{"title":"Larry M. Bartels","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the works of Larry M. Bartels, a distinguished political scientist renowned for his insightful analysis of democracy and the political landscape. With a focus on how political systems function and sometimes falter, Bartels has made significant contributions to contemporary political discourse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eDemocracy Erodes from the Top\u003c\/em\u003e, Bartels delves into the dynamics that imperil democratic institutions from within, examining the role of elites in shaping political outcomes. \u003cem\u003eDemocracy for Realists\u003c\/em\u003e, co-authored with Christopher Achen, challenges the conventional view of democracy as a system driven by informed and rational voters, offering a thought-provoking reassessment of electoral politics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, \u003cem\u003eUnequal Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e provides a compelling analysis of the interplay between economic inequality and partisan politics in the United States, shedding light on the pervasive influence of wealth and power in shaping democratic processes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLarry M. Bartels's works are essential reading for anyone interested in Politics \u0026amp; Current Affairs and Education \u0026amp; Reference. His books not only enhance understanding of political systems but also provoke critical thinking about the challenges facing modern democracies.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"democracy-for-realists","title":"Democracy for Realists","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDemocracy for Realists\u003c\/em\u003e, by renowned political scientists Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels, offers a compelling critique of the foundational theories underlying democratic politics. It challenges the traditional notion that well-informed citizens can effectively guide state policies through their electoral choices. Instead, the authors present a thought-provoking and empirically grounded argument that unveils the complexities and limitations of democratic decision-making.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough an extensive review of social-scientific data, Achen and Bartels dismantle the idealistic view of democracy by illustrating how voters are predominantly influenced by social identities and partisan allegiances, rather than by rational deliberations on policy matters. Their analysis spans a wide range of issues, from contentious topics such as abortion politics to historical events like the Great Depression, even drawing in surprising examples like the influence of shark attacks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors reveal that, despite being well-informed and politically engaged, voters frequently align their choices with loyalties, aligning their perspectives on issues to fit the narrative of their chosen groups. When electoral outcomes hinge on external factors beyond the control of political incumbents—such as brief economic changes—the results are often random and fail to reflect true public control over policy direction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAchen and Bartels propose a fundamental shift in the understanding of democratic governance. They argue for a model based on identity groups and political parties instead of the conventional emphasis on individual voter preferences, suggesting that this perspective is more reflective of political realities. \u003cem\u003eDemocracy for Realists\u003c\/em\u003e thus offers not just an incisive critique but also a hopeful reimagining of what democratic systems can achieve when their real dynamics are acknowledged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis enhanced edition includes a new analysis that considers the electoral dynamics of the 2016 elections, further reinforcing the authors' case that the need to rethink democratic theory is both urgent and essential. Engaging and rigorously researched, \u003cem\u003eDemocracy for Realists\u003c\/em\u003e is an indispensable text for anyone seeking to understand the true nature of democratic governance and its potential for evolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ingram Book Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45798977110252,"sku":"9780691178240","price":46.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780691178240.jpg?v=1728214481"},{"product_id":"democracy-erodes-from-the-top-by-larry-m-bartels-9780691244525","title":"Democracy Erodes from the Top","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy leaders, not citizens, are the driving force in Europe's crisis of democracy.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn apparent explosion of support for right-wing populist parties has triggered widespread fears that liberal democracy is facing its worst crisis since the 1930s. \u003cem\u003eDemocracy Erodes from the Top\u003c\/em\u003e reveals that the real crisis stems not from an increasingly populist public but from political leaders who exploit or mismanage the chronic vulnerabilities of democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this provocative book, Larry Bartels dismantles the pervasive myth of a populist wave in contemporary European public opinion. While there has always been a substantial reservoir of populist sentiment, Europeans are no less trusting of their politicians and parliaments than they were two decades ago, no less enthusiastic about European integration, and no less satisfied with the workings of democracy. Anti-immigrant sentiment has waned. Electoral support for right-wing populist parties has increased