Systems Of Government Books - Page 15

American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials 2006-2007 Edition

Barbara A. Bardes, Mack C. Shelley, Steffen W. Schmidt

Amazon Price: $119.95 List Price: $119.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wadsworth Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 133 new & used starting at $5.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> Civics
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The best-selling book published for American Government, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS helps students experience the excitement that comes from active, informed citizenship in a concisely organized package. Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt's text is renowned nationwide for its balanced, unbiased, comprehensive, and up-to-date coverage of constitutional, governmental, political, social, and economic structures and processes. The overriding theme is the importance of informed active citizenship. The pedagogy underscores this theme by soliciting critical thinking about political issues and encouraging students to become involved the political process. With keen awareness of its audience, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS incorporates current examples, the Internet, and other media to stimulate learning and excitement about American government. This truly interactive text gives students more than reading material-it gives them tools to become good citizens.

Police Field Operations (7th Edition)

Thomas F. Adams

Amazon Price: $77.12 List Price: $96.40 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $61.46

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> Law Enforcement
Subjects -> Law -> General
Subjects -> Law -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Police Field Operations 3 out of 5 stars.
23 of 25 people found this review helpful.

Too vague and general for someone using the book to use as a reference. Does not go into a lot of key points you actually use on patrol. Also, tends to make remarks that do not reflect the reality of todays police work. The author seems out of touch with policing today.

Editorial Review:

The industry standard for 21st-century policing, "Police Field Operations" is written from the perspective of a working police officer, presenting real-life scenarios an officer is likely to encounter while on-duty. With its focus on community policing, it describes how and why certain procedures are used, and gives informative techniques from leading police academies from around the country. Provides readers with the widest range of up-to-date information. Use-of-force issues - e.g., when and how much force to use under what circumstances. Provides clearly defined guidelines for shaping and enforcing policy. Officer Survival and Stress Reduction  - Exceptionally complete coverage. Helps readers develop the necessary skills of observations, perceptions, interviewing techniques, and crowd and riot control. Great resource material for those involved in police patrol procedures and police and field operations.

American Intergovernmental Relations: Foundations, Perspectives, and Issues

Jr. (Editor) Laurence J. O'Toole

By: CQ Press Amazon Marketplace: 15 new & used starting at $0.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> State & Local Government
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> Systems Of Government -> General

Editorial Review:

With feedback from adopters, editor Laurence O'Toole retains important classic selections from earlier editions while freshening this volume with new selections that cover not only the impact of recent fiscal developments and international influences on U.S. intergovernmental relations, but also explore the key role of the Supreme Court in shaping the system's evolution in such areas as homeland security, interstate relations, and local finance. Judicious editing of essays and substantial part introductions make American Intergovernmental Relations an invaluable text and an engaging read.

Public & Its Problems

John Dewey

Amazon Price: $12.55 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Swallow Press Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $9.29

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Social Psychology & Interactions
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A Most Important Book 5 out of 5 stars.
24 of 24 people found this review helpful.

Derived from a series of lectures Dewey gave in 1927, The Public and Its Problems touches on virtually all the major political philosophy questions of our day. One marvels at its continued relevance into the 21st Century. Dewey, arguably the United States' greatest thinker, does an amazing job in sifting through the problems contemporary society faces when forming a polity.

The point Public and Its Problems brings up on more than one occasion is the need for political and social policy to incorporate the scientific method of testing and retesting to generate better results. Dewey refers to this as an experimental social method and surely felt corporate capitalism had used up its testing time and that a new socio-economic system should be tried. Public and Its Problems talks about how policies and theories need to be constantly in flux and not rigidly adhered. The social sciences would then work to investigate and interpret the results of the testing process.

