| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From the New, Updated Introduction:
"At the heart of Why Americans Hate Politics is the view that ideas shape politics far more than most accounts of public life usually allow. I believe ideas matter not only to elites and intellectuals, but also to rank and file voters. Indeed, I often think that the rank and file see the importance of ideas more clearly than the elites, who often find themselves surprised by the rise of the movements that arise from the bottom up and shape our politics."
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Confirmed by the passage of time.....,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Why Americans Hate Politics: The Death of the Democratic Process (Paperback)
I originally purchased and read "Why Americans Hate Politics" shortly after it was published. Recently, I came across the book in my library and read it again.Few modern-day books and in depth analyses manage to weather the test of time. Mr. Dionne's thesis, to his credit, is further affirmed in its accuracy just four days short of 2003. This achievement is only diminished by the frustration of knowing that we've sunken much deeper into this morass of "ideological polarization" vis a vis liberalism and conservatism as it affects today's political climate in the U.S. Mr. Dionne could hardly have predicted the proliferation of cable networks with their steady diet of disciples from both sides pummeling the viewer 24 hours a day. Neither could he have imagined the depths to which politicos, think tanks, and special interest groups would plunge as this "polarization" continues to feed upon itself some 12 years later. "Why Americans Hate Politics" should be on every required reading list in our colleges and universities as well as among engaged and concerned citizens in the United States - especially given current events.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
could show a thing or two to some textbooks I know....,
By
This review is from: Why Americans Hate Politics: The Death of the Democratic Process (Paperback)
"Why Americans Hate Politics" is a brilliant treatment of the major themes of American politics of the last 50 or so years from today's best political journalist. This book showcases exactly what is so good about Dionne's Washington Post columns: insights that are always penetrating, and never anodyne. Dionne nicely handles a wide spectrum of issues, such as feminism, the resurgence of religion in politics, supply side economics and the divisions in both modern liberalism and conservatism. At the same time, Dionne provides depth, breadth and context that are uncharacteristic of many textbooks that cover the same period. Dionne does not heed the traditional fissures between political history, intellectual history, economic history and civil rights history. Because of this tack, Dionne effectively conveys just how much was going on at any point in American political life. Finally, I appreciated Dionne's willingness both to mention and cite other works that provide a more thorough treatment of given subjects. Among the many titles I got from reading Dionne's book were Nicol Rae's "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," Kevin Phillip's "The Politics of Rich and Poor" and John Richard Neuhaus' "The Naked Public Square." Any book that gives me three suggestions of three more "must read" titles gets extra points.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Challenge your political allegiances,
By
This review is from: Why Americans Hate Politics: The Death of the Democratic Process (Paperback)
I like bold books that make bold statements. "Why Americans Hate Politics" opens swinging for the fences, saying accurately that the New Left elected Reagan. And when the book isn't speaking difficult truths, its articulating things clearly that you've probably sensed before. This book traces American Politics from the 60s to 91, outlining the major shifts in ideologies and how they are represented in the political parties. The way it displays these sometimes dramatic shifts could be the books highest value. To see the words "liberal" and "Republican" next to each other feels bizarre, though it shouldn't, and people where described as such not long ago. "Why Americans..." argues essentially there was an insurgency in the Democratic Party in the 60s that split the centrist New Deal consensus. While there were inherently some contradictions in that consensus, the Vietnam War exacerbated the split. At the same time, a conservative coalition emerged, thanks in large part to William Buckley's National Review and the candidacy of Barry Goldwater, that was able to unite two former democratic flanks, namely the libertarian/internationalist neo-conservatives and the traditional/religious populists. The cause of anti-communism solidified that coalition. In turn, the Democratic Party was caught trying to balance the radicals of the sixties and the New Dealers from the past. The two sides have battled it out ever since.
Most importantly and refreshingly, Dionne takes both sides seriously and at their word. For example, he is eloquent in pointing out that and that most religious conservatives don't want to delegitimize other's faiths or force others to their own, they just don't like being mocked as dupes. Further, conservatives are foolish when they dismiss the 60s as being merely a radical frenzy. Our current attitudes of equality and opportunity, that no one serious would dissent from, were fought for in that era and those victories must be acknowledged. Both parties have had successes and mistakes, and could learn from each other. There are a few problems with the book, however. At one point it seemed as if Dionne couldn't decide whether the South became Republican because of demographic and economic changes, or because it is simply anti-civil rights. I also think that he succumbs to impulse (like Thomas Friedman) that says everyone is mostly right and we just need to compromise toward the middle. Compromise is of value, but it's not the highest value. But overall it is a great book displaying how unnatural coalitions in our two party system make politics about symbolism rather than substance. The fight against terrorism will act like anticommunism in that it will continue to hold the conservative coalition together while it will put liberals into a bind when trying to articulate their strategies in that fight. But these schisms are on the horizon and must be dealt with. Then, hopefully, we can put the war of symbols aside. But I'm not holding my breath.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
See all 109 books this book cites
See all 100 books citing this book
|
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
|
|
|
|