only modestly, reflecting the idiosyncratic successes of populist entrepreneurs, the failures of mainstream parties, and media hype. Europe's most sobering examples of democratic backsliding in Hungary and Poland occurred not because voters wanted authoritarianism but because conventional conservative parties, once elected, seized opportunities to entrench themselves in power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy demonstrating the inadequacy of conventional bottom-up interpretations of Europe's political crisis, \u003cem\u003eDemocracy Erodes from the Top\u003c\/em\u003e turns our understanding of democratic politics upside down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'A Foreign Affairs Best of Books'\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Bartels, a leading analyst of electoral democracy and public opinion in the United States, turns here to a central question in European politics: Do right-wing populist parties pose a threat to democracy, moderate politics, and multilateral cooperation? His point in this important book is simple yet powerful.' — Andrew Moravcsik, \u003cem\u003eForeign Affairs\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Eye-opening.' — Jan-Werner Mueller, \u003cem\u003eProject Syndicate\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46848972718316,"sku":"9780691244525","price":69.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2432393482434.jpg?v=1759006556"},{"product_id":"unequal-democracy-by-larry-m-bartels-9780691181073","title":"Unequal Democracy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn acclaimed examination of how the American political system favours the wealthy, now fully revised and expanded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first edition of \u003cem\u003eUnequal Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e was an instant classic, shattering illusions about American democracy and spurring scholarly and popular interest in the political causes and consequences of escalating economic inequality. This revised, updated, and expanded second edition includes two new chapters on the political economy of the Obama era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne chapter presents the Great Recession as a \"stress test\" of the American political system by analysing the 2008 election and the impact of Barack Obama's \"New New Deal\" on the economic fortunes of the rich, middle class, and poor. The other assesses the politics of inequality in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement, the 2012 election, and the partisan gridlock of Obama's second term. Larry Bartels offers a sobering account of the barriers to change posed by partisan ideologies and the political power of the wealthy. He also provides new analyses of tax policy, partisan differences in economic performance, the struggle to raise the minimum wage, and inequalities in congressional representation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePresident Obama identified inequality as \"the defining challenge of our time.\" \u003cem\u003eUnequal Democracy\u003c\/em\u003e is the definitive account of how and why our political system has failed to rise to that challenge. Now more than ever, this is a book every American needs to read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46852246372588,"sku":"9780691181073","price":74.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1797873482434.jpg?v=1759141626"},{"product_id":"the-politics-of-social-change-by-larry-m-bartels-9780226845258","title":"The Politics of Social Change","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow did we get to this point in American politics? Drawing on insights from an unprecedented decades-long study of ordinary Americans' political lives, this book tells the story of how, why, and when our politics fractured.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFew time periods have been as defined by waves of monumental social change as the United States during the 1960s. Even today, almost sixty years later, the era is often depicted as a triumph of social progress. Yet, as Larry M. Bartels and Katherine J. Cramer show in \u003cem\u003eThe Politics of Social Change\u003c\/em\u003e, it was Americans' diverse reactions to the milestone events of the time—from the welcoming, to the fiercely resistant, to the largely oblivious—that planted the seeds of our current political turmoil. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheir masterful analysis draws on a unique historical resource: the longest-running systematic tracking of individual Americans' political attitudes and behavior ever attempted. The study began in 1965 when researchers interviewed hundreds of high school students across the country and then periodically reinterviewed them over the next three decades. Bartels and Cramer supplement this historical record with in-depth interviews with dozens of the original students, painting a detailed picture of the generation's individual and collective political development. By tracing the responses of the Class of '65 to major events of their political lifetimes—including the Civil Rights and Women's Rights movements, the Vietnam War, the shifting role of religion, escalating economic inequality, immigration, and the rise of Donald Trump—Bartels and Cramer shed new light on the evolution of public opinion and the unsteady progress of American democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47307187912940,"sku":"9780226845258","price":61.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/96507200c339f53b39c245204709ef85.jpg?v=1771099423"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/larry-m-bartels.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}