- Table View
- List View
The Obama Presidency: A Preliminary Assessment (SUNY series on the Presidency: Contemporary Issues)
by Tom Lansford Robert P. Watson Jack Covarrubias Douglas M. BratteboBarack Obama's presidency is a pivotal one in American history, coming at a time of dramatic political change in the United States and amidst an astonishing array of domestic and foreign policy challenges. Not surprisingly, then, the Obama administration has been the focus of intense scrutiny by scholars, the press, and the public, and rarely has the tone of political discourse been more polarized and emotionally charged. In this book a distinguished group of scholars offers an objective and timely examination of the Obama administration; Obama's character, leadership style, and rhetoric; and his domestic, foreign, and national security policies. Engaging, lively, and highly readable, each essay offers important insight into this historic president and presidency.
The Obama Presidency: Appraisals and Prospects
by Bert A. Rockman and Andrew Rudalevige and Colin CampbellIn the latest volume in this classic series, Rockman, Rudalevige, and Campbell once again bring together top-notch scholars, this time to take a comprehensive look at the first two years of Barack Obama’s presidency. Assessing Obama’s political strategy, as well as his administration’s successes and setbacks, chapter authors critically examine a presidency marked by continued partisanship, major policy battles, and continued global turmoil.
The Obama Presidency: Change and Continuity
by Robert Maranto Andrew Dowdle Dirk C. van RaemdonckAt his inauguration, President Barack Obama was seemingly poised to become America's strongest and most influential president since Ronald Reagan. However, President Obama's first two years in office has led to some notable surprises. What accounts for the political stability and change demonstrated by the Obama administration? Which factors shaping a presidency are structural, which are personal, and which are driven by events? How will decisions made in the first two years of the administration affect its future course? What lessons can we glean from past presidencies? This timely volume of notable thinkers on the presidency presents scholarly as well as applied insights on Obama’s administration at the half-way point. Assessing the political context of his first two years, the inter-branch relations, and policy developments all provide the necessary grounding for students to make sense of the continuity and change that Barack Obama represents.
The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad
by Tariq Ali"In Cairo, at West Point, at Oslo, Obama has treated the world to one uplifting homily after another, each address larded with every euphemism that White House speechwriters can muster to describe America's glowing mission in the world: 'Our country has borne a special burden in global affairs'; 'Our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. ' The model for this variant of imperial presidency is Woodrow Wilson-no less pious a Christian, whose every second word was peace, democracy or self-determination, while his armies invaded Mexico, occupied Haiti and attacked Russia. But can't still goes a long way to satisfy those who yearn for it. . . " Book jacket.
The Obama Syndrome: Updated
by Tariq AliWritten early in 2010 and initially published in September 2010, The Obama Syndrome predicted the Obama administration's historic midterm defeat. But unlike myriad commentators who have since pinned responsibility for that Democratic Party collapse on the "reform" president's lack of firm resolve, Ali's critique located the problem in Obama's notion of reform itself. Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency by promising to escalate the war in Afghanistan, and his economic team brought the architects of the financial crisis into the White House. Small wonder then that the "War on Terror"--torture in Bagram, occupation in Iraq, appeasement in Israel, and escalation in Pakistan--continues. And that Wall Street and the country's biggest corporations have all profited at the expense of America's working class and poor.<P> Now a thoroughly updated paperback continues the story through the midterms, including a trenchant analysis of the Tea Party, and Obama's decision to continue with his predecessor's tax cuts for the rich. Ali asks whether--in the absence of a progressive upheaval from below--US politics is permanently mired in moderate Republicanism. Already called "a comprehensive account" of the problems with Obama (The Huffington Post), this new edition is sure to provide a more "powerful boost to Obama dissenters on the left" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
The Obama White House and the Supreme Court: from The Oath
by Jeffrey ToobinA Vintage Shorts SelectionThe bestselling and prizewinning author of The Nine and American Heiress tells the dramatic and gripping insider's story of the momentous ideological war fought between the Obama White House and the Supreme Court.President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts could not be more different. Obama, a legal conservative grappling with the second amendment among other issues, believes in the close interpretation of the Constitution, incremental change, and pragmatism over ideology. But, for Roberts the law is all about winning. And, from the moment he botched Obama's oath of office in 2009, the relationship between the Court and the White House has been fraught.This is essential history that unravels the forces that have shaped the Roberts Court over the last eight years. The nation is preparing to vote for its next president, and it bears remembering that the future of the Supreme Court will also be on the ballot.An ebook short.
