Posted, January 10, 2008
Politics & Government: Presidency | Elections | Congress | Federal Government | Judicial System | State Government
Government Initiatives: Crime & Law Enforcement | Homeland Security | Social Security & Welfare
Politics & Government:
The 'March of Freedom' From Reagan to Bush
Kengor, Ronald
Policy Review, December/January 2008, #146, pp77-86
"In 1982, Ronald Reagan gave what some call the greatest speech of his presidency, detailing his plan for a 'march of freedom and democracy' prophesying the end of Communist rule in the Soviet Union and, ultimately, of the Soviet Union satellite countries. With this predictive speech, the president was proven right, as over the next 20 years, the world witnessed the most rapid advance of democracy in history. In this article the author credits Ronald Reagan with this advance and argues, that President George W. Bush is simply attempting to continue this "march of freedom" into the Middle East, by comparing Communist ideology with that of Islamic radicalism." Paul Kengor is professor of political science at Grove City College. He has written two other books on Ronald Reagan and a book on George W. Bush. He is also executive director of the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Fulltext C1/07-07
From a Uniter to a Divider
Brownstein, Ronald
National Journal, November 3, 2007, v39, #44, pp30-37
"More than any other figure, the president sets the tone for his time. He frames the choices facing the nation. And the tone George W. Bush has set, and the choices he has framed, have intensified the underlying current of polarization in Washington. Why has that been the case?" This article is an excerpt from the book "The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America," by Ronald Brownstein. Ronald Brownstein is the national affairs columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Fulltext C2/07-07
Primary Problems: How Exit Pollsters Plan to Cope with a Super-Crowded Election Season
An Interview with Joe Lenski, Interviewer: Andrew Kohut
Pew Research Center, December 14, 2007
“In an exclusive interview, Joe Lenski, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Edison Media Research, discusses the special problems in conducting exit polls this campaign season given the unprecedented clustering of primaries and caucuses in the first two months of 2008.” Joe Lenski has been involved in every major exit poll conducted in the last decade for the television networks and the Associated Press. Edison Media Research currently conducts all exit polls and election projections for the six major news organizations -- ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and the Associated Press that participate in the National Election Pool (NEP). Andrew Kohut is the President of the Pew Research Center. Fulltext C3/07-07
Super Donors
Carney, Eliza Newlin
National Journal, December 8, 2007, v39, #49, pp22-31
"An analysis done for National Journal by the Center for Responsive Politics identified a select group of perhaps a dozen lobbyists who each double up with their spouses to give, as a couple, a staggering $150,000 to $200,000 to candidates and political parties per election cycle." Eliza Newlin Carney is a NationalJournal.com contributing editor and writer for National Journal and Government Executive. Fulltext C4/07-07
Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote?
Taylor, Paul; Fry, Richard
Pew Research Center, December 6, 2007
“After spending the first part of this decade loosening their historic ties to the Democratic Party, Hispanic voters have reversed course in the past year, a new nationwide survey of Latinos by the Pew Hispanic Center has found. Some 57% of Hispanic registered voters now call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while just 23% align with the Republican Party. […] The survey finds: By 44% to 8%, Hispanic registered voters say the Democrats rather than the Republicans are the party with more concern for Latinos. However, a large slice of Latino registered voters (41%) say there is no difference between the parties.” Paul Taylor is the Executive Vice President of the Pew Research Center. Richard Fry is the Senior Research Associate of the Pew Hispanic Center. Fulltext C5/07-07
Elections: The Politics of the Permanent Campaign: Presidential Travel and the Electoral College, 1977-2004
Doherty, Brendan J.
Presidential Studies Quarterly, December 2007, v37, #4, pp749-774
"This article undertakes an empirical assessment of a key element of the permanent campaign for the presidency by systematically examining presidential travel from 1977 through 2004. [The author] finds that presidential travel does target large, competitive states, and that such strategic targeting has increased over time, supporting the notion that the permanent campaign is on the rise. However, substantial differences between reelection and other years, as well as measures of the breadth of presidential travel and proportional attention to the states, indicate that electoral concerns do not thoroughly permeate patterns of presidential activity throughout a president's years in office, as the logic of the permanent campaign would suggest." Brendan J. Doherty is an assistant professor of political science at the United States Naval Academy. Fulltext C6/07-07
What Ever Happened to Moderate Republicans?
Schaller, Thomas F.
