Product Description

From the New, Updated Introduction:

"At the heart of Why Americans Hate Politics is the view that ideas shape politics far more than most accounts of public life usually allow. I believe ideas matter not only to elites and intellectuals, but also to rank and file voters. Indeed, I often think that the rank and file see the importance of ideas more clearly than the elites, who often find themselves surprised by the rise of the movements that arise from the bottom up and shape our politics."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #273855 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743265737
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
This National Book Award nominee is a valuable analysis of the major ideological currents in American politics over the last 30 years.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Washington Post journalist Dionne argues that American liberal and conservative ideologies since the 1960s have presented the public with false choices, preventing the framing of issues in ways that are conducive to their resolution. He calls for a "new political center" that incorporates some ideas of both the political left and right. He also demands recognition of the importance of the principle of "republicanism," which he defines as including an acceptance of a largely market economy and a healthy, vital public sphere. Whether one accepts Dionne's premise that Americans hate politics or his prescription for curing that condition, the book is a valuable analysis of the major ideological currents in American politics over the last 30 years. Both informed lay readers and academics with an interest in political ideologies will find it stimulating. Recommended for public and university libraries.
- Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher
All over the United States, Americans are deserting the political process. Why? In this national bestseller, one of our shrewdest political observers traces thirty years of volatile political history and finds that on point after point, liberals and conservatives are framing issues as a series of "false choices," making it impossible for politicians to solve problems, and alienating voters in the process. Now with a new afterword discussing the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and the 1992 presidential election, Dionne explores what has gone wrong with the American system and offers a back-to-basics approach to politics designed to respond to the anger of America's restive majority.

Customer Reviews

Confirmed by the passage of time.....
I originally purchased and read "Why Americans Hate Politics" shortly after it was published. Recently, I came across the book in my library and read it again.

Few modern-day books and in depth analyses manage to weather the test of time. Mr. Dionne's thesis, to his credit, is further affirmed in its accuracy just four days short of 2003. This achievement is only diminished by the frustration of knowing that we've sunken much deeper into this morass of "ideological polarization" vis a vis liberalism and conservatism as it affects today's political climate in the U.S.

Mr. Dionne could hardly have predicted the proliferation of cable networks with their steady diet of disciples from both sides pummeling the viewer 24 hours a day. Neither could he have imagined the depths to which politicos, think tanks, and special interest groups would plunge as this "polarization" continues to feed upon itself some 12 years later.

"Why Americans Hate Politics" should be on every required reading list in our colleges and universities as well as among engaged and concerned citizens in the United States - especially given current events.

could show a thing or two to some textbooks I know....
"Why Americans Hate Politics" is a brilliant treatment of the major themes of American politics of the last 50 or so years from today's best political journalist. This book showcases exactly what is so good about Dionne's Washington Post columns: insights that are always penetrating, and never anodyne.

Dionne nicely handles a wide spectrum of issues, such as feminism, the resurgence of religion in politics, supply side economics and the divisions in both modern liberalism and conservatism. At the same time, Dionne provides depth, breadth and context that are uncharacteristic of many textbooks that cover the same period. Dionne does not heed the traditional fissures between political history, intellectual history, economic history and civil rights history. Because of this tack, Dionne effectively conveys just how much was going on at any point in American political life.

Finally, I appreciated Dionne's willingness both to mention and cite other works that provide a more thorough treatment of given subjects. Among the many titles I got from reading Dionne's book were Nicol Rae's "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," Kevin Phillip's "The Politics of Rich and Poor" and John Richard Neuhaus' "The Naked Public Square." Any book that gives me three suggestions of three more "must read" titles gets extra points.

An explanation for how we got where we are
Looking at some of the negative reviews on this page, I have to wonder whether these readers read the same book I did. I though Dionne's book was a political opus and the large number of awards it has received encourages my judgement. What Dionne explains is how we got to where we are today (or at least to 1992 when the book was written). This includes the ideological spectrum, the travels of each political party, and most importantly, why our people are so disgusted with politics. Because he is a liberal, Dionne's criticisms of his ideology and his explanations for the political failure of liberalism are particularly credible and insightful. I heartily recommend this book. If you share my opinion, see Robert Samuelson's "The Good Life and Its Discontents."