The Obamas And Mass Media
by Mia Moody-Ramirez Jannette L. DatesUsing the cultural prism of race, this book critically examines the image of African Americans in media of the twenty-first century. Further, the authors assess the ways in which media focused on gender, religion, and politics in framing perceptions of the President and First Lady of the United States during the Obama administration.
The Obamas: A Mission, A Marriage (Playaway Adult Nonfiction Ser.)
by Jodi KantorWhen Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, he also won a long-running debate with his wife Michelle. Contrary to her fears, politics now seemed like a worthwhile, even noble pursuit. Together they planned a White House life that would be as normal and sane as possible.Then they moved in.In the Obamas, Jodi Kantor takes us deep inside the White House as they try to grapple with their new roles, change the country, raise children, maintain friendships, and figure out what it means to be the first black President and First Lady. Filled with riveting detail and insight into their partnership, emotions and personalities, and written with a keen eye for the ironies of public life, THE OBAMAS is an intimate portrait that will surprise even readers who thought they knew the President and First Lady.
The Obamas: The Untold Story of an African Family
by Peter FirstbrookOn January 20, 2009, a few hundred men, women, and children gathered under trees in the twilight at K#x19;obama, a village on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. Barack Obama#x19;s rise to the American presidency had captivated people around the world, but members of this gathering took a special pride in the swearing in of America#x19;s first black president, for they were all Obamas, all the president#x19;s direct African family. In the first in-depth history of the Obama family, Peter Firstbrook recounts a journey that starts in a mud hut by the White Nile and ends seven centuries later in the White House. Interweaving oral history and tribal lore, interviews with Obama family members and other Kenyans, the writings of Kenyan historians, and original genealogical research, Firstbrook sets the fascinating story of the president#x19;s family against the background of Kenya#x19;s rich culture and complex history. He tells the story of farmers and fishermen, of healers and hunters, of families lost and found, establishing for the first time the early ancestry of the Obamas. From the tribe#x19;s cradleland in southern Sudan, he follows the family generation by generation, tracing the paths of the famous Luo warriors-Obama#x19;s direct ancestors-and vividly illuminating Luo politics, society, and traditions. Firstbrook also brings to life the impact of English colonization in Africa through the eyes of President Obama#x19;s grandfather Onyango. An ambitious and disciplined man who fought in two world wars, witnessed the bloody Mau Mau insurrection, and saw his country gain independence from white rule, Onyango was also hot-tempered and autocratic: family lore has it that President Obama#x19;s grandmother abandoned the family after Onyango attempted to murder her. And Firstbrook delves into the troubled life of Obama#x19;s father, a promising young man whose aspirations were stymied by post-independence tribal politics and a rash tendency toward self-destruction-two factors that his family believes contributed to his death in 1982. They say it was no accident, as described in the president#x19;s memoirs, but rather a politically motivated hit job. More than a tale of love and war, hardship and hard-won success, The Obamas reveals a family history-epic in scope yet intimate in feel-that is truly without precedent.
The Obamians: The Struggle Inside the White House to Redefine American Power
by James MannWhen Obama took office, he brought with him a new group of foreign policy advisors intent on carving out a new global role for America. James Mann offers a definitive, evenhanded account of the messier realities they've faced in implementing their policies.
The Obligation Mosaic: Race and Social Norms in US Political Participation (Chicago Studies in American Politics)
by Allison P. AnollPolitical participation is a costly activity with little clear payoff. And yet, millions of Americans vote, many donate their time and money to campaigns, and even more spend time becoming informed on issues they will have almost no influence over. Even more puzzling, some racial groups, like African Americans, whose members are least obviously able to bear the costs of participation are more likely to engage than other resource-rich groups, like Asian Americans. What explains this? To answer this question, Allison P. Anoll draws on a rich mix of interviews, surveys, and experiments with the four largest racial groups in America to look at the power of social norms in a community, specifically a civic duty norm, as an explanation for the variation in political participation across different racial and ethnic communities. Beliefs about how best to honor the past and help those in need centrally define concepts of obligation, Anoll finds, but whether these feelings of duty connect to politics depends on each group’s distinct history and continued patterns of racial segregation. Her findings offer a thought-provoking explanation for why some people participate in politics and others do not, while also providing a window into opportunities for change, pointing to how traditionally marginalized groups can be mobilized into the political sphere.
The Obligation Mosaic: Race and Social Norms in US Political Participation (Chicago Studies in American Politics)
by Allison P. AnollPolitical participation is a costly activity with little clear payoff. And yet, millions of Americans vote, many donate their time and money to campaigns, and even more spend time becoming informed on issues they will have almost no influence over. Even more puzzling, some racial groups, like African Americans, whose members are least obviously able to bear the costs of participation are more likely to engage than other resource-rich groups, like Asian Americans. What explains this? To answer this question, Allison P. Anoll draws on a rich mix of interviews, surveys, and experiments with the four largest racial groups in America to look at the power of social norms in a community, specifically a civic duty norm, as an explanation for the variation in political participation across different racial and ethnic communities. Beliefs about how best to honor the past and help those in need centrally define concepts of obligation, Anoll finds, but whether these feelings of duty connect to politics depends on each group’s distinct history and continued patterns of racial segregation. Her findings offer a thought-provoking explanation for why some people participate in politics and others do not, while also providing a window into opportunities for change, pointing to how traditionally marginalized groups can be mobilized into the political sphere.
The Obligation Mosaic: Race and Social Norms in US Political Participation (Chicago Studies in American Politics)
by Allison P. AnollPolitical participation is a costly activity with little clear payoff. And yet, millions of Americans vote, many donate their time and money to campaigns, and even more spend time becoming informed on issues they will have almost no influence over. Even more puzzling, some racial groups, like African Americans, whose members are least obviously able to bear the costs of participation are more likely to engage than other resource-rich groups, like Asian Americans. What explains this? To answer this question, Allison P. Anoll draws on a rich mix of interviews, surveys, and experiments with the four largest racial groups in America to look at the power of social norms in a community, specifically a civic duty norm, as an explanation for the variation in political participation across different racial and ethnic communities. Beliefs about how best to honor the past and help those in need centrally define concepts of obligation, Anoll finds, but whether these feelings of duty connect to politics depends on each group’s distinct history and continued patterns of racial segregation. Her findings offer a thought-provoking explanation for why some people participate in politics and others do not, while also providing a window into opportunities for change, pointing to how traditionally marginalized groups can be mobilized into the political sphere.
The Occupy Handbook
by Janet ByrneAnalyzing the movement's deep-seated origins in questions that the country has sought too long to ignore, some of the greatest economic minds and most incisive cultural commentators - from Paul Krugman, Robin Wells, Michael Lewis, Robert Reich, Amy Goodman, Barbara Ehrenreich, Gillian Tett, Scott Turow, Bethany McLean, Brandon Adams, and Tyler Cowen to prominent labor leaders and young, cutting-edge economists and financial writers whose work is not yet widely known - capture the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon in all its ragged glory, giving readers an on-the-scene feel for the movement as it unfolds while exploring the heady growth of the protests, considering the lasting changes wrought, and recommending reform. A guide to the occupation, THE OCCUPY HANDBOOK is a talked-about source for understanding why 1% of the people in America take almost a quarter of the nation's income and the long-term effects of a protest movement that even the objects of its attack can find little fault with.
The Occupy Movement Explained
by Nicholas SmaligoThe Occupy Movement Explained is a readable, compact account and analysis of the Occupy protests, by a scholar who participated in several Occupy events. The book is thoroughly researched, painstakingly accurate, and fully documented.<P><P> It debunks a number of myths and misunderstandings that have become rife. Nicholas Smaligo shows how the movement arose out of radical currents that have been active below the media's radar since the 1970s. Occupiers are not all the same, and the author reviews some of the debates and changes within the movement.The occupations began under a slogan that conjured up a naive sense of unity--"We Are the 99%!" It did not take very long for that sense of unity to give way to an appreciation of just how socially, economically, and ideologically fragmented American society is. For some, this was an excuse to return to their cynicism--for others, it was an invitation to lose their illusions and begin to see the world from the viewpoint of political activists. The Occupy Movement Explained describes this process of education and the lessons learned about "the 99%", the police, direct democracy, political demands, and the intimately related questions of social change, violence and property.
The Ocean Incubator Network Learning Toolkit
by Margherita Paola Poto Laura VitaThis open access book is designed to enhance ocean literacy through diverse research, educational and interdisciplinary approaches. It focuses on a number of critical themes, including: an exploration of positionality, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging one’s own perspective in ocean-related research and advocacy; the nuances of trans-cross and interdisciplinarity in ocean studies, advocating for a systemic approach to understanding oceanic phenomena; a model for collaborative research and project development methods. The authors also include practical components such as a mapping of student-led projects on Ocean Literacy and a chapter dedicated to activities that can be implemented to promote understanding and engagement with oceanic themes. This part is designed to be directly applicable in educational settings, providing tools and ideas for active learning. The book is enriched with a vast array of references, resources, infographics, and mind maps to support the content visually and intellectually. Additionally, to ensure accessibility and enhance learning experiences, a video and audio version of the book will be available via a QR code, making this resource fully accessible to a broad audience, including those with visual and auditory impairments. This toolkit serves as a comprehensive guide for educators and researchers and is a pivotal resource for anyone committed to advancing ocean literacy. This Open Access Book is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity.
The Ocean Is A Wilderness: Atlantic Piracy And The Limits of State Authority, 1688-1856
by Guy ChetHistorians have long maintained that the rise of the British empire brought an end to the great age of piracy, turning the once violent Atlantic frontier into a locus of orderly commerce by 1730. In this book, Guy Chet reassesses that view by documenting the persistence of piracy, smuggling, and other forms of illegal trade throughout the eighteenth century despite ongoing governmental campaigns to stamp it out. the failure of the Royal Navy to police oceanic trade reflected the state's limited authority and legitimacy at port, in the courts, and in the hearts and minds of Anglo-American constituents. Chet shows how the traditional focus on the growth of the modern state overlooked the extent to which old attitudes and cultural practises continued to hold sway. Even as the British government extended its naval, legal, and bureaucratic reach, in many parts of the Atlantic world illegal trade was not only tolerated but encouraged. In part this was because Britain's constabulary command of the region remained more tenuous than some have suggested, and in part because maritime insurance and wartime tax policies ensured that piracy and smuggling remained profitable. When Atlantic piracy eventually waned in the early nineteenth century, it had more to do with a reduction in its profitability at port than with forceful confrontation at sea. Challenging traditional accounts that chronicle forces of civilization taming a wild Atlantic frontier, this book is a valuable addition to a body of borderlands scholarship reevaluating the relationship between the emerging modern state and its imperial frontiers.
The Ochrana: The Russian Secret Police
by A. T. Vassilyev René Fülöp-MillerOriginally published in 1930, these are the memoirs of the last Tsarist chief of police, Okhrana, who was arrested by the revolutionaries, refused to be a Bolshevik spy, escaped to France, became a railway porter and died penniless.The book tells of the part he played in Rasputin’s death and his experiences during WWI and the Revolutions, and the comparison between the Okhrana and the Cheka, the Soviet secret police, in which he describes a kinder, gentler Okhrana.Richly illustrated throughout.
The Octopus
by Frank NorrisFrom the author of McTeague: The classic novel of corporate corruption and violent rebellion in the railroad industry. On May 11, 1880, at a San Joaquin Valley ranch, a shootout between tenant farmers and a sheriff’s posse left seven dead. The dispute was over land rights. The law was acting in the service of the Southern Pacific Railroad. This tragedy marked the beginning of the end for the American frontier, and it became the inspiration for Frank Norris’s epic tale of wheat croppers struggling against the tightening grip of the railroad industry. With a cast of characters ranging from poor hired hands to wealthy landowners and railroad barons, Norris’s novel goes beyond its central conflict to chronicle the myriad political and social issues that rippled out from it. The first work in Norris’s planned Epic of the Wheat Trilogy, The Octopus was an important exposé of railroad greed that drew comparisons to Émile Zola for its incredible breadth. It is a great read for fans of gritty, historically inspired western series such as Deadwood or Hell on Wheels. This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.
The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience
by Rob VerchickOne morning in Miami Beach, an unexpected guest showed up in a luxury condominium complex’s parking garage: an octopus. The image quickly went viral. But the octopus—and the combination of infrastructure quirks and climate impacts that left it stranded—is more than a funny meme. It’s a potent symbol of the disruptions that a changing climate has already brought to our doorsteps and the ways we will have to adjust.Rob Verchick examines how we can manage the risks that we can no longer avoid, laying out our options as we face climate breakdown. Although reducing carbon dioxide emissions is essential, we need to adapt to address the damage we have already caused. Verchick explores what resilience looks like on the ground, from early humans on the savannas to today’s shop owners and city planners. He takes the reader on a journey into the field: paddling through Louisiana’s bayous, hiking in one of the last refuges of Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert, and diving off Key Largo with citizen scientists working to restore coral reefs. The book emphasizes disadvantaged communities, which bear the brunt of environmental risk, arguing that building climate resilience is a necessary step toward justice.Engaging and accessible for nonexpert concerned citizens, The Octopus in the Parking Garage empowers readers to face the climate crisis and shows what we can do to adapt and thrive.