The American Prospect, December 2007, v18, #12, pp29-35
In his monthly opinion column, Schaller examined the status of moderate Republicans. "With the hard right dominating their party, the neo-Eisenhower-Fordniks have formed two groups to recenter the Republicans. But even in their old habitats -- Wall Street and the media -- they're struggling to be noticed." Thomas F. Schaller is an associate professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Fulltext C7/07-07
The 51st State: The State of Online. The Presidential Campaign 2008 – Candidates and News Sources
Gordon-Murnane, Laura
Searcher, November/December 2007, v15, #10, pp19-40
“The presidential election of 2008 will be the first presidential “Internet election,” an historical phenomenon in which the Internet and its technologies are playing integral roles for candidates and their campaigns, the mainstream media, and voters and citizens.” Five extensive tables look at the Web sites of each of the 17 presidential candidates, as well as mainstream media sites, blogs, and aggregator tools, and show just how much the Internet is impacting the 2008 election. This is a key reference tool for anyone following the election. Laura Gordon-Murane, a contributing editor at ResourceShelf and Searcher, is an information consultant. Fulltext C8/07-07
The Election: One Year Out
Bowman, Karlyn
The American,
November/December 2007, online edition
"Americans complain that our presidential campaigns are too long and too expensive, but we take elections seriously and believe in the importance of voting. On Election Day 2008, Americans will choose their president freely for the 56th consecutive time, a record unbroken in any other democracy." Karlyn Bowman's research areas include public opinion and polls, U.S. politics, and the media. She writes a weekly column, "POLLitics," for Roll Call. Fulltext C9/07-07
The Great Debate of 2008
Sanders, Jerry W.
The Nation, November 19, 2007, Web posted November 1, 2007
“If ever the time was right for a Great Debate on America's purpose and place in the world, that time is now. But if early auditions leading up to primary season are any indication, the top contenders are either not up to the task or unwilling to take on the challenge of correcting the current course of failure in U.S. foreign policy." Jerry W. Sanders is the chair of Peace and Conflict Studies at UC Berkeley. Fulltext C10/07-07
Relearning the Art of Diplomacy
Lieven, Anatol
The Nation, November 19, 2007, v285, #16, pp30-32
Lieven points out that the “foreign policy component of the presidential campaign will be vital--to the vote itself, and to the interests of America and the world.” He stresses that "only rarely do the candidates appear to understand the concept of diplomacy, as this was understood and practiced by previous generations of American statesmen. And it is diplomacy that American elites above all need to relearn if they are to deal effectively with the new global situation.” Anatol Lieven, chair of international relations and terrorism studies at King’s College, London, is a senior research fellow of the New America Foundation, in Washington. Fulltext C11/07-07
Presidential Nominating Process: Current Issues
Coleman, Kevin J.
Congressional Research Service (CRS), Library of Congress, October 24, 2007, online edition, 10p
After every election, the presidential “nominating process generates complaints and proposed modifications.” On a national level, both parties created task forces to evaluate the process. On a state level, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) recommends regional primaries. The 110th Congress has introduced four bills to reform the nominating process. This report provides background information on these bills. Kevin J. Coleman is an analyst at the Elections, Government and Finance Division, CRS. Fulltext C12/07-07
Has America Outgrown the Caucus? Some Thoughts on Reshaping the Nomination Contest
Wang, Tova Andrea
Century Foundation, TCF Issue Brief, October 22, 2007, online edition
Pointing to the Iowa caucus, the author argues that “[c]aucuses, as opposed to primaries, by their very structure violate fundamental principles of voting rights. Their time-consuming, inflexible, Byzantine procedures discourage broad participation, presenting substantial barriers to the right to vote. It is not that the caucuses violate the Constitution—they are run by the parties, not the states, and do not violate voting rights as a matter of law. Rather, because of their exclusionary nature, they go against some of the core values we express when we talk about voting rights, such as the fundamental nature of the right, equality of opportunity to participate in the process, and fair access to the ballot.” Tova Andrea Wang is a democracy fellow at the Century Foundation. Fulltext C13/07-07
The Candidates:
The Candidates Make Their Case For Black Votes
Monroe, Sylvester; Chappell, Kevin
Ebony, January 2008, v63, #3, pp77-82
"How do voters distinguish between Democratic front-runners Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson? Do they vote for Obama just because he is Black? Or for Clinton because of her husband's ongoing popularity among African-Americans? Or do Edwards and Richardson or others in the field offer real alternatives?" This article discusses the platforms of U.S. presidential candidates which
address African American issues. Sylvester Monroe is a staff writer with Ebony. Kevin Chappell writes for Ebony& Jet Magazine. Fulltext C14/07-07
The Road Warrior
Campo-Flores, Arian; Smalley, Suzanne
Newsweek, December 24, 2007, v150, #26, pp28-34
"Those who know Edwards never doubted he would be back this year, campaigning even harder than he did the last time. A relentless trial lawyer who got rich by outworking and outpreparing the competition, he spent the last three years applying those skills to plot his comeback. He was convinced that a retooled version of the rich-versus-poor "two Americas" theme he adopted in 2004 would find an even larger audience now." This article discusses John Edwards's prospects on the eve of the Iowa caucus in January 2008, with Edwards trailing in public opinion polls. Arian Campo-Flores and Suzanne Smallley both write for Newsweek. Fulltext C15/07-07