One portion of the book gives a fascinating look at a puzzling quandary Dewey proffers: that being the contradiction of the French and American revolutions having a philosophy of individualism while being massive collective efforts. This section makes for some complicated reading but it's enthralling nonetheless because it touches on a fundamental political and philosophical question. It's in this chapter of the book where he goes on to pose one of the more audacious and profound points of political thought: the essential fallacy of the democratic creed being that it assumes free human beings can rule themselves. (He obviously does say democracy is a good thing given that it threw off a restrictive cloak.) Dewey goes on to elaborate on the point indicating that what's critically necessary is an improvement to the methods and conditions of debate and discussion. Public and Its Problems goes on to ostensibly say it's the corporate capitalist press that controls policy conduct by controlling public opinion. A most astute observation. Of course this opinion is of a public that hasn't found itself, Dewey asserts. He writes "the modern economic regime control present politics much as dynastic interests controlled those of two centuries ago. They effect thinking and desire." Here he touches on false consciousness and monopolistic control over our culture and institutions and the insidious way they thwart the public from finding itself and rallying for its concerns.

Most importantly, Public and Its Problems contends that the majority populace can indeed make wise decisions regarding our present day technocratic culture; the key is that they must have access to unbiased sources without a vested interest (commercial profit) in the issue. Only with a relatively independent conduit of information can the masses make informed decisions on complex subjects. Clearly Dewey would be quite dismayed to see the state of the mass media today, being wholly owned and controlled by big corporate conglomerates. He would no doubt find it nearly impossible for a public to make intelligent decisions when pseudo-fascists like Michael Savage, Joe Scarborough, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Pat Robertson, Laura Ingram, Rusty Humphries, Michael Reagan, G. Gordon Liddy, Ann Coulter (the proud daughter of a union buster), Mike Gallagher, Bob Grant and William Kristol; along with myriad centrist status quo apologists, set the agenda. In one paragraph of the book Dewey showed incredible foresight by remarking that society "seems to be approaching a state of government by hired promoters of opinion called publicity agents." With current political discourse being dictated by PR firms it's obvious he was right on the mark eighty years ago when he made the prediction.

Dewey comes back to an important question routinely throughout, that being what are the conditions that make the transformation possible for the "Great Society" to change into the "Great Community"? The Public and Its Problems does much to stimulate thought on this vital issue that still plagues contemporary society, especially in the United States when the state was able to wage a war on Iraq when virtually ninety percent of the world was against it!

Dewey's book serves as a tremendous introduction to history's greatest pragmatic philosopher.

Editorial Review:

In The Public and Its Problems, a classic of social and political philosophy, John Dewey exhibits his strong faith in the potential of human intelligence to solve the public's problems. In his characteristic provocative style, Dewey clarifies the meaning and implications of such concepts as "the public," "the state," "government," and "political democracy." He distinguishes his a posterior reasoning from a priori reasoning, which, he argues permeates less meaningful discussion of basic concepts. Dewey repeatedly demonstrates the interrelationships between fact and theory.

Unorthodox Lawmaking: New Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress

Barbara Sinclair

Amazon Price: $50.95 List Price: $50.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Congressional Quarterly Books Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $29.19

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Law -> Administrative Law -> Federal Jurisdiction
Subjects -> Law -> Perspectives on Law -> Non-US Legal Systems
Subjects -> Law -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Open a textbook on American politics and you're likely to find the process by which a bill becomes a law described much as it was in texts of decades ago. But, lawmaking has changed dramatically in recent years, and the traditional how-a-bill-becomes-a-law diagram describes few of the major measures considered in the contemporary Congress.

Bills follow a number of routes through Congress today:

-- they may be considered by several committees -- or none
-- omnibus measures may be shaped by special task forces, or in formal executive-congressional summits
-- floor consideration in the House may be governed by rules tailored to facilitate or slow a bill's progress
-- bills are regularly subject to non-germane amendments or are filibustered on the Senate floor.

In a timely revision of her successful book, Unorthodox Lawmaking, noted political scientist Barbara Sinclair describes the contemporary legislative process as it really operates and treats this subject in a highly readable manner. Sinclair leads students step-by-step through the lawmaking process in each chamber, as she explores the range of special procedures and practices, the factors that have contributed to their emergence, and their consequences on both the lawmaking process and the legislation produced.

