The Enduring Democracy (Book Only)

THE ENDURING DEMOCRACY helps readers understand that debates and events being played out in American politics today have occurred before in different forms-and that our government endures. Updates in the Fourth Edition include complete coverage of the 2014 midterm election; the policy agenda for the final two years of the Obama administration; a primer on the polls, parties, and context for the 2016 presidential election; substantial coverage of the growing impact of social media on American politics; and new historical perspectives on implementation problems associated with major federal programs such as Obamacare. Also included are updated timelines that highlight significant events in each chapter and a new feature that emphasizes the relevance of major U.S. Supreme Court decisions and how they influence students' everyday lives.

About the Author :
Professor Kenneth Dautrich (Ph.D., Rutgers University) teaches public opinion and public policy in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on public opinion about the news media and free expression rights. He has authored a number of books and articles including THE FUTURE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT (Roman and Littlefield, 2008), THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE MEDIA IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION (Cambridge University Press, 2003), and HOW THE NEWS MEDIA FAIL THE AMERICAN VOTER (Columbia University Press, 1999). He is currently finishing a book entitled THE PARADOX OF PUBLIC OPINION (Oxford University Press). Dautrich has conducted many public polls on media, voting, and public policy issues for organizations such as Time Magazine, The Freedom Forum, and a variety of state and federal government agencies. He has been a research fellow at The Freedom Forum's Media Studies Center and Rutgers University's Heldrich Center. He has also served as policy advisor for Governor Jodi Rell. His research on public attitudes about the First Amendment has been supported by the Media Studies Center and the Knight Foundation. David A. Yalof (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; B.A. and J.D., University of Virginia) is Professor and Department Head of Political Science at the University of Connecticut. His expertise and teaching and research interests include constitutional law, judicial politics, and the presidency. Professor Yalof is the author of PURSUIT OF JUSTICES: PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND THE SELECTION OF SUPREME COURT NOMINEES, winner of the American Political Science Association's Richard E. Neustadt Prize for the Best Book on the Presidency. He is also the co-author of THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE MEDIA IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION (with Kenneth Dautrich) and THE FUTURE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT: THE DIGITAL MEDIA, CIVIC EDUCATION, AND FREE EXPRESSION RIGHTS IN AMERICA'S HIGH SCHOOLS (also with Ken Dautrich). Dr. Yalof has written numerous articles for publications such as Political Research Quarterly, Judicature, and Constitutional Commentary. His most recent work, PROSECUTION AMONG FRIENDS: PRESIDENTS, ATTORNEYS GENERAL, AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH WRONGDOING was published by the Texas A & M University Press. He is currently working on a book-length project examining the role that constitutional precedents played in the recent debate over health care reform.

Review :
"I find THE ENDURING DEMOCRACY to be thoughtfully designed and well executed. The overarching theme of the text is clear and repeatedly reinforced. The inserts, chapter introductions, and end-of-chapter summaries/exercises are structured to help students identify and understand the most important concepts. . . . As with the "More Things Change. . ." boxes, the "Then and Now" features emphasize how our political system has changed over time, as well as how much has remained consistent. These features help tie the text together with a coherent theme-the enduring American democratic system. This vision is well-executed in this text far better than most American government books." "I like the authors' writing style a lot. My current text [O'Connor/Sabato] is written well, but even for me, can be dry. Dautrich and Yalof display a very keen skill in presenting the material. . . . It's clearly written and has lively prose. The book provides a critical analysis of our American system and encourages critical thinking about who we are as Americans." "I really appreciate [the authors'] efforts to link historic political events to contemporary political issues. . . . This is a solid text and I will use it for years to come. I think that the text clearly explains the complicated historic and current political issues in an accessible manner." "The scholarship is sound, and the writing style is of a high quality throughout. It covers all of the material that I would expect to find in an introductory course to American Government."