The Clinton Referendum
Bai, Matt
New York Times Magazine, December 23, 2007, pp40-51
"The article reports on the ways in which ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton's legacy
will affect the 2008 presidential race and Hillary Clinton's chances of being
elected. Bill has been making stump speeches for Hillary's campaign, emphasizing
how she will bring health care coverage to all U.S. citizens, build a jobs
program around alternative energy, and improve the education system. But Clinton
critics claim that Bill may have missed his chance to bring real change to the
U.S." Matt Bai covers national politics for the New York Times Magazine. Fulltext C16/07-07
Return of the Nativist
Lizza, Ryan
New Yorker, December 17, 2007, v83, #40, pp46-51
This article discusses the leading Republican Presidential candidates’ views on immigration. Ryan Lizza writes that "the emergence of Tancredoism" (a hard line on immigration) in the immigration debate among front running Republican candidates for president is "a surprising development and indicates one more way in which GOP faithful are rejecting George W. Bush's approach to the issue." Lizza Ryan is a staff writer with the New Yorker. Fulltext C17/07-07
The Huckabee Factor
Chafets, Zev
New York Times Magazine, December 12, 2007, pp68-96
The author profiles the life and career of U.S. presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee,
highlighting his political campaigns, popularity ratings, and policy
considerations. While Huckabee may not have "an established organization and no
real policy platform or international know-how, his populist sentiment,
religious faith, and folksy friendliness have changed the dynamics of the
Republican Party presidential race." Zev Chatefs is a frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine. Fulltext C18/07-07
Goodbye to All That
Sullivan, Andrew
Atlantic Monthly, December 2007, v300, #5, pp40-54
"In politics, timing matters. And the most persuasive case for Obama has less to do with him than with the moment he is meeting. The moment has been a long time coming, and it is the result of a confluence of events, from one traumatizing war in Southeast Asia to another in the most fractious country in the Middle East. [...] Obama’s candidacy in this sense is a potentially transformational one. Unlike any of the other candidates, he could take America—finally—past the debilitating, self-perpetuating family quarrel of the Baby Boom generation that has long engulfed all of us." Andrew Sullivan is an Atlantic senior editor. Fulltext C19/07-07
Teacher and Apprentice
Ambinder, Marc
Atlantic Monthly, December 2007, v300, #5, pp56-66
"Hillary Clinton tried to teach Barack Obama about power, but then he got ideas of his own." The article discusses the political relationship between U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama before and after each made the decision to run for office in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. The author reports that Obama sought Clinton out early in his career in the Senate, and that his aides often looked to hers for advice. Similarities between the two candidates are discussed, and their campaign strategies are contrasted. Marc Ambinder is an Atlantic associate editor. Fulltext C20/07-07
Rising Evangelical Tide
Douglass, Linda
National Journal, November 17, 2007, v39, #46/47, pp34-37
"Throughout Iowa, evangelical Republicans are moving toward Huckabee, a Baptist minister who left the pulpit for politics and was governor of Arkansas for more than a decade. He is suddenly climbing in Iowa, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll of likely Iowa caucus-goers released this week. That survey indicates that Huckabee is running a strong second, with 21 percent-just 6 points behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Several recent Iowa polls show Huckabee now running second or tied for second." In Iowa, Mike Huckabee is closing in on Mitt Romney largely because of the Religious Right. Linda Douglass is a staff writer for the National Journal. Fulltext C21/07-07
Making Mitt Romney
Silverstein, Ken
Harper's Magazine, November 2007, v315, #1890, pp33-44
"Much of that money paid for the creation and placement of TV ads through Romney's media consultant and chief strategist, Alex Castellanos, but the campaign also spent heavily on polling, political strategy, and voter mobilization. […] By all accounts, Mitt Romney is smart and pragmatic-not at all as vacuous, that is, as he has been made to sound. The irony is that in attempting to market him to the Republican base, his handlers have created a thorough phony. The 'electorate is not where it needs to be for us to succeed,' his campaign PowerPoint had concluded; hence, the strategy has been to move Romney where he needs to be to succeed. It remains to be seen how well this will play in South Carolina.” Ken Silverstein is the Washington editor of Harper's Magazine. Fulltext C22/07-07
Congress
Bipolarization
Friel, Brian; Bell, Peter
National Journal, November 30, 2007, online edition
In this cover story, National Journal examines "how the tension between partisanship and bipartisanship has played itself out in recent years. " Democratic and Republican members of Congress were surveyed to gauge whether they thought that bipartisanship and moderation were good or bad for the nation and whether partisanship rules today. They were also asked to assess the outlook for bipartisan cooperation following the already high-gear 2008 election cycle. While both Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly said that bipartisan legislation is better, members of Congress tend to vote along party lines. Brian Friel and Peter Bell are staff writers at the National Journal. Fulltext C23/07-07
What Separation of Powers Means for Constitutional Government
Kessler, Charles R.
