Democracy and Dysfunction

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Democracy
Cover of the book Democracy and Dysfunction by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin ISBN: 9780226612188
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: April 16, 2019
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
ISBN: 9780226612188
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: April 16, 2019
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

It is no longer controversial that the American political system has become deeply dysfunctional. Today, only slightly more than a quarter of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction, while sixty-three percent believe we are on a downward slope. The top twenty words used to describe the past year include “chaotic,” “turbulent,” and “disastrous.” Donald Trump’s improbable rise to power and his 2016 Electoral College victory placed America’s political dysfunction in an especially troubling light, but given the extreme polarization of contemporary politics, the outlook would have been grim even if Hillary Clinton had won. The greatest upset in American presidential history is only a symptom of deeper problems of political culture and constitutional design.      

Democracy and Dysfunction brings together two of the leading constitutional law scholars of our time, Sanford Levinson and Jack M. Balkin, in an urgently needed conversation that seeks to uncover the underlying causes of our current crisis and their meaning for American democracy. In a series of letters exchanged over a period of two years, Levinson and Balkin travel—along with the rest of the country—through the convulsions of the 2016 election and Trump’s first year in office. They disagree about the scope of the crisis and the remedy required. Levinson believes that our Constitution is fundamentally defective and argues for a new constitutional convention, while Balkin, who believes we are suffering from constitutional rot, argues that there are less radical solutions. As it becomes dangerously clear that Americans—and the world—will be living with the consequences of this pivotal period for many years to come, it is imperative that we understand how we got here—and how we might forestall the next demagogue who will seek to beguile the American public.
 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

It is no longer controversial that the American political system has become deeply dysfunctional. Today, only slightly more than a quarter of Americans believe the country is heading in the right direction, while sixty-three percent believe we are on a downward slope. The top twenty words used to describe the past year include “chaotic,” “turbulent,” and “disastrous.” Donald Trump’s improbable rise to power and his 2016 Electoral College victory placed America’s political dysfunction in an especially troubling light, but given the extreme polarization of contemporary politics, the outlook would have been grim even if Hillary Clinton had won. The greatest upset in American presidential history is only a symptom of deeper problems of political culture and constitutional design.      

Democracy and Dysfunction brings together two of the leading constitutional law scholars of our time, Sanford Levinson and Jack M. Balkin, in an urgently needed conversation that seeks to uncover the underlying causes of our current crisis and their meaning for American democracy. In a series of letters exchanged over a period of two years, Levinson and Balkin travel—along with the rest of the country—through the convulsions of the 2016 election and Trump’s first year in office. They disagree about the scope of the crisis and the remedy required. Levinson believes that our Constitution is fundamentally defective and argues for a new constitutional convention, while Balkin, who believes we are suffering from constitutional rot, argues that there are less radical solutions. As it becomes dangerously clear that Americans—and the world—will be living with the consequences of this pivotal period for many years to come, it is imperative that we understand how we got here—and how we might forestall the next demagogue who will seek to beguile the American public.
 

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book The Dawn of the Deed by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Deadly Edge by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book The Socratic Way of Life by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book The Fragmented Forest by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Rediscovering Jacob Riis by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book War Stories by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Wallis's War by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Prospero's Son by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Leo Strauss and the Rediscovery of Maimonides by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Follow the Leader? by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Orientation and Judgment in Hermeneutics by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Geographies of Philological Knowledge by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Machiavelli's Virtue by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Innovation Policy and the Economy 2015 by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
Cover of the book Image and Myth by Sanford Levinson, Jack M. Balkin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy