American Democracy in Peril encapsulates the tumultuous state of American politics. By introducing the history of democratic theory in terms of four ‚models‘ of democracy, Hudson provides readers with a set of criteria against which to evaluate the challenges discussed later. This provocative book offers a structured yet critical examination of the American political system, designed to stimulate students to consider how the facts they learn about American politics relate to democratic ideals. This new edition incorporates the Trump Presidency and the polarization that has accompanied his leadership.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Tables and Figures
About the Author
Preface
Introduction: Models of Democracy
Precursors to Modern Democratic Theory
Protective Democracy
Developmental Democracy
Pluralist Democracy
Participatory Democracy
The Models Compared
1. The First Challenge: Separation of Powers
The Founders’ Work
The Jeffersonian Model
The Separation of Powers and Democratic Values
The Parliamentary Alternative
Meeting the Challenge: Bridging the Separation of Powers
2. The Second Challenge: The Imperial Judiciary
The Least Democratic Branch
A Brief History of Judicial Review
Two Cases of Judicial Usurpation
Can Judicial Review Be Made Consistent With Democracy?
The Judicialization of American Politics as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Revitalize American Democracy
3. The Third Challenge: Radical Individualism
Individualism in the American Tradition
American “Habits of the Heart”
The Flaws of Libertarianism
Our Pathological Politics of Rights and Interests
Individual Isolation and the Politics of Spectacle
Meeting the Challenge: Balancing Rights With Responsibilities
4. The Fourth Challenge: Citizen Participation
Citizen Participation and Democratic Theory
Citizen Political Participation
Signs of Civic Disengagement
The New Citizen Activism
Participation as a Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: More Participation, Not Less
5. The Fifth Challenge: Elections Without the People’s Voice
Equal Representation
Deliberation
Control
Meeting the Challenge: Reforming Electoral Institutions, Promoting Democratic Deliberation
6. The Sixth Challenge: The “Privileged Position” of Business
American Politics as Pluralist Heaven
Business: The Privileged Group
Why Business Privilege Is a Threat to Democracy
Objections to the Privileged-Position-of-Business Thesis
Meeting the Challenge: Taking Democratic Action to Reduce Business Privilege
7. The Seventh Challenge: Economic Inequality
Equality and Democratic Theory
The End of the American Dream?
Economic Inequality’s Challenge to Democracy
Meeting the Challenge: Enacting Policies to Promote Equality
8. The Eighth Challenge: The National Security State
The Burgeoning of the National Security State
Secrecy
Centralization
Repression
Distortion
Meeting the Challenge: Reforming to Achieve True Security
Notes
Index
Über den Autor
William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion, American Democracy in Peril, 5th Edition, and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.
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