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42. The Legislative Legacy of Congressional Campaigns
- Author:
- Eric McGhee
- Publication Date:
- 08-2012
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- The question of representation has long been central to research on the U.S. Congress. Do members of Congress effectively represent their constituents? Does Congress effectively represent the United States as a whole? How do we define good representation, and how do we know it when we see it? Most of the research on these questions examines roll call votes and election returns. Tracy Sulkin's book, The Legislative Legacy of Congressional Campaigns , focuses instead on how legislators choose to spend their time and effort, as measured by bill introductions and cosponsorships. Sulkin connects these activities to the issues that were mentioned in campaign advertisements, to see how often legislators keep their promises and work on issues they said they would.
- Political Geography:
- United States
43. One Nation Under Surveillance: A New Social Contract to Defend Freedom Without Sacrificing Liberty
- Author:
- Priscilla M. Regan
- Publication Date:
- 08-2012
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- The debate about the balance between privacy and security has intrigued scholars for decades and has become of increased relevance in our post-September 11 era. Simon Chesterman approaches this issue from a perspective yielding some very interesting insights. He argues that the traditional distinction between foreign and domestic intelligence has eroded due to the nature of terrorist threats, globalization, and innovations in communications and information technologies. The focus of Chesterman's analysis is on domestic intelligence activities, especially those of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Britain's Security Service (MI5). His conclusion is that in democratic societies, a new "social contract" is emerging by which individuals give government and private institutions information in exchange for security and convenience. Chesterman's analysis of the changes in domestic surveillance activities is carefully researched, thoughtfully organized, and well-supported; however, his conclusions regarding this new social contract need to be more fully developed.
- Topic:
- Globalization
- Political Geography:
- United States and United Nations
44. Islamist Terrorism and Democracy in the Middle East
- Author:
- Elena Mastors
- Publication Date:
- 08-2012
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Democracy will save the Middle East. This perspective was promulgated for eight years by the administration of George W. Bush, and because of it, the United States became embroiled in two long-term conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, spent billions of dollars on the war on terrorism, restructured the intelligence and homeland security communities, and passed legislation at home that many believe negatively impacted our civil liberties. Because of this, we want to believe that it was worth the lives lost and the flagrant spending that had a significant impact on our economic situation today. In her scholarly book, Islamist Terrorism and Democracy in the Middle East,Katerina Dalacoura asks whether "a convincing case can be made that Islamist terrorism in the Middle East has political causes stemming from non-democratic or authoritarian structures" (p. 23). The author presents a convincing argument that political causes are not the strongest explanation for Islamist terrorism.
- Political Geography:
- United States, South Asia, and Middle East
45. Managing Fear: The Politics of Homeland Security
- Author:
- Benjamin H. Friedman
- Publication Date:
- 05-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- BENJAMIN H. FRIEDMAN argues that the United States has spent excessively on homeland security since September 11. He outlines psychological and political explanations for this overreaction and concludes that these factors make some overreaction to terrorism unavoidable but offers four strategies to mitigate it.
- Topic:
- Security and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States
46. Why Intelligence Fails: Lessons from the Iranian Revolution and the Iraq War
- Author:
- Loch K. Johnson
- Publication Date:
- 05-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Anything on intelligence written by Robert Jervis is worth reading. This volume is certainly no exception. In this instance, he takes on the difficult job of trying to understand why the United States, despite spending $80 billion on intelligence each year, still makes mistakes in predicting the trajectory of world affairs.
- Political Geography:
- United States and Iraq
47. Going Local: Presidential Leadership in the Post-Broadcast Age
- Author:
- Martin Johnson
- Publication Date:
- 05-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- This ambitious book focuses on presidential activities in the contemporary political environment that Jeffrey Cohen characterizes as marked by polarized political parties in Congress and fragmented mass media. Building on his own work (for example, the recent The Presidency in the Era of 24-Hour News) and the contextual theory that Samuel Kernell develops in the classic Going Public, Cohen connects presidential behavior to the organization of Congress and the mass media. As the shift from congressional institutional pluralism(which Cohen identifies as prevailing 1953–1969 [p. 43]) to individual pluralism (1970–1988) helps explain presidentsʼ increased emphasis on public activities covered by national media, so more-recent changes in political context have affected presidentsʼ public behavior. Cohen argues that congressional polarization and media fragmentation (1989–present) help explain recent presidential efforts to more narrowly target constituencies via interest groups and local media. As an example of this tactical shift, Cohen notes President George W. Bushʼs schedule of domestic travel to circumvent his “national Pooh-Bahs” (p. 2) and build support for legislative initiatives.
- Political Geography:
- United States, China, Israel, Soviet Union, and Egypt
48. The Future of Islam and U.S.–Muslim Relations
- Author:
- John L. Esposito
- Publication Date:
- 09-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- JOHN L. ESPOSITO analyzes the future of Islam and Muslim–West relations. He argues that the mindset among policymakers and the narrative in U.S.–Muslim world relations is shifting away from a policy of “democratic exceptionalism” and support for authoritarian regimes. Now the United States is committed to democratic institution-building and civil society and is responsive to the aspirations and expectations of their peoples, political parties (Islamist and secular), and civil society organizations.
- Topic:
- Islam
- Political Geography:
- United States
49. Dysfunctional Doctrines? Eisenhower, Carter and U.S. Military Intervention in the Middle East
- Author:
- Jeffrey H. Michaels
- Publication Date:
- 09-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- JEFFREY H. MICHAELS examines several of the analytical and practical problems of U.S. presidential foreign policy doctrines by looking specifically at the Eisenhower and Carter doctrines. He concludes that presidential doctrines are usually overrated as new statements of principle, and that the elevation of a presidential statement into doctrine can have unintended consequences.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- United States and Middle East
50. The Influence of Magna Carta in Limiting Executive Power in the War on Terror
- Author:
- Eric Kasper
- Publication Date:
- 10-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Political Science Quarterly
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Eric T. Kasper examines the use of Magna Carta by U.S. federal courts in enemy combatant cases. He traces the history of due process, jury trial, and habeas corpus rights within Magna Carta as well as subsequent legal documents and rulings in England and America. He concludes that Magna Carta is properly used by the federal courts as persuasive authority to limit executive power in the war on terror.
- Political Geography:
- United States, America, and England