Sinclair provides five case studies to illustrate how the legislative process varies from bill to bill, and to show how procedure and politics are interrelated. Following a non-technical description of the current budget process in Chapter 5, case studies in Chapters 10 and 11 trace the budget process from 1993 to 1999, including the balanced budget deal between the President and Congress in 1997 and subsequent budget politics. Three other case studies -- focusing on managed care regulation (new in this edition), national service legislation, and the Omnibus Drug Bill -- offer concrete and interesting examples of the variety in the present-day lawmaking process.

Does the use of new procedures and practices enhance or inhibit the likelihood of a bill becoming law? What other effects does unorthodox lawmaking have on how Congress functions? The second edition of Unorthodox Lawmaking gives your students the tools to better assess the relative successes and limitations of the contemporary legislative process.

Probation, Parole and Community Corrections (5th Edition)

Dean J. Champion

Amazon Price: $108.00 List Price: $108.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $1.22

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> Law Enforcement
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> General
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent, current textbook 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As an adjunct professor at the University of Central, I use this book for supplemental materials for my class (it was too late in the semester to order for the main text). The up-to-date, detailed information is accompanied by review questions that open floor discussions in the classroom. With the ever-changing world of criminal justice, it is important that students be informed of current trends.

Editorial Review:

For Probation and Parole and Community Corrections courses. This comprehensive text examines the objectives of probation and parole systems for criminally convicted adults and juveniles and how these objectives are achieved. The text includes coverage of the history of parole and probation in the United States, contemporary probation and parole programs, and various classes of offenders. Exceptionally well organized, the text emphasizes a legalistic approach, notes key legal cases where appropriate, and includes the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

The Eyes on the Prize Reader

Vincent Harding, Darlene C. Hine

List Price: $29.95 By: Viking Adult Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $12.65

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Civil Rights & Liberties

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A valued companion to the study of the Civil Rights Movement 5 out of 5 stars.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.

I think that this book is a valued companion to Taylor Branch's epic work "Parting the Waters". Together, they make an unbeatable pair of study aids for one of America's most turbulent periods.

While P.T.W. is a more dispassionate third person chronicle, E.O.T.P. is more personally driven. It brings to life individuals like Bayard Rustin, Stokley Carmichael, John Lewis and other giants (known and obscure) of the movement. Events from the Till lynching to the Attica riots as seen through the eyes of those on the scene (sometimes, those making the scene).

Fascinating reading.

Great Book to Begin Learning 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book to get get a background on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 60's. I read it when I began trying to learn about the CRM and some of the key players.

First Hand Documents Bring You There 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

When you get involved in studying political events and movements, ultimately there is going to be some disagreement on interpretations. While the Civil Righs Movement has suffered less revisionist history than many events of the last century, it is still valuable to go to the source documents and read about events in the words of those who participated in history or who made history. I agree that this book works well in tandem with another more narrative history, such as Eyes on the Prize, or Partin the Waters. But the compilers have done an excellent job of grouping by topics, with clear introductions putting the pieces that follow into proper place. I was surprised - I feared that this would be more dry of a read than it was. Instead I found myself pulled along, especially by some riveting first hand accounts of events such as the Attica riots. Another big plus for the book is that it brings the documents and the struggles into the 1980's, when first published. Many books ont he Civil Rights Movement cover until 1965, or 1968, this one keeps events in the 1970's and 80's relevant to what came before. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking to feel as if they were there for these struggles, and understand our history.

Congress Reconsidered

Amazon Price: $59.95 List Price: $59.95 Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks By: CQ Press Amazon Marketplace: 66 new & used starting at $3.60

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> Congresses, Senates, & Legislative Bodies
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> Federal Government
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> History & Theory

Editorial Review:

As students and scholars have come to expect from this classic reader, Dodd and Oppenheimer's winning team of distinguished scholars delivers the most up-to-date, accessible, and cutting-edge research on the development of the modern Congress. Over the course of seven editions, this innovative volume was the first to detail and assess the reforms of the 1970s, to trace the rise of a new congressional oligarchy in the 1980s, to recognize the Democrats' tenuous hold on congressional power in the early 1990s, and to chart the historic significance and impact of the new Republican Congress of the past decade. Ever on the forefront of the field, the eighth edition assesses how Congress is responding to the challenges of a new century, from campaign finance reform, heightened partisanship, and renewed deficit spending to international terrorism and the expanding political role of ethnic and racial minorities.

