Debating Reform: Conflicting Perspectives on How to Fix the American Political System - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1452240027 ISBN 13: 9781452240022

Publisher: CQ Press, 2013

Synopsis

Getting students to engage in debate always makes for a lively classroom. Yet when students only parrot partisan lines, an instructor is left to question if there is real pedagogical value in the exercise. Richard Ellis and Michael Nelson offer a fresh take on the traditional debate-style reader. With pieces written specifically for this volume by top scholars in the field, each pro or con essay considers a concrete proposal for reforming the political system, from making it easier to amend the Constitution to adopting compulsory voting. By focusing on institutions, rather than liberal or conservative public policies, students tend to leave behind ideology and grapple with claims and evidence to draw their own conclusions and build their own arguments. Students will explore how institutions work in their American government text, but Debating Reform: Conflicting Perspectives on How to Fix the American Political System helps them to understand how they can be made to work better.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard J. Ellis is Mark O. Hatfield Professor of Politics at Willamette University. His books include The Development of the American Presidency (2015; 2nd ed.); Debating Reform: Conflicting Perspectives on How to Fix the American Political System (with Michael Nelson, 3nd ed., 2016); Judging the Boy Scouts of America: Gay Rights, Freedom of Association, and the Dale Case (2014); Judging Executive Power: Sixteen Supreme Court Cases That Have Shaped the American Presidency (2009); and Presidential Travel: The Journey from George Washington to George W. Bush (2008). In 2008 he was named the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Oregon Professor of the Year.

Review:

The book is the best ′pro-con′ type book that I have seen on the market, as it organizes each chapter around a singular and provocative idea, rather than a simple policy topic. It also discusses material at a higher level than most such texts, avoiding falling into stock arguments about why one policy is better than another, to instead argue points that are grounded in the empirical literature. Chapters that address important issues that students may not have thought about or encountered before (especially chapters on the Bureaucracy, Interest Groups, and Political Parties) are especially helpful." Author: Christopher Ellis Source: 1e for 2e survey Published On: 2011-10-14

The book is an excellent addition to the introductory American politics course. It covers a wide range of issues that provide focal points for class discussion, and it facilitates in-depth consideration of how institutional frameworks affect outcomes. In the past, I′ve usually been unimpressed by readers that take a pro/con approach since they tend to oversimplify complex issues. The selections in the Ellis and Nelson book generally avoid this oversimplification, and the competing perspectives encourage students to think about how both current rules and potential reforms would affect incentives and choices. My students generally have expressed positive views of the book. It has been a productive tool for starting class discussion, for short writing assignments, and as a starting point for a larger research paper that I assign. Author: Scott Meinke Source: 1e for 2e Survey Published On: 2011-10-14

I liked that it wasn′t the usual pro/con on the issues of the day. Most of these are new topics for students, and they help to clarify the core concepts of the introductory course. Author: William Cunion Source: 1e for 2e survey Published On: 2011-10-14

I love the idea of having students connect to a general topic (like federalism) using contemporary policy questions because it gives them something concrete to think about. Students tend to respond fairly favorably. The question about the drinking age and the issue of non-citizens voting in elections tend to be especially popular. Author: Molly W. Andolina Source: 1e for 2e Survey Published On: 2011-10-14

Debating Reform is an outstanding text. It triggers debate on some of the most important issues surrounding the structure of our government. I like how it includes a brief explanation of the issue′s background and then includes two well written essays offering a compelling arguments on both sides of the issues. The collection of authors is an esteemed cast of scholars well versed in their particular subject. The students have responded very positively to this book. It provides great topics for discussion on a weekly basis. Author: Brian Frederick Source: 1e for 2e Survey Published On: 2011-10-14

The book does a good job of introducing students to the idea that institutions are choices and that institutional choices shape political outcomes. I like this as an alternative to the usual debate books, as institutional design is a key focus in my class. Author: Mack Mariani Source: 1e for 2e Survey Published On: 2011-10-14

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1452240027
• ISBN 13: 9781452240022
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 400
• Editor: Ellis Richard J., Nelson Michael