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This book brings Jacques Lacan's work on the problem of anxiety
into a jarring and fruitful confrontation with phenomenology,
existentialism, and the 'jargon' of authenticity. Brian Robertson
masterfully upends a host of received philosophical truths - most
notably, and crucially, the idea that anxiety 'lacks an object.'
Capital, Labor, and State is a systematic and thorough examination
of American labor policy from the Civil War to the New Deal. David
Brian Robertson skillfully demonstrates that although most
industrializing nations began to limit employer freedom and
regulate labor conditions in the 1900s, the United States continued
to allow total employer discretion in decisions concerning hiring,
firing, and workplace conditions. Robertson argues that the
American constitution made it much more difficult for the American
Federation of Labor, government, and business to cooperate for
mutual gain as extensively as their counterparts abroad, so that
even at the height of New Deal, American labor market policy
remained a patchwork of limited protections, uneven laws, and poor
enforcement, lacking basic national standards even for child labor.
In this ambitious study, Robertson explains how the US Constitution
emerged from an intense battle between a bold vision for the
nation's political future and the tenacious defense of its
political present. Given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to alter
America's destiny, James Madison laid before the Constitutional
Convention a plan for a strong centralized government that could
battle for America's long-term interests. But delegates from
vulnerable states resisted this plan, seeking instead to maintain
state control over most of American life while adding a few more
specific powers to the existing government. These clashing
aspirations turned the Convention into an unpredictable chain of
events. Step-by-step, the delegates' compromises built national
powers in a way no one had anticipated, and produced a government
more complex and hard to use than any of them originally intended.
Their Constitution, in turn, helped create a politics unlike that
in any other nation.
Though Americans rarely appreciate it, federalism has profoundly
shaped their nation's past, present, and future. Federalism-the
division of government authority between the national government
and the states-affects the prosperity, security, and daily life of
every American. Some of the most spectacular political conflicts in
American history have been fought on the battlefield of federalism,
including states' rights to leave the union, government power to
regulate business, and responses to the problems of race, poverty,
pollution, abortion, and gay rights. In the second edition of this
nuanced and comprehensive text, David Brian Robertson shows that
past choices shape present circumstances, and that a deep
understanding of American government, public policy, political
processes, and society requires an understanding of the key steps
in federalism's evolution in American history. New to the Second
Edition Emphasizes that federalism is a battleground that shapes
every life inAmerica. Extensively revised and updated, including
new coverage of recent controversies like Ferguson, immigration,
climate change, Obamacare, gay rights, the minimum wage, political
polarization, voter identification, fracking, and marijuana
legalization. Brings together the newest developments in history,
political science, law,and related disciplines to show how
federalism influences government and politics today. Includes
chapter-opening vignettes that deal with contemporary cases and
policy challenges.
Politics USA is a lively and authoritative introduction to American
politics, giving students a rich and varied resource for all
aspects of their course. The book provides expert and comprehensive
analysis of US politics and government, including in-depth coverage
of the presidency, the Congress, the Supreme Court and American
foreign policy. This third edition of Politics USA has been
thoroughly updated to include analysis of Challenges and policies
of the first Obama administration Recent results and developments
in US elections Latest major decisions of the US Supreme Court
Contemporary American Foreign Policy This is an ideal introduction
for students of US politics as well as anyone seeking to understand
any or all aspects of politics in one of the worlds most powerful
and globally influential countries.
The second edition of this much-admired book offers an accessible
and coherent selection of readings illustrating for students the
depth and contours of how American politics has developed over
time. Grounded in foundational debates, classic political science
scholarship, and the best contemporary analysis of American
political development, this reader invites students to probe the
historical dynamics that brought the United States to where it is
today and how those dynamics are likely to affect its future
course. This well-designed and up-to-date reader is an invitation
to instructors to draw your students into a deeper conversation on
the key themes and topics in each section of your course. The
second edition features: Revised introductions and selections 33
new readings Expanded sections on civil rights and civil liberties.
Jillson and Robertson have carefully edited each selection to
ensure readability and fidelity to the original arguments. Their
insightful editorial introductions frame the context in which these
topics are studied and understood. Several key pedagogical tools
help students along the way: An introductory essay provides an
overview of American political development and current examples of
why history matters Chapter introductions to provide necessary
context situating the readings in broader debates Head notes at the
start of each reading to contextualize that selection Questions for
Discussion at the end of each chapter, prompting students to draw
out the implications and connections across readings Further
Reading lists at the end of each chapter to guide student research
The broad readings in this volume take seriously the effort to
present materials that help students make sense of the historical
changes and institutional developments that are essential for
understanding American government and politics today.