In addition to Dodd and Oppenheimer's timely and cogent assessment of the 2004 elections, contributions--thirteen new to this edition and five completely revised--reflect original scholarship, place new developments within broader historical perspective, and consider the future direction of Congress.

On Leadership

John W. Gardner

List Price: $27.95 By: Free Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Leadership
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Management & Leadership -> Management
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Of the grave problems challenging America today -- from the environment to troubled youth to international economic competition -- none is more critical, or more relevant to all these issues, than our crisis of leadership. Drawing on an intensive five-year field study of organizations and interviews with hundreds of contemporary leaders, John W. Gardner provides a brilliant, searching examination of leadership as it is practiced, or malpracticed, in America today. He reaches beyond the customary cries for charisma to what he calls "the issues behind the issues" in leadership: the elements of motivation, shared values, social cohesion, and institutional renewal.

Some of the nation's toughest problems have discernible solutions, but to mobilize the required resources and to endure the necessary sacrifices calls for a capacity to focus our energies and to sustain commitment. Effective leaders heighten both motivation and confidence. But their efforts are fruitless if fragmentation and divisiveness prevail. Leaders must revitalize our shared values and beliefs in order to accomplish effective group action.

Gardner argues persuasively that the increasing complexity of the large-scale systems that dominate modern society works to stifle motivation, and he shows how we can make those large-scale systems flexible and adaptive. It is essential to the vitality of such systems that initiative and responsibility be widely dispersed so that many individuals at all levels will be ready and willing to take leadership action to make their part of the system work.

Leaders must understand the needs of the people they work with -- their needs at the most basic level for income, jobs, housing, and health care and their larger needs for a sense of community and mutual trust, for recognition and respect, and for new challenges and visions. The conventional wisdom asks followers to believe in their leaders; Gardner highlights a more searching question, whether leaders believe in their followers. Leaders must help people believe that they can be effective, that their goals are within reach.

In key chapters on community, renewal, and leadership tasks, Gardner shows, with compelling examples and enlightening anecdotes, how extraordinary energy and human talent can be marshaled to support leaders who truly understand the ingredients of community. But where are the leaders who could set the new standards of our national life? Gardner convinces us that, scattered throughout society at all levels of government, in the corporations, unions, and nonprofit groups are the unawakened leaders, feeling no overpowering call to lead and hardly aware of their own potential.

Always insightful and often eloquent, Gardner compels us to think hard about what successful leaders must do to instill confidence, morale, and motivation in those who look to them.

Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest & Control Techniques for Today's Police Warrior

Loren W. Christensen

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Turtle Press Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $15.86

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Law -> Criminal Law -> Law Enforcement
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Crime & Criminals -> Criminology
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> Systems Of Government -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Whether you re a law enforcement officer wanting to improve your edge or a martial artist wanting to expand your knowledge of street proven techniques, you will find Defensive Tactics: Modern Arrest and Control Techniques for Today's Police Warrior is filled with invaluable information including:

* Joint manipulation that works
* Leverage control vs. pain control
* Hitting with the hands, feet, forearms and elbows
* Safely and quickly crossing the gap
* Blocking an assailant's strikes
* Using vulnerable points to gain compliance
* Head disorientation
* Safe application of sleeper holds
* Controlling a suspect on the ground * Arresting big guys
* Fighting concepts to take on patrol
* Weapon retention in close quarters and on the ground

Written by a retired cop and high-ranking martial artist who survived all that the mean streets threw at him while working patrol, gang enforcement and dignitary protection, Defensive Tactics goes beyond what is taught in the academy, officer's in-service training, and what is allowed by the administration. BONUS: Includes a chapter on proven ways to control a suspect on the ground written by LAPD officer Mark Mireles, an MMA coach, police academy trainer, and wrestling champ.