Poor America describes the sharp contrast in the extent of poverty between the United States and six Western European countries. While 36 million Americans live below the poverty line, a much smaller percent of Western Europeans struggle with the same problem. Samuel J. Eldersveld seeks to discover why this variance exists by exploring various theories. To explain the larger percentage of American poor, he tackles the history of poverty in each of the featured countries along with examining the 'system theory' approach, the role of values, the political elite character in the United States compared to Europe, and the differential robes of the business elites in these countries. Poor America follows the issue of poverty through the present day, discussing proposals and prospects for reform in poverty relief in the United States.

Poor America describes the sharp contrast in the extent of poverty between the United States and six Western European countries. While 36 million Americans live below the poverty line, a much smaller percent of Western Europeans struggle with the same problem. Samuel J. Eldersveld seeks to discover why this variance exists by exploring various theories. To explain the larger percentage of American poor, he tackles the history of poverty in each of the featured countries along with examining the "system theory" approach, the role of values, the political elite character in the United States compared to Europe, and the differential robes of the business elites in these countries. Poor America follows the issue of poverty through the present day, discussing proposals and prospects for reform in poverty relief in the United States.

This book provides a clear, candid picture of urban political leaders' political and social backgrounds, their perceptions of problems, their political values, and their past and current experience in mobilizing support for their policies in Western democracies.

What kinds of leadership do we have today in the cities of the U.S. and other Western democracies? At a time of widespread urban crisis, with worsening social and economic conditions and shrinking resources, the character of local leadership is a major concern. Because local leaders' decisions affect the lives of most people more immediately than those of presidents or monarchs, we need to know who these leaders are, what they believe in, what they do, and how effective their actions are in community problem-solving. Through an extensive and original comparative analysis of mayors, council members, department heads, and party leaders in 55 middle-sized cities, this internationally renowned author team gives us a clear, candid picture of our leaders' political and social backgrounds, their perceptions of problems, their political values, and their past and current experience in mobilizing support for their policies. Anyone concerned about "the problem of the cities" on a global scale will find here unique urban profiles that are both disturbing and reassuring. And for all who are interested in democratic theory-testing, this book provides a benchmark of empirical and normative analysis.

Political elites have been called "the core of modern government." During the course of the past century, politicians and bureaucrats have assumed a commanding role in the functioning of modern societies, especially in Europe and North America. Two groups of elites have emerged as particularly important the civil servants who manage the national bureaucracy and the party leaders who control the national legislative process. There is no question that the attitudes and behaviors of these two groups and their relationships with each other determine, in large part, the way a political system solves its problems, the direction of public policy, and the degree of public support for government. Elite Images of Dutch Politics is part of an international research project that was designed to explore attitudes of elites and their mutual relationships. Included were the United States and six European countries. Through interviews with forty-four Dutch members of Parliament and seventy-six higher civil servants, the authors have explored the social origins, values, and career patterns of these members of the political leadership, as well as elite perceptions of the interrelationships and roles of elites, of political problems, and of the Dutch political system. The result is a study that tells much about the norms, practices, and values in short, the political culture of Dutch society.

Through an in-depth study of Ann Arbor politics, Party Conflict and Community Development addresses fundamental questions of the relationship between partisan politics and municipal government. Since a large majority of middle-sized American cities operate with nonpartisan government, Ann Arbor's fiercely competitive, two-party system provides an essential counterpoint to other urban studies. Moreover, political activity at this local level gives unique insight into the relative strength and performance of American political parties. Samuel J. Eldersveld examines in detail how this increasingly competitive system has led to innovative policy change. Finally, he offers comparisons to other American and European cities.