Though Americans rarely appreciate it, federalism has profoundly
shaped their nation's past, present, and future. Federalism-the
division of government authority between the national government
and the states-affects the prosperity, security, and daily life of
every American. Some of the most spectacular political conflicts in
American history have been fought on the battlefield of federalism,
including states' rights to leave the union, government power to
regulate business, and responses to the problems of race, poverty,
pollution, abortion, and gay rights. In the second edition of this
nuanced and comprehensive text, David Brian Robertson shows that
past choices shape present circumstances, and that a deep
understanding of American government, public policy, political
processes, and society requires an understanding of the key steps
in federalism's evolution in American history. New to the Second
Edition Emphasizes that federalism is a battleground that shapes
every life inAmerica. Extensively revised and updated, including
new coverage of recent controversies like Ferguson, immigration,
climate change, Obamacare, gay rights, the minimum wage, political
polarization, voter identification, fracking, and marijuana
legalization. Brings together the newest developments in history,
political science, law,and related disciplines to show how
federalism influences government and politics today. Includes
chapter-opening vignettes that deal with contemporary cases and
policy challenges.
What were the Founding Fathers really thinking when they gathered
in the Pennsylvania State House to draft the United States
Constitution? When answering this question, most have relied on The
Federalist Papers, which was first published in book form after the
close of the Convention, in 1788. To this day, the book's status is
sacrosanct for most Americans. Yet as David Brian Robertson shows,
the Papers represented one side of the debate and does not fully
capture the political sensibilities that produced the U.S.
Constitution. Robertson, drawing from the full range of
contemporary sources and not just the Papers, provides a truly
authoritative account of the founders' collective political
reasoning during the Convention. Organized thematically, each
chapter covers a crucial Constitutional issue: the respective roles
of the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature; the balance
between the federal government and the states; slavery; and war and
peace. In virtually every instance, the process was decidedly
political, fractious, and piecemeal. As much as they wanted to
design the government that would best serve their people, the
Founders struggled to balance their broad ideals with
self-interested policies and procedures. Robertson's boldly
revisionist account of the political horse-trading that dominated
the Convention not only greatly enriches our understanding of the
nation's founding; it also elucidates why the government they
created has proven so difficult to use.
In this ambitious study, Robertson explains how the US Constitution
emerged from an intense battle between a bold vision for the
nation's political future and the tenacious defense of its
political present. Given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to alter
America's destiny, James Madison laid before the Constitutional
Convention a plan for a strong centralized government that could
battle for America's long-term interests. But delegates from
vulnerable states resisted this plan, seeking instead to maintain
state control over most of American life while adding a few more
specific powers to the existing government. These clashing
aspirations turned the Convention into an unpredictable chain of
events. Step-by-step, the delegates' compromises built national
powers in a way no one had anticipated, and produced a government
more complex and hard to use than any of them originally intended.
Their Constitution, in turn, helped create a politics unlike that
in any other nation.
The eighty-five famous essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay-known
collectively as the Federalist Papers-comprise the lens through
which we typically view the ideas behind the U.S. Constitution. But
we are wrong to do so, writes David Brian Robertson, if we really
want to know what the Founders were thinking. In this provocative
new account of the framing of the Constitution, Robertson observes
that the Federalist Papers represented only one side in a fierce
argument that was settled by compromise-in fact, multiple
compromises. Drawing on numerous primary sources, Robertson
unravels the highly political dynamics that shaped the document.
Hamilton and Madison, who hailed from two of the larger states,
pursued an ambitious vision of a robust government with broad
power. Leaders from smaller states envisioned only a few added
powers, sufficient to correct the disastrous weakness of the
Articles of Confederation, but not so strong as to threaten the
governing systems within their own states. The two sides battled
for three arduous months; the Constitution emerged piece by piece,
the product of an evolving web of agreements. Robertson examines
each contentious debate, including arguments over the balance
between the federal government and the states, slavery, war and
peace, and much more. In nearly every case, a fractious, piecemeal,
and very political process prevailed. In this way, the convention
produced a government of separate institutions, each with the will
and ability to defend its independence. Majorities would rule, but
the Constitution made it very difficult to assemble majorities
large enough to let the government act. Brilliantly argued and
deeply researched, this book will change the way we think of
"original intent." With a bracing willingness to challenge old
pieties, Robertson rescues the political realities that created the
government we know today.
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