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In an era of unprecedented budget problems, can Congress establish legislative procedures to facilitate making politically difficult budget decisions? If we keep fixing the process, why are the policies and politics so fouled up? This book provides an extensive answer to these questions. Focusing exclusively on the House of Representatives, the author assesses whether current congressional budget procedures, namely the 302 process and reconciliation, have been created, designed, and maintained t...

Heavily revised in the sixth edition, this descriptive, comprehensive text by Tom Patterson is known for its engaging narrative, future oriented approach, and its ability to tie together the latest scholarship with real-life politics. By using a narrative, The American Democracy weaves together theory, information, and examples in order to bring out key facts and ideas in a way that captures student interest. In the sixth edition, the struggle between liberty and equality is explored in a more e...

The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy offers a powerful criticism of the inconsistencies of representative democracy.Described both as "the Hobbes of our age" and as "the philosophical godfather of Nazism," Carl Schmitt was a brilliant and controversial political theorist whose doctrine of political leadership and critique of liberal democratic ideals distinguish him as one of the most original contributors to modern political theory. The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy offers a powerful criti...

The author rejects the US system of voting plurality which reinforces the two-party monopoly and restricts voter choice. As an alternative, he argues for proportional representation, where officials are elected in multi-member districts according to the proportion of the votes won by their parties.

Confronted with rising citizen discontent, the Reinventing Government movement, and new technological challenges, public organizations everywhere are seeking means of improving their performance. Their quest is not new, rather, the concern with improving the performance of government organizations has existed since the Scientific Management Movement. Public Sector Performance brings together in a single volume the classic, enduring principles and processes that have defined the field of public s...

Explore the fascinating history of America's bloodiest ever conflict. Combining expert historical insight with the eyewitness accounts of soldiers and civilians, A Short History of the Civil War offers a brilliant summary of the key events and wider context of the hostilities between North and South. Profiles of influential military and political leaders, and thought-provoking features on themes and experiences, from the evils of slavery to the treatment of wounded soldiers, bring the story...

Our government debt is rising every day. Our population is shifting as more people retire and fewer are able to find work. Our social programs, including the Affordable Care Act, are only adding to our financial burden, and rising taxes are hindering economic growth. We are a nation in the red. A powerful wake-up call to leaders, investors, and citizens, this brilliantly researched book reveals the surprising truth about our national debt--and what we can do about it. You'll learn: How reckl...

:The Almanac of the Unelected contains in-depth profiles about individual Congressional staff members, including dozens of new members who have come from law firms, government agencies, and the private sector. The profiles contain professional history and experience, areas of expertise, educational background, specific legislative contributions, current contact information, and a photograph if available. The Almanac of the Unelected is the leading source for information about Congressional staff...

Exploring the politics and morality that pulled the United States into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this collection of essays, stories, and satirical pieces lambasts the highest officials in the executive branch for incompetence and moral blindness. Analyses of both wars and the crisis following 9/11 portray the conflicts as opportunities for special interests to entrench themselves in the U.S. government at the expense of U.S. citizens' civil liberties and tax dollars, and the lives of numerou...

The urgent truth about the privatization of America's national security that exposes where this industry came from, how it operates, where it's heading--and why we should be concerned. Thirty years ago there were no private military and security companies (PMSCs); there were only mercenaries. Now the PMSCs are a bona-fide industry, an indispensable part of American foreign and military policy. PMSCs assist US forces in combat operations and replace them after the military withdraws from combat z...

With sharp, detail-filled style Morris and McGann are sure to stir up controversy with the hard facts laid out in this book. From claims about the slave state of Dubai; secretly buying everything from MGM to the Queen Mary to credit card companies abuse; charging interest every way they can, Screen-Studios product; and, placing tobacco in PG films and outrageous corporate salaries: $249M for Capital One's CEO, $230M for Yahoo's - this book is sure to add fuel to the election fires.

Americans in recent years have become thoroughly disenchanted with our political campaigns, especially with campaign advertising and speeches. Each year, as November approaches, we are bombarded with visceral appeals that bypass substance, that drape candidates in the American flag but tell us nothing about what they'll do if elected, that flood us with images of PT-109 or Willie Horton, while significant issues - such as Kennedy's Addison's Disease or the looming S&< catastrophe - are left unex...

'A fireball of terse information.'Oliver Stone 'A remarkable collection. Blum concentrates on matters of great current significance, and does not pull his punches. They land, backed with evidence and acute analysis.'Noam Chomsky For over sixty-five years, the United States war machine has been on automatic pilot. Since World War II we have been conditioned to believe that America's motives in 'exporting' democracy are honorable, even noble. In this startling and provocative book, William Blum...