Has our system of checks and balances between the three branches of our federal government undergone changes for good or ill over the years since the Constitution was set as the cornerstone of our nation? How stand our political traditions, our personal freedoms, our purported equality, our sense of governance "of, by, and for the people"? Are we the democratic nation we set out to be, or do we have a distance to go to achieve this ideal? Alternatively, is approaching a democratic ideal desirable today in the light of the smaller, more integrated, and dangerous world in which we live?
Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Government? examines the theory and practice of American democracy and the dichotomy that currently exists between them. The contributors assess both the reasons—and the consequences—of this division between the theory of democracy and how it is played out in actuality. Focusing on the here and now, this book is about the institutions, process, and politics of government: how well they work; whether they meet the criteria for a viable democratic system; and the extent to which they contribute to good public policy.
As we begin the 21st century, with rancorous political partisanship and threats to domestic security and tranquility at an all-time high, Is This Any Way to Run a Democratic Government? asks us to think seriously about the state of our much-heralded democracy, and whether or not our political system can respond to the pressing needs of a new era without jeopardizing the basic values and beliefs that underlie its very foundation.
Table of Contents
Preface
Part I: Democratic Theory
1. Issues of Democratic Governance
Stephen J. Wayne
2. The Civic Foundations of American Democracy
Beth Stark
Part II: A Democratic Congress?
3. Campaign Contributors and Democracy
Peter Francia, John C. Green, Wesley Joe, Paul S. Herrnson, Lynda W. Powell, Benjamin Webster, and Clyde Wilcox
4. Money and the Possibility of Democratic Governance
Michael Bailey
5. Women in Congress: Descriptive Representation and Democratic Governance
Courtenay Daum
Part III: A Democratic Executive?
6. A Government That Looks Like America?
Joseph A. Ferrara
7. The Promise and Peril of Presidential Polling: Between Gallup's Dream and the Morris Nightmare
Jeremy D. Mayer and Lynn Kirby
8. Democratic Government and the Unilateral Presidency
Margaret Tseng
9. Can the Federal Budget Be Democratic? OMB's Invisible Hand
Lynn Ross
Part IV: A Democratic Judiciary?
10. Does a Real Democracy Need Judicial Review? The Supreme Court as an Antidemocratic Institution
Emily H. Hoechst
11. Entering the "Political Thicket": The Unintended Consequences of the Supreme Court's Reapportionment Decisions
Steve Glickman
Conclusion
12. Is This Any Way To Run A Democratic Government?
Stephen J. Wayne
Reviews
"Wayne and his contributors offer a thoughtful collection of essays on the theory and practice of American democracy. The questions that they examine are crucial to understanding the American system of government today, especially as the nation confronts issues of civic participation, balancing civil rights with fighting the war on terrorism, creating a fair campaign finance system, restraining presidential powers, among others. This volume provides a useful framework for analyzing this variety of issues confronting our democratic system and thus would be a nice supplemental text for courses in democratic theory or contemporary American politics."—Mark J. Rozell, professor and chair, Department of Politics, The Catholic University of America; and co-editor of The Christian Right in American Politics: Marching to the Millennium
"The title of this book asks the right question, and Wayne and his contributors provide cutting-edge public law and political science responses. If you want your students to get up to speed on the most important issues in the study of American politics, this volume would be a good place to start."—Richard M. Pious, Adolph and Effie Ochs Professor of American Studies, Barnard College; and author of The Presidency
About the Author
Stephen J. Wayne is a professor of government at Georgetown University and the author of The Road to the White House, and coauthor of Presidential Leadership.