The Odd Clauses
by Jay WexlerIf the United States Constitution were a zoo, and the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth amendments were a lion, a giraffe, and a panda bear, respectively, thenThe Odd Clauseswould be a special exhibit of shrews, wombats, and bat-eared foxes. Past the ever-popular monkey house and lion cages, Boston University law professor Jay Wexler leads us on a tour of the lesser-known clauses of the Constitution, the clauses that, like the yeti crab or platypus, rarely draw the big audiences but are worth a closer look. Just as ecologists remind us that even a weird little creature like a shrew can make all the difference between a healthy environment and an unhealthy one, understanding the odd clauses offers readers a healthier appreciation for our constitutional system. With Wexler as your expert guide through this jurisprudence jungle, you’ll see the Constitution like you’ve never seen it before. Including its twenty-seven amendments, the Constitution contains about eight thousand words, but the well-known parts make up only a tiny percentage of the entire document. The rest is a hodgepodge of provisions, clauses, and rules, including some historically anachronistic, some absurdly detailed, and some crucially important but too subtle or complex to get popular attention. This book is about constitutional provisions like Section 2 of the Twenty-first Amendment, the letters of marque and reprisal clause, and the titles of nobility clauses-those that promote key democratic functions in very specific, and therefore seemingly quite odd, ways. Each of the book’s ten chapters shines a much-deserved light on one of the Constitution’s odd clauses-its history, its stories, its controversies, its possible future. The Odd Clausesputs these intriguing beasts on display and allows them to exhibit their relevance to our lives, our government’s structure, and the integrity of our democracy.
The Odyssey of Political Theory: The Politics of Departure and Return
by Patrick J. DeneenThis book offers the readers original insights into The Odyssey, and it provides a new understanding of the classic works of Plato, Rousseau, Vico, Horkheimer, and Adorno.
The Offensive Internet: Speech, Privacy, and Reputation
by Martha Craven NussbaumThe Internet has been romanticized as a zone of freedom. The alluring combination of sophisticated technology with low barriers to entry and instantaneous outreach to millions of users has mesmerized libertarians and communitarians alike. Lawmakers have joined the celebration, passing the Communications Decency Act, which enables Internet Service Providers to allow unregulated discourse without danger of liability, all in the name of enhancing freedom of speech. But an unregulated Internet is a breeding ground for offensive conduct. At last we have a book that begins to focus on abuses made possible by anonymity, freedom from liability, and lack of oversight. The distinguished scholars assembled in this volume, drawn from law and philosophy, connect the absence of legal oversight with harassment and discrimination. Questioning the simplistic notion that abusive speech and mobocracy are the inevitable outcomes of new technology, they argue that current misuse is the outgrowth of social, technological, and legal choices. Seeing this clearly will help us to be better informed about our options. In a field still dominated by a frontier perspective, this book has the potential to be a real game changer. Armed with example after example of harassment in Internet chat rooms and forums, the authors detail some of the vile and hateful speech that the current combination of law and technology has bred. The facts are then treated to analysis and policy prescriptions. Read this book and you will never again see the Internet through rose-colored glasses.
The Office of Assertion: An Art of Rhetoric for the Academic Essay
by Scott F CriderA frivolous argument or inflated claim is often dismissed with the reply, "That's just rhetoric!" But as Scott Crider explains in The Office of Assertion, the classical tradition of rhetoric is both a productive and a liberal art. The ability to employ rhetoric successfully can enable the student, as an effective communicator, to reflect qualities of soul through argument. In that sense, rhetoric is much more than a technical skill.Crider addresses the intelligent university student with respect and humor. This short but serious book is informed by both the ancient rhetorical tradition and recent discoveries concerning the writing process. Though practical, it is not simply a "how-to" manual; though philosophical, it never loses sight of writing itself. Crider combines practical guidance about how to improve an academic essay with reflection on the final purposes --educational, political, and philosophical--of such improvement.
The Office of Strategic Services and Italian Americans
by Salvatore J. LaguminaThis book explores the contributions of Italian Americans employed by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Italian Americans fluent in Italian language and customs became integral parts of intelligence operations working behind enemy lines. These units obtained priceless military information that significantly helped defeat the Axis. They parachuted into frozen mountains tops to link up with Italian guerilla units in northern Italy or hovered in small patrol torpedo boats and row boats across the Mediterranean Sea in pitch black darkness to destroy railroad junctions.