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Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats 1st Edition

by Matt Grossmann (Author), David A. Hopkins (Author)

4.2 41 ratings

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Why do Republican politicians promise to rein in government, only to face repeated rebellions from Republican voters and media critics for betraying their principles? Why do Democratic politicians propose an array of different policies to match the diversity of their supporters, only to become mired in stark demographic divisions over issue priorities? In short, why do the two parties act so differently-whether in the electorate, on the campaign trail, or in public office?

Asymmetric Politics offers a comprehensive explanation: The Republican Party is the vehicle of an ideological movement while the Democratic Party is a coalition of social groups. Republican leaders prize conservatism and attract support by pledging loyalty to broad values. Democratic leaders instead seek concrete government action, appealing to voters' group identities and interests by endorsing specific policies.

This fresh and comprehensive investigation reveals how Democrats and Republicans think differently about politics, rely on distinct sources of information, argue past one another, and pursue divergent goals in government. It provides a rigorous new understanding of contemporary polarization and governing dysfunction while demonstrating how longstanding features of American politics and public policy reflect our asymmetric party system.

ISBN-10

0190626607
ISBN-13

978-0190626600
Edition

1st
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

September 7, 2016
Language

English
Dimensions

9.1 x 0.6 x 6.1 inches
Print length

416 pages
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Editorial Reviews

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"Not many books change how you think about American politics. This one will. Grossmann and Hopkins' research decisively shows that the two parties are not the same-and once you understand the ways in which they're different, American politics begins to make a lot more sense." --Ezra Klein, Editor-in-Chief, Vox

"In this detailed and well-argued book, Grossmann and Hopkins present formidable evidence against a still-too-common depiction of American parties, which views their 'polarization' as a consequence of their equivalent march away from some imagined middle. Asymmetric Politics encourages a badly-needed re-examination of the very distinctive internal workings and strategic choices of Democrats and Republicans." --Paul Pierson, John Gross Professor of Political Science, University of California at Berkeley, and co-author of Winner-Take-All Politics

"This deeply clarifying book not only helps us gain a better grasp of our polarized politics, it also helps to show how the methods of political science can help bridge the gap between the theory and practice of American political life-bringing the former down to earth and lifting the latter toward a more coherent understanding of itself. It is required reading in this confusing time." --Yuval Levin, editor, National Affairs

Book Description

Asymmetric Politics investigates the most consequential differences in the organization and style of the two major parties.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (September 7, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190626607
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0190626600
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.1 x 0.6 x 6.1 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #311,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #181 in Political Parties (Books)
- #390 in Democracy (Books)
- #681 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism

Customer Reviews:
4.2 41 ratings

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About the authors

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Matt Grossmann
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Matt Grossmann is Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University and Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center. A regular contributor to FiveThirtyEight, he has published analysis in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Politico and hosts the Science of Politics podcast. He is the author of Red State Blues (2019), Asymmetric Politics (with David A. Hopkins, 2016), Artists of the Possible (2014), and The Not-So-Special Interests (2012).
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David A. Hopkins
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David A. Hopkins is an associate professor of political science at Boston College, where he has taught since 2010. His research focuses on American political parties, elections, and voters.
Professor Hopkins is the author of Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2017); Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats (with Matt Grossmann; Oxford University Press, 2016); and Presidential Elections: Strategies and Structures of American Politics, 16th edition (with Nelson W. Polsby, Aaron Wildavsky, and Steven E. Schier; Rowman & Littlefield, 2024).
Professor Hopkins writes frequently about American politics for popular audiences. His analysis has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vox, and other publications, and he blogs regularly about current events at his website Honest Graft. He received his A.B. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
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4.2 out of 5

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Excellent book on American politics

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016

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This is one of the most interesting books on politics I have read in awhile. Its central thesis that the Republican party is primarily characterized by ideology (e.g., small/limited government, emphasis on individual freedom, robust national defense, traditional moral values, etc) whereas the Democrat party is better characterized as a collection of special interest groups (e.g., organized labor, environmentalists, feminists, minority group interests, etc.) is documented with a significant amount of data. The authors also make the case that many Americans are symbolically in favor of small/limited government while at the same time supportive of many government programs advocated by liberals. Although a non-ideological Republican Donald Trump was just elected president (thanks to our antiquated and unfair electoral college system) he clearly appealed to the conservative ideological concerns held by traditional Republicans as well as many white blue collar Americans. I believe that this book deserves much broader reading than is suggested by the limited number of reviews. It especially provides important food for thought for Democrats as their party now struggles to to find meaning in the face of significant electoral defeats.

31 people found this helpful

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bell

dull but insightful

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018

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Great Ideas, but it is dry and repetitive. The Authors write like they are submiting their writing to a journal, so it is a little dull, but they do have some insights.

2 people found this helpful

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Chris Prussing

Ow! Truth really does hurt!

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2016

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Holy cow, was this an agonizing read. I felt as if I was re-living the political tempests of the past 50 years in all their disappointment and ugliness. And now here we are, with a minority of voters having elected Donald Trump to office. If you want insights as to how this could have happened, Asymmetric Politics gives you a container load - if you can take it without grinding your back teeth to powder. Anyone wondering, "Well, now what do we do?" could very likely benefit from Asymmetric Politics to gain a clearer understanding of the situation ... daunting as that understanding might be. Like being handed a flashlight and discovering the path that has lead you to the brink of a 10-story hole in the floor, and you can't go backward.

36 people found this helpful

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Gregory Thomas Bogosian

Good insights. But conclusion is overly pessimistic.

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2019

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Summary: The two major political parties in the United States, the Democrats and the Republicans, are not mirror images. The democrats are a coalition of discreet social groups that each demand specific domestic policies. The republicans are a vehicle for the Conservative movement. So, they face different incentives. Americans favor liberal policies, but conservative principles. So the incentive for the Democrats is to play up their specific policies, and downplay the principles behind those polices. The Republicans, as the conservative party, face the opposite incentive, the incentive to play up their principles, but downplay what those principles imply in practice. The result is that the Democrats meet broad support for each of their policies, but face a backlash when they try to implement too many of them. The Republicans meet broad support for their rhetoric, but face a backlash when they try to translate that rhetoric into actual legislation.
Pros: The evidence is extensively documented. This thesis explains how the Democrats and Republicans have both survived. It shows that those who argue that the Democrats are too far left to survive and those who argue that the Republicans are too far right to survive are both wrong.
Cons: The conclusion is pretty weak. Grossman argues that there is an aporia in American public opinion that makes any attempt at resolving political polarization through institutional change futile. This way of thinking only makes sense if you ignore the research that public opinion shifts in response to the elites (See Democracy for Realists). I personally suspect that changing the electoral system would lead to different elites taking power in America, and therefore lead to different public opinion in America. In short, good insights, good documentation of data and evidence. But this book is too pessimistic.

4 people found this helpful

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Brett

The Best Basic Political Ideology Book

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017

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Honestly, this is one of the best instructional aides for any political science class. I highly recommend this book, even for adults disinterested in politics or for a light read. The fundamental breakdowns of both ideologies and their brief evolution in the United States is very well developed and explained simply. As the title suggests, both parties are not diametrical opponents of each other and is a common misconception. This book achieves clarifying this misconception.

8 people found this helpful

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Don Anderson

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2017

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My kind of read as a struggling citizen.

3 people found this helpful

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Dr. Denny

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017

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Excellent

One person found this helpful

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Lauren Sveen

and is pretty inaccurate in light of current events

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2017

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Not based on a lot of statistical accuracy, is written in a un-scholarly and almost partisan manner, and is pretty inaccurate in light of current events. For research on polarization, I would definitely recommend the works of any other scholars: Fiorina, Abramowitz, Levendusky, Bishop, etc.

11 people found this helpful

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