparatively analyze the 2010 mayoral election in Oakland and 2011 mayoral election in San Francisco. The paper considers the unique political context in each city and analyzes individual ranked choice ballots to draw inferences about the nature of mayoral coalitions in these neighboring Bay Area cities.

State Of The Union 2013 Coverage, Alison Howard

Alison Dana Howard

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Building American National Identity Through Art, Donna R. Hoffman, Alison D. Howard

Alison Dana Howard

Obama In Words And Deeds, Donna R. Hoffman, Alison D. Howard

Alison Dana Howard

Marin Students To Conduct Exit Polling During November Election [Interview], Alison Howard

Alison Dana Howard

Social Movement Goal Pursuit In Interaction With State Legislatures, Elizabeth Stiles, Patrick Grogan, Jamie Nolan

Elizabeth A. Stiles

No abstract provided.

Rules Of The Electoral Game: Playing With Loaded Dice, Corey Cook

Corey Cook

No abstract provided.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Building National Identity Through Art, Donna R. Hoffman, Alison D. Howard

Alison Dana Howard

A Gender Gap In Policy Representation In The U.S. Congress?, Brian Newman, Christina Wolbrecht, John Griffin

Brian Newman

In the first article to evaluate the equality of dyadic policy representation experienced by women, we assess the congruence between U.S. House members' roll-call votes and the policy preferences of their female and male constituents. Employing two measures of policy representation, we do not find a gender gap in dyadic policy representation. However, we uncover a sizeable gender gap favoring men in districts represented by Republicans, and a similarly sizeable gap favoring women in districts represented by Democrats. A Democratic majority further improves women's dyadic representation relative to men, but having a female representative (descriptive representation) does not.

The Preemptive Effect Of The Judiciary On State Legislation, Elizabeth Stiles, Lauren Bowen

Elizabeth A. Stiles

We examine the interaction between state legislatures and courts of last resort to assess whether and where in the legislative process judicial ideology serves a preemptive function.

Identity Crisis: Searching For Personal Responsibility, Justice, And Community In The Real Estate Market Crash, Thomas Bryer

Thomas A Bryer

The author introduces the reader to his own and, to a different extent, society’s identity crisis in the context of the real estate market crash. Through personal reflection and analysis of federal policies, four challenges are observed: (1) lack of community focus, (2) neglect of certain populations, (3) unambiguous devotion to encouraging personal responsibility, and (4) no clear statement of moral commitment. Policy and institutional changes are suggested to better address these challenges.

Conservatism And American Political Development, Brian Glenn

Brian J. Glenn

No abstract provided.

African-American Representation In The Georgia General Assembly: Agents For Change, Peter Wielhouwer

Peter W. Wielhouwer

No abstract provided.

Review Of Timothy J. Sullivan. New York State And The Rise Of Modern Conservatism: Redrawing Party Lines. (State University Of New York Press, 2008), Brian Glenn

Brian J. Glenn

No abstract provided.

"The Story Of Good Citizenship: Framing Recycling In The Context Of Duty-Based And Engaged Citizenship", Donna Lybecker, Mark Mcbeth, Kacee Garner

Donna L. Lybecker

Recent studies have explored the dimensions of duty-based versus engaged citizenship. These studies assert that individuals differ on the question of "what is a good citizen." Young individuals, in particular, are more likely to follow an engaged citizen view of citizenship. Engaged citizens are more participatory, global, and committed to social justice more than their duty-based counterparts. In this article we examine, with an innovative methodology and merging of citizenship and framing literature, the potential effects of increased engaged citizenship on policy issues. Our questions examine the characteristics of duty-based or engaged citizens and explore whether duty-based and engaged citizens …

Grassroots Mobilization, Peter Wielhouwer

Peter W. Wielhouwer

No abstract provided.

From Ferraro To Palin: Sexism In Media Coverage Of Female Vice Presidential Candidates, Caroline Heldman

Caroline Heldman

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Vitae, Sheldon Kamieniecki

Sheldon Kamieniecki

No abstract provided.

The Ways In Which Courts Influence Legislative Action, Elizabeth Stiles, Lauren Bowen

Elizabeth A. Stiles

No abstract provided.

Media Framing And Policy Change After Columbine, Thomas Birkland, Regina Lawrence

Thomas A Birkland

The 1999 Columbine school shooting incident in Colorado gained far more media attention across a broader range of issues than any school violence episode before or since. One might expect that Columbine would have had an influence on public opinion, public policy, and scholarship commensurate with the attention it gained. We find that the event did contribute in a limited but interesting way to scholarship on media framing. But the effect of Columbine on public opinion and the nature and substance of public policy was limited. Attention to school shootings peaked with Columbine, and the attention surrounding that event mostly …

Religion And American Political Participation, Peter Wielhouwer

Peter W. Wielhouwer

No abstract provided.

Conservatism And American Political Development, Brian Glenn, Steve Teles

Brian J. Glenn

No abstract provided.