For a number of years, voters and academic observers have been dissatisfied with a number of elements of American campaigns. Contemporary races are seen as too negative, too superficial, and too ...unfair or misleading. Based on these complaints, a variety of reform organizations have targeted millions of dollars to improve the situation. Through their efforts and those within the academic community, a wide range of reform initiatives have been undertaken, such as voluntary codes of conduct, industry self-regulation, certificate programs, tougher ethics rules for consultants, and the encouragement of more substantive venues. This book seeks to evaluate whether these activities have improved the level of campaign discourse and conduct in US House and Senate campaigns and argues that while individual reform efforts have achieved some of their stated objectives, the overall effect of these reform efforts has been disappointing.
Romancing the Gop Clifton, Brett M.
Party politics,
09/2004, Letnik:
10, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Despite the increasing involvement of interest groups and social movement organizations in the American political system over the past few decades, only recently has some attention been given to ...understanding how their activities affect political parties. To investigate the relationship between parties and groups, I examine the interactions between the Christian Coalition and the Republican Party. Relying on 17 interviews with national Republican and Christian Coalition officials, and a mail survey of 423 Republican county chairs, I argue that the Christian Coalition has used electoral mobilization and policy expertise more than financial clout to influence the party. These results have important ramifications for the relationship between groups and political parties.
As Canada joins other nations in observing a succession of First World War centenaries, the public narrative constructed over the past hundred years holds up the Great War, particularly the battle ...for Vimy Ridge, as a pivotal point in Canadian history that forged our national identity. This thesis sets aside this romanticised and idealised construct, focusing upon the regional and cultural variations specific to Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta. While much work has been done on the French-English divide, comparatively few microstudies have examined the distinctive experiences and regional nuances of other communities within this vast and diverse nation. This work examines the settlement processes and previous martial and militia experiences of Southwestern Alberta, in an effort to explain the uniqueness of the local Great War experience. Included in this analysis are themes related to propaganda and censorship, recruitment and enlistment, and the construction of memory and meaning through commemoration.
DARRELL M. WEST, L. SANDY MAISEL, and BRETT M. CLIFTON assess the effectiveness of reforms designed to improve the quality of American election campaigns. Using an analysis of news, ads, debates, ...campaign literature, mailings, and other forms of communication during competitive House and Senate contests, they argue that reform activities were not very effective overall at improving the quality of campaign discourse. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
With the centenary of the First World War, communities across Canada arranged commemorations of the war experience to honour local servicemen who, through their triumphs and sacrifices, were ...presented as laying the foundation for a free and independent country. Often overlooked are the triumphs and sacrifices of those who supported those soldiers, and the war effort in general, back at home. The Frontier of Patriotism provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Alberta's involvement in the war, reflecting Albertans' experiences both on the battlefield and on the home front. Contributors of the 40 essays all draw heavily on national and local archival resources. The war is seen through the letters, diaries and memoirs of the individuals who lived through it, as well as through accounts in local newspapers. Readers will come away from this collection with a deeper appreciation of the different ways that the First World War, and its aftermath, shaped the lives of Albertans. For many, these four tumultuous years represented a time of individual valour and of communities pulling together and sacrificing for a noble cause. Yet, for others, the war left disillusionment and anger. Exploring these regional and local stories, as well as the national story, helps us understand the commonalities and distinctiveness of what it means to be Canadian. The Frontier of Patriotism is the most comprehensive treatment of Alberta during these critical, transformational years.
Despite the increasing importance of interest groups in the American political system, it is not well understood how they have influenced political parties. To answer this question, I investigate the ...interactions between the Religious Right and the Republican Party. Relying on over 20 interviews with national Republican, Christian Coalition, and Family Research Council officials, and a mail survey of 423 Republican County Chairs, I argue that the Christian Right has used informational and organizational resources to penetrate the party. Specifically, conservative Christian organizations have used two forms of informational clout, policy and constituent interest expertise and grassroots policy mobilization, to influence the GOP. They also have used organizational clout, in the forms of electoral mobilization and party infiltration, to attain influence within the Republican Party. Additionally, the data presented point to the weakness of the financial clout model to explain interest group influence. The perception that money is the most effective means for groups to accrue influence within political parties needs rethinking. These data suggest that groups have found avenues other than money through which to penetrate political parties and point to a new model of interest group influence. The arguments presented in this study also have ramifications beyond discovering how interest groups penetrate political parties. First, the findings suggest that increasing interest group activity in the political arena may not be as detrimental to the processes of American democracy as some have suggested. Indeed, their attempts to achieve power through political parties mitigate many of the dangers their increasing activity presents for representative democracy. Last, this project supports Robert Salisbury's work on interest group mobilization and maintenance, confirming that interest groups are able to mobilize and maintain their memberships through the use of expressive benefits.
Typical of many American downtowns, Austin, Texas, has experienced renewed interest in redevelopment over the past two decades. Following City policies, this redevelopment has tended to be mixed-use ...in nature and has included elements of placemaking and walkability. A glaring exception to recent trends is the Capitol Complex, an area north of the State Capitol building that is home to various state government office buildings. The Capitol Complex displaced a more traditional mixed-use neighborhood in the 1950s and has been plagued by disjointed planning activities ever since. Recent budgetary challenges and a shortage of office space have prompted the state government to reexamine the Capitol Complex as a target for redevelopment.
This professional report scrutinizes the Capitol Complex as a “non-place” that is challenged by walkability issues in an effort to make recommendations to ensure successful redevelopment that is more consistent with that found in the rest of downtown Austin. First, the literature on placemaking and walkability demonstrate what the Capitol Complex lacks. A case study provides a good comparison to see what policies have helped to improve districts near state office buildings. Second, the history of the Capitol Complex provides context for how the area became what it is today. Third, a land use and walkability analysis utilizing GIS along two corridors in the Complex and a pedestrian count show that the area is unfriendly to pedestrians and lacks activity on nights and weekends. Finally, the report offers both policy and urban design recommendations to help ensure that redevelopment activities contribute to make the Capitol Complex a walkable “place.”
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At a time when much of the world is turning to democracy, it is ironic that many Americans are dissatisfied with the quality of their own political contests. Politicians are accused of adopting ...uncivil styles of discourse. Consultants are charged with engaging in manipulative and/or deceptive behavior. Observers say candidates avoid detailed substance in their campaign appeals. Voters complain that political campaigns have become overly negative and are not very informative.Given the dissatisfaction that exists regarding American campaigns, a broad range of academic writers and nongovernmental organizations has pushed for improvements in how races are conducted. Reform groups such as Common Cause, the Alliance for Better Campaigns, the Center for Voting and Democracy, the Institute for Global Ethics, and the Project for Excellence in Journalism have developed ideas for more debates and issue forums, providing training schools for consultants and journalists and strengthening ethical standards that they believe will improve the process. The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Markle Foundation, the Open Society Institute, the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Smith Richardson Foundation, and others have committed millions of dollars to investigating whether voluntary codes of conduct signed by candidates, self-regulation by consulting trade associations, the development of formal accreditation and certification programs for campaign consultants, and other reforms will strengthen democratic institutions.
