Day 1 The American polity: The Constitution and the American
political system
Day 2 American politics, ideologies and parties: American
elections
Day 3 The 'culture wars': 'guns, gays and God' - social
issues and their impact on American politics and society
Day 4 Immigration and demographic change: the emerging
Democratic majority?
Day 5 Is the US in decline: debates on America's future
global leadership
Background
Reading:
Below are some titles that relate to the above issues. Two good,
general texts on US Politics and Society can be found at:
Peele, G et al, Developments
in American Politics 8 (2018)
Vallely,
R, American Politics. A Very Short Introduction (2013)
Student
requirements:
No essential equipment is needed, but it is to be hoped that
students will bring an interest to the sessions in the contemporary US, and
they are encouraged to keep up to date with developments in American politics,
and their historical contexts. Any photocopies of key materials will be
provided by the tutor at the outset of the course.
Indicative Reading:
Books
Aberbach, J and Peele, G, Crisis of Conservatism. The
Republican Party, the Conservative Movement and American Politics After Bush (2011)
Alberta, T, American Carnage. In the Front Lines of the Republican civil war and
the Rise of President Trump (2019)
Allin, D and Jones, E, Weary
Policeman. American Power in an Age of Austerity (2012)
Andersen,
K, Fantasyland. How America Went Haywire(2018)
Badger,
T, 'How Dismal is the Future of American Politics,' Douglas W Bryant Lecture, British Library (2014)
Bernanke, B., The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis(2013)
Buckley, F, The
Once and Future King (2014)
Congressional Quarterly, CQ Politics in America (2018)
Crespino, J, Strom Thurmond's
America (2012)
Draper,
R, Do Not Ask What Good We Do. Inside the
US House of Representatives (2012)
Duncan, R, and Goddard, J, Contemporary America (2014)
Edwards, G, The
Oxford Handbook of the American Presidency (2011)
Ellis,
C. and Stimson, J., Ideology in America(2012)
Farmer, B, American Political Ideologies : An
Introduction to the Major Systems of Thought (2006)
Gelman, A et al, Red State, Blue State,
Rich State, Poor State. Why Americans Vote the Way They Do (2009)
Gray,
V, et al, Politics in the American
States. A Comparative Analysis (2012)
Green, M et al, Washington
101 (2014)
Horowitz, R, America's
Right : Anti-Establishment Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party(2013)
Kazin,
M et al, The Concise Princeton
Encyclopedia of American Political History (2011)
Harris, F, The Price of the Ticket. Barack Obama and
the Decline of Black Politics (2012)
Hartman, A, A
War for the Soul of America (2016)
Harris, L, The
Next American Civil War. The Populist Revolt Against the Liberal Elite(2010)
Heilemann, J and Halperin, M, Game Change. Obama
and the Clintons, McCain, Palin, and the Race of a Lfetime (2010)
Heileman,
J. and Halperin, M., Double Down(2013)
Hill, J. B, The First Black President. Barack
Obama, Race, Politics and the American Dream (2009)
Hyneman, Charles: Popular Government in the
United States: Foundations and Principles (2010)
Jenkins, S, 'Anti-Americanism in the 21st Century, ' Douglas W Bryant Lecture, British Library (2010)
Kabaservice, Rule
and Ruin. The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican
Party (2012)
Kenski, K, The
Obama Victory. How Media, Money and Message Shaped the 2008 Election (2010)
Lewis,
M, Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan
Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots) (2016)
Lieber,
R, Power and Willpower in the American
Future. Why the United States is Not Destined
To Decline (2012)
Leighley, J, The Oxford Handbook of
American Elections and Political Behaviour (2012)
Lind, M, Land of Promise. An
Economic History of the United States (2012)
Lookis,
B (ed), The US Senate. From Deliberation
to Dysfunction (2011)
Lundestad, G, The Rise and Decline
of the American Empire (2012)
Mann, T
and Ornstein, N, It's Even Worse Than It
Looks. How the American Constitutional System System Collided With the New
Politics of Extremism (2012)
Mason, R, The Republican Party and
American Politics from Hoover to Reagan (2011)
Nasr,
V., The Dispensable Nation. American
Foreign Policy in Retreat (2014)
Parker,
C., Change They Can't Believe in. The Tea
Party and Reactionary Politics in America (2013)
Patterson, J, The United States from Watergate to 9/11 (2005)
Putnam, R, How Religion Divides and
Unites Us (2012)
Remnick, D, The Life and Rise of Barack Obama (2010)
Schickler, E, (ed), The Oxford Handbook of the American Congress (2013)
Schlesinger, A, The Imperial Presidency (1974)
Shapiro, I, The Last Great Senate (2013)
Smith, H, The Power Game : How Washington Works (1989)
Swatz, D, Moral Minority. The Evangelical Left in an Age of Conservatism(2012)
Tenenhaus, S, The Death of
Conservatism (2009)
Troy, G,Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents.
George Washington To Barack Obama (2012)
Vance, J.B. Hillbilly Elegy (2017)
Wendling, M, The
Alt-Right. From 4chan to the White House (2018)
Williams, D, God's
Own Party. The Making of the Christian Right (2010)
Wroe, A, and Herbert, J, Assessing
the George W. Bush Presidency. A Tale of Two Terms (2009)
Yoo, J., Crisis and Command. A History of Executive Power from George
Washington to George W. Bush (2011)
Journals
American Political Science Review
Political Science Quarterly
State Politics and Policy Quarterly
Websites
Politico, http://www.politico.com/
RealClear Politics, www.realclearpolitics.com
Slate, www.slate.com