Heritage Foundation, First Principles Series, #17, December 17, 2007, online edition
“It used to be expected, roughly speaking, that the Congress would pass laws, the President would execute them, and the Supreme Court would interpret them in individual cases. Increasingly, however, it is not the way the federal government operates.” Kessler maintains that distribution of powers has changed dramatically, saying that "Congress has become increasingly energetic and administrative, the judiciary
willful and legislative, and the executive tentative and judicial." Moreover, "under these conditions, it is the Congress's and the Supreme Court's power that
have grown at the net expense of the President's. But more important than the
balance of power between the branches is the maldistribution of powers, the mixing and confusing of governmental functions, which has resulted." Charles R. Kessler is a senior fellow of The Claremont Institute and editor of the Claremont Review of Books. Fulltext C24/07-07
A Lawyer’s Lament
The American Interest, January/February 2008, v3, #3, various pagings
"The jury trial is one of the cornerstones of the American justice system, yet today, fewer and fewer civil cases are coming before juries. The AI asked two writers—Neal Ellis, a practicing lawyer, and William Tucker, a veteran observer of the American legal profession—to explain the phenomenon." Order Articles C25/07-07
200 Reasons Why the Election Matters
Eastland, Terry
The Weekly Standard, December 3, 2007, v13, #12, pp7-9
“Right now the Supreme Court is closely divided, with four judicial liberals (John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer) and four judicial conservatives (Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito) and Anthony Kennedy, whose vote in the most controversial cases often determines which side prevails. […] The future of the federal judiciary is at stake on November 4, 2008. This is not an issue that divides the Republican candidates. It is an issue that divides the two parties.” Terry Eastland is publisher of The Weekly Standard and a contributor to numerous publications, including the Dallas Morning News, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, and Commentary. Fulltext C26/07-07
State Government and Foreign Policy: The Texas-Mexico Border in the 1940s'
Robinson, Robert S.
American Diplomacy, December 4, 2007, online edition
"It's not only the federal government that makes and implements foreign policy. Especially as societies and economies become increasingly globalized, other actors, including state and local governments, are becoming ever more involved. Border regions offer particularly abundant examples. This study focuses on the Texas-Mexico border and Mexican immigration, with a case study from the 1940s and a look at Texas' efforts to square its need for migrant labor with the Jim Crow social system of the time." Robert S. Robinson is a visiting assistant professor of U.S. foreign relations history at Ohio University. Fulltext C27/07-07
Government Initiatives:
Race, Ethnicity and the Criminal Justice System
Rosich, Katherine J.
Department of Research and Development, American Sociological Association, September 2007, online edition, 32p
"This research highlights U.S. racial and ethnic disparities in crime and the criminal justice system with an emphasis on the differences explained by discrimination. This study focuses on race/ethnicity at the different stages of the criminal justice process. The last section identifies areas where research is incomplete." Katherine J. Rosich works at the Department of Research and Development, American Sociological Association. Fulltext C28/07-07
What Happened to Tocqueville’s America?
Whitman, James Q.
