Reviews (4)

Evolution of Washington Politics
Samuel Kernell argues that Washington politics have undergone a structural change over the past half century.Traditionally, politics in Washington were conducted according to a system of mutually beneficial interactions and bargains.Kernell refers to this structure as institutionalized pluralism.Under such a system, the political elite are the ultimate decision makers.It is these elites that have access to a number of political resources that help shape and enforce their political power.
Necessary for understanding the presidency
Kernell's fine work is a wonderful addition to the scholarly literature in political science on the American presidency.It's well-written and well-organized.His insights into why, when and how presidents "go public" and take their case over the heads of congressmen to the people are informative and worthwhile.Not all of his observations fit the case studies he uses, and he sometimes exaggerates his case a bit, but overall he makes good points. intuitive if not empirical
Kernell described "going public" as "a strategy whereby a president promotes himself and his policies in Washington by appealing to the American public for support" (p.2).Use of this strategy is saidto be on the rise as it is particularly well suited to the modernpresident. Kernell argued that this strategy is a powerful tactic that canbe used by a president to force a reluctant Congress to go along with acertain policy, but that it is incompatible with Neustadt's"bargaining president."He described several cases where thestrategy was used, sometimes it worked, other times it did not, he said. The underlying premise though is that our government has moved from beinginstitutionally pluralistic to a more individualized pluralism where everyCongressman must fend for themselves (decline of party argument).One isleft agreeing that public support does give a president certain leverage inbargaining with Congress, but how the support is measured or that itdefinitely replaces bargaining and forces Congress to act is not adequatelysubstantiated.The book has some interesting stories on how some policiesof some presidents played out in the political arena.If you likebehind-the-scenes writings on policy making and president-Congressrelations- buy the book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Communication in politics    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Mass Communication Media And Politics    4. Political Process - Leadership    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Presidents    9. Press conferences    10. U.S. President    11. United States    12. Elections & referenda    13. Modern fiction    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    3. Law    4. Law and legislation    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Local taxation    7. Taxation    8. Taxation, State    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Entrepreneurship    2. Government & Business    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Public Affairs & Administration    6. Public administration    7. Business & Economics / Government & Business    8. Central government    9. Management & management techniques    10. Public ownership / nationalization   

Editorial Review

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) was one of the first members of the United States government openly to predict the imminent collapse of the Soviet Union--and, by extension, statist communism--as far back as the late '70s, as political historian Richard Gid Powers reminds readers in a lengthy introduction (comprising approximately one-fifth of Read more

Reviews (8)

How to use 20/20 Hindsight To Prove You're Never Wrong
First, let me say that Patrick Moynihan is an intelligent man. However, this book is bunk. He states that the Cold War was completely unnecessary - that the USSR was going to collapse anyway. Therefore, all the money/effort spent on it was wasted. That's like saying that we would've won World War II anyway, so all that money spent on D-Day was a waste.
Eroding the open society
This is an important documentation and history of the blight of screcy overtaking the American Government in the wake of the Second World War, especially in the context of the Cold War. Moynihan is especially critical of the way in which the gestation of classified information supporting fallacious conclusions (e.g. the Missile Gap)thwared proper open discussion and review of wrong policies. Moynihan makes a sound case for the excessive use of classification, to the point of absurdity. This erosion of the open society requires an active correction, although it is hard to see how this usurpation of power can be stopped in the short term. In any case, the threat to 'government by the people' is direct and ominous.

Extraordinary Contribution to National Sanity and Security
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Executive privilege (Governmen    3. Executive privilege (Government information)    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. Official secrets    7. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    8. Political Ideologies - Democracy    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Public Affairs & Administration    13. Security classification (Government documents)    14. U.S. Federal Executive Bodies    15. United States    16. United States - 20th Century    17. Central government    18. Espionage & secret services    19. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    20. Political Science / General    21. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    22. Second World War, 1939-1945    23. USA   

Subjects:  1. Communications    2. Computer programs    3. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    4. Intellectual Property    5. Intellectual Property - Patent    6. Law    7. Law and legislation    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Litigation    10. Patent laws and legislation    11. Patent, Trademark, Copyright    12. Patents    13. Programming - Software Development    14. Software protection    15. United States    16. Constitutional & administrative law    17. Courts & procedure    18. Local government   

Reviews (1)

An Exhaustive Collection of Public Personnel Issues
I recently read this book for a Ph.D. course, I found it to be quite exhaustive in coverage.From the beginnings of the public sector and the issues of spoils and patronage to the current issues of pay for performance, sexual harrassment and current public work trends, this book covers a great deal of subjects.Perhaps the most notable is the writers' ability to combine historical personnel issues with relative theories to argue current problems and situations.The second full reading really helped to clarify the book's thoughtful issues. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Civil service    4. Human Resources & Personnel Management    5. Personnel management    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Public Affairs & Administration    8. United States    9. Personnel & human resources management    10. Political Science / General   

Reviews (1)

The Best Book On The Subject!
William Valente's (et. al) "Cases And Materials On State And Local Government Law" is a fantastic text on the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    3. Law    4. Law and legislation    5. Local government    6. United States   

Subjects:  1. Political Science    2. Politics - Current Events    3. Politics/International Relations    4. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    5. 1989-1993    6. 1945-1989    7. Politics and government    8. California    9. 1951-    10. United States   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. General    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Local Government    6. Local officials and employees    7. Management - General    8. Personnel management    9. Public Affairs & Administration    10. Supervision    11. Supervision of employees   

Subjects:  1. General    2. India    3. Internet in public administrat    4. Internet in public administration    5. Political Science    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Affairs & Administration    10. Internet    11. Local government    12. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. UrbanState & Local Government   

Subjects:  1. Civil service    2. Civil service ethics    3. Government executives    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Public Affairs & Administration    8. Public administration    9. Strategic planning   

Subjects:  1. Amici curiae    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional Law    4. Decision making    5. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    6. Law    7. Law and politics    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Litigation    10. Political Process - General    11. Political aspects    12. Pressure groups    13. Supreme Court    14. U.S. Lobbies And Interest Groups    15. United States    16. UrbanState & Local Government    17. Constitutional & administrative law    18. Courts & procedure    19. Law / General    20. USA   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. General    4. Local budgets    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Program budgeting    8. Public Affairs & Administration    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Courts    2. Courts - General    3. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    4. Jurisdiction    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Courts    3. Courts - General    4. Federal Government    5. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    6. Judicial power    7. Law    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. States    10. United States    11. UrbanState & Local Government    12. Civil law (general works)    13. Constitutional & administrative law    14. Courts & procedure    15. Law / Constitutional    16. Political structure & processes    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Administrative agencies    2. Case studies    3. Data processing    4. Information Technology    5. Political Science    6. Political aspects    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Affairs & Administration    10. Public administration    11. Central government    12. Communication Studies    13. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    3. Interpretation and constructio    4. Interpretation and construction    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legislation    8. United States    9. UrbanState & Local Government    10. Jurisprudence & General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Children    2. Family Law - Children    3. Government - State, Provincial & Municipal    4. Guardian and ward    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal status, laws, etc.    8. Parent and child (Law)    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Constitutional & administrative law    12. Law / General   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Budget    3. Business & Economics    4. Economic Policy    5. Governmental Budgeting    6. History    7. History - U.S.    8. History: American    9. Municipal budgets    10. Politics and government    11. Public Affairs & Administration    12. Public Finance    13. Public Health    14. States    15. United States    16. United States - 19th Century/Turn of the Century    17. Central government    18. Political structures: democracy