At the end of the twentieth century, with the economy booming and unemployment at historic lows, the American economy was a job-producing marvel. The first decade of the twenty-first century was entirely different as the worst economy in seventy years, the Great Recession, crushed the lives of tens of millions of workers and their families, forestalled careers, scrapped hopes for a college education, delayed retirements, and foreclosed family homes. American workers experienced the best and worst of times and have endured an entire "lost decade" of high unemployment, stagnant or declining incomes, and anxiety. Working Scared draws upon nearly 25,000 interviews with employed and unemployed Americans conducted from, 1998 to 2012. These "voices" of American workers tell a compelling story about wrenching structural changes and recessions during one of the most volatile periods in U.S. economic history. This book represents one of the most comprehensive social science research portraits of the views of American workers' about their jobs, the workplace, and government's role in the labor market. Working Scared will help citizens, policy makers, educators, business, union, and community leaders better understand what is happening to the United States workforce. It also describes the essential national priorities and policies that will assist frustrated, angry and scared American workers and the reforms that will help restore the American dream of secure employment and intergenerational progress.

At the end of the 20th century, with the economy booming and unemployment at historic lows, the American economy was a job-producing marvel. The first decade of the 21st century was entirely different as the worst economy in 70 years, the Great Recession, crushed the lives of tens of millions of workers and their families, forestalled careers, scrapped hopes for a college education, delayed retirements, and foreclosed family homes. American workers experienced the best and worst of times and have endured an entire "lost decade" of high unemployment, stagnant or declining incomes, and anxiety. Working Scared draws upon nearly 25,000 interviews with employed and unemployed Americans conducted from, 1998 to 2012. These "voices" of American workers tell a compelling story about wrenching structural changes and recessions during one of the most volatile periods in U.S economic history. This book represents one of the most comprehensive social science research portraits of the views of American workers' about their jobs, the workplace, and government's role in the labor market. Working Scared will help citizens, policy makers, educators, business, union, and community leaders better understand what is happening to the United States workforce. It also describes the essential national priorities and policies that will assist frustrated, angry and scared American workers and the reforms that will help restore the American dream of secure employment and inter-generational progress.

Work. It's the key to our daily survival and the source of humankind's greatest achievements, from poetry to pyramids to political systems. When we drastically change the way we work -- as we did during the Industrial Revolution and as we're doing again in the information age -- we set in motion forces that restructure societies around the globe, alter basic human relationships, and even transform our physical environment. This comprehensive two-volume reference book is the first to analyze the central role of work and the workforce in American life from the Industrial Revolution through today's information economy. Drawing on a variety of disciplines -- economics, public policy, law, human and civil rights, cultural studies, and organizational psychology -- its 265 entries examine key events, ideas, institutions, and individuals in labor history. They also tackle tough contemporary questions that reflect the conflicts inherent in capitalism. What is the impact of work on families and communities? On minority and immigrant populations? How shall we respond to changing work roles and the growing influence of the transnational corporation? Work in America describes and evaluates attempts to address social and class divisions -- affirmative action, occupational health and safety, corporate management science, and trade unionism and organized labor -- and offers the kind of comprehensive understanding needed to discover workable solutions.

Getting beyond the traditional policy cycle discussed in most textbooks, the fully updated fourth edition of Politics and Public Policy offers a more comprehensive and realistic view of policymaking in the United States-one that looks beyond the jockeying between presidents and members of Congress, and explores the influence of corporate leaders, interest groups, bureaucrats, judges, and journalists. The book explores six distinct, yet connected, policy domains: Boardroom Politics (decisions by business leaders and professionals); Bureaucratic Politics (rule-making and adjudication by administrators); Cloakroom Politics (lawmaking by legislators); Chief Executive Politics (decision making by presidents, governors, mayors, and their advisers); Courtroom Politics (rulings by judges); and Living Room Politics (opinions expressed through the mass media, grassroots movements, political activists, and voters). The authors' unique framework prepares students to evaluate the strategies of various political actors within each domain.

In this era of renewed federalism, state governments take center stage advancing ambitious legislative agendas, pioneering innovative public policy, and providing much needed political leadership. The "devolution revolution" of the 1990s transferred many of the nation's principal domestic programs from federal to state management, often without transferring the necessary funding. This combination of expanded responsibilities and deficient resources has left many states in financial turmoil-unable to fulfill policy promises. At the same time, escalating concerns over national security have prompted the federal government to reclaim more authority. The State of the States captures both the tensions and opportunities at the forefront of state politics. This fully up-to-date fourth edition assembles the preeminent voices on the most important topics facing state governments today. Important new coverage includes: the debilitating challenges governors face in an era of ballooning gubernatorial stature and performance expectations, reflected in the removal of Gov. Gray Davis (D-CA) and the departures of Gov. John Rowland (R-CT) and Gov. Jim McGreevey (D-NJ). the adoption of legislative term limits by referenda-illustrating the unmerited public distrust of the legislature-and the consequent movement of legislators to other public offices. the reputation of state courts for "liberal activism," with controversial verdicts on such issues as abortion and same-sex marriage, as well as decisions in favor of tort reform and the rights of criminal defendants. the growing emphasis on performance measures as an accountability tool for state agencies. the rigorous standards and uniformity of the federal No Child Left Behind Act for which states are paying the price. the development of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which devolved authority for welfare programs back to the states after nearly six decades of federal control. the continuous debate over health policy, including the decades-long struggle to remedy health insurance coverage gaps and the more recent push to promote embryonic stem cell research.