Social Research, Summer 2007, v74, #2, pp251-270
Pointing to the “exceptional punitiveness of American law as of the year 2007,” and the “extraordinarily high incarceration rates” the author suggests that “[t]he harshness of American punishment has to do with certain distinctive traditions in American culture. In particular, [the] harshness has to do with certain distinctive traditions in American democratic culture: the unsettling truth upon which [he] will dwell is that American harshness has to do, to a large extent, with the very strength of 'Democracy in America' that entranced Tocqueville 175 years ago.” James Q. Whitman is Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law at Yale University. Fulltext C29/07-07
The Determinants of Executions since 1951: How Politics, Protests, Public Opinion, and Social Divisions Shape Capital Punishment
Jacobs, David; Stephanie L. Kent
Social Problems, August 2007, v54, #3, pp297-319
“This time-series study uses hypotheses derived from a politically refined version of conflict theory to explain both public support for the death penalty and the number of executions. With murders in death penalty states and Supreme Court decisions held constant, tests of hypotheses about lags suggest that public support and Republican strength in the states influence yearly executions by their effects on death sentences rather than the later appeals process. Other dynamic results show that national level Republican strength, presidential elections that emphasize law and order, economic inequality, and higher murder rates increase yearly executions because they affect the extremely influential but later appeals process. Civil rights protests, however, immediately reduce both public support and executions. Although minority threat enhances public support for capital punishment, this contextual factor does not explain executions. These results are unique as no prior studies have assessed the conditions that determine how often the harshest punishment is used.” David Jacobs is affiliated with Ohio State University and Stephanie L. Kent is affiliated with Cleveland State University. Fulltext C30/07-07
The Death Penalty: Slowly Fading?
Stuart Taylor Jr.
National Journal, November 17, 2007, v39, #46/47, pp15-17
"When the Supreme Court voided all federal death-penalty laws in June 1972 -- despite the Constitution's clear intent to allow capital punishment -- three justices explained that these laws had become "cruel and unusual punishment" because they violated "the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society." Stuart Taylor is a staff writer for the National Journal. Fulltext C31/07-07
Homeland Security
Homeland Security: Five New Year's Resolutions for Congress
Carafano, James Jay
The Heritage Foundation, WebMemo #1763, December 31, 2007, online edition, 2p
"The task of homeland security is to help keep America safe, free, and prosperous. Congress plays an important role in achieving these goals. By any measure, 2007 was not the best year for homeland security in Congress. Its landmark legislation for the year, the "Improving America's Security by Implementing Unfinished Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007," did anything but what its title promised, adding numerous unnecessary mandates that were never mentioned by the Commission. At the same time, Congress left unfixed homeland security faults that have lingered for years. Congress can do better in the new year by sticking to five New Year's resolutions that fix the errors it introduced in 2007 and address long-time oversights." James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is Assistant Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and Senior Research Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Fulltext C32/07-07
Tech Homeland Security: Special Report
King, Rachael
Business Week Online, December, 2007
The following three stories review the challenges and opportunities faced by the Homeland Security Dept. as it develops technology aimed at keeping the U.S. safe. Fulltext C33/07-07
- Homeland Insecurity
King, Rachael
Business Week Online, December 17, 2007, 4p
The Homeland Security Department's overreliance on outside contractors and insufficient management of them could leave the U.S. vulnerable. article
- Airport Fast-Pass Moves Slowly
King, Rachael
Business Week Online, December 18, 2007, 2p
Clear, which lets screened travelers skip long security lines, epitomizes the pitfalls of developing technology for Homeland Security agencies. article
- Is Homeland Security Too Focused on Now?
King, Rachael
Business Week Online, December 20, 2007, 2p
"The department's projects emphasize near-term results. But some say that could
leave the U.S. vulnerable to threats that can't be anticipated." Rachael King is a freelance writer for BusinessWeek.com, covering technology. article
Social Security & Welfare
Candidates' Health Care Plans: Take a Chill Pill
Aaron, Henry J.
The New Republic, December 14, 2007, online edition
"While voters are trying to figure out which presidential candidate has the better health care plan, Henry Aaron writes that there are little differences between the candidates’ health care plans, and argues that voters should focus on who can govern effectively." Henry J. Aaron is Senior Fellow for Economic Studies at the Brookings Institute. Fulltext C34/07-07
The Crisis in America’s Emergency Rooms and What Can Be Done
O’Shea, John S.
The Heritage Foundation, Backgrounder #2092, December 28, 2007, online edition, 21p
"State and federal officials can reduce the burden on emergency departments by expanding patient access to private health insurance, separating emergency services planning from hospital planning, promoting private-sector alternatives for urgent care, and freeing hospitals to specialize in non-emergency medical care, but reform of emergency medical systems should be primarily a state responsibility." John S. O’Shea, M.D., is Health Policy Fellow in the Center for Health Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation. Fulltext C35/07-07
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