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Political Science

Ebooks in the Spotlight

Cover art is image of american flag within the outline of a broken in half united states map

One America? : Presidential Appeals to Racial Resentment From LBJ to Trump

Reveals how presidents deploy a rhetoric that attempts to attract many racial and ethnic groups, but ultimately directs itself to an archtypal white, Middle-American swing voter. Despite major advancements in civil rights in the United States since the 1960s, racial inequality continues to persist in American society. While it may appear that presidents do not address the topic of race, it lurks in the background of presidential political speech across a range of issues, including welfare, crime, and American identity. Using a thorough approach that places textual analysis in a historical context, One America? asks what presidents say about race, how often they say it, and to whom they say it. 

Cover art is mage of united states in red and purple

Representation and the Electoral College

Nearly 800 proposals have been made to amend or abolish the Electoral College, and its divisiveness raises many questions. What role do electors play in American democracy? How should they vote? Should the Electoral College exist at all? Much confusion surrounds this institution, in large part because of how the original Electoral College varies from its contemporary counterpart, the evolved Electoral College. This book helps readers to understand the distinction and how we got where we are today. Focusing on the controversial 2016 election, in which Trump received nearly three million fewer popular votes than Clinton, Representation and the Electoral College shows how the Electoral College acts on behalf of the American public and alters election outcomes. In exploring the origin, development, and practice of the Electoral College, this study also presents the most extensive analysis of presidential electors to date.

Cover art is image of a maroon arrow pointing down

Power and principle : the politics of international criminal courts

Human rights advocates have long pressed for international institutions to prosecute crimes against humanity. With its global reach and mandate to investigate and prosecute some of the world's most severe crimes (genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity) the creation of the International Criminal Court in 2002 was hailed as a landmark event in the evolution of truly global society. Supporters argue that the ICC and other transnational tribunals will deter the commission of atrocities and contribute to global peace and stability, and they laud its independence and its potential to check the arbitrary use of power against the powerless. To better understand how international criminal courts function and determine their broader implications for global society, this book examines the factors that led to the creation and evolution of international criminal courts, the nature of the support for and opposition to such institutions, and how they function.

Cover art is Image of the pound symbol with a red background

The revolution that wasn't : how digital activism favors conservatives

This surprising study of online political mobilization shows that money and organizational sophistication influence politics online as much as off, and casts doubt on the democratizing power of digital activism. The internet has been hailed as a leveling force that is reshaping activism. From the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, digital activism seemed cheap, fast, and open to all. Now this celebratory narrative finds itself competing with an increasingly sinister story as platforms like Facebook and Twitter--once the darlings of digital democracy--are on the defensive for their role in promoting fake news. While hashtag activism captures headlines, conservative digital activism is proving more effective on the ground. In this sharp-eyed and counter-intuitive study, Jen Schradie shows how the web has become another weapon in the arsenal of the powerful.

Cover art of book is image of congress seated in an auditorium

Impeachment: What Everyone Needs to Know

Impeachment: What Everyone Needs to Know; is the step back and deep reflection on the law of impeachment that everyone needs now. Written in an accessible and lively question-and-answer format, it offers a timely explanation of the impeachment process from its very meaning to its role in politics today. The book defines the scope of impeachable offenses, and how the Constitution provides alternative procedures and sanctions for addressing misconduct in office. It explains why the only two presidential impeachments, those of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, failed to lead to conviction, and how the impeachments of federal judges illuminate the law and politics of the process. As a legal expert and the only joint witness in the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, author Michael J. Gerhardt also explores a question frequently asked-will Donald Trump be impeached? This book does not take a side in the debate over the possible impeachment of the president; instead, it is a primer for anyone eager to learn about impeachment's origins, practices, limitations, and alternatives.

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Columbus and other cannibals : the wétiko disease of exploitation, imperialism, and terrorism

Celebrated American Indian thinker Jack D. Forbes's Columbus and Other Cannibals was one of the founding texts of the anticivilization movement when it was first published in 1978. His history of terrorism, genocide, and ecocide told from a Native American point of view has inspired America's most influential activists for decades. Frighteningly, his radical critique of the modern "civilized" lifestyle is more relevant now than ever before. Identifying the Western compulsion to consume the earth as a sickness, Forbes writes- "Brutality knows no boundaries. Greed knows no limits. Perversion knows no borders. . . . These characteristics all push towards an extreme, always moving forward once the initial infection sets in. . . . This is the disease of the consuming of other creatures' lives and possessions. I call it cannibalism." This updated edition includes a new chapter by the author.

Cover art is a black and white image of people working in an office

Counting Americans : how the US Census classified the nation

How could the same person be classified by the US census as black in 1900, mulatto in 1910, and white in 1920? The history of categories used by the US census reflects a country whose identity and self-understanding - particularly its social construction of race - is closely tied to the continuous polling on the composition of its population. By tracing the evolution of the categories the United States used to count and classify its population from 1790 to 1940, Paul Schor shows that, far from being simply a reflection of society or a mere instrument of power, censuses are actually complex negotiations between the state, experts, and the population itself. The census is not an administrative or scientific act, but a political one. Counting Americans is a social history exploring the political stakes that pitted various interests and groups of people against each other as population categories were constantly redefined. 

Cover art is a black and white image of people protesting

Historical Dictionary of the Civil Rights Movement

The fiftieth anniversary of many major milestones in what is commonly called the African-American Civil Rights Movement was celebrated in 2013. Fifty years removed from the Birmingham campaign, the assassination of Medgar Evers, and the March on Washington and it is clear that the sacrifices borne by those generations in that decade were not in vain. Monuments, museums, and exhibitions across the world honor the men and women of the Movement and testify to their immeasurable role in redefining the United States. The second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Civil Rights Movement is a guide to the history of the African-American struggle for equal rights in the United States. The history of this period is covered in a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, significant legal cases, local struggles, forgotten heroes, and prominent women in the Movement. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Civil Rights Movement.

Cover art is image of a blue and red cogs with a wrench between them

How America lost its mind : the assault on reason that's crippling our democracy

Americans are losing touch with reality. On virtually every issue, from climate change to immigration, tens of millions of Americans have opinions and beliefs wildly at odds with fact, rendering them unable to think sensibly about politics. In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson explains the rise of a world of "alternative facts" and the slow-motion cultural and political calamity unfolding around us. We don't have to search far for the forces that are misleading us and tearing us apart: politicians for whom division is a strategy; talk show hosts who have made an industry of outrage; news outlets that wield conflict as a marketing tool; and partisan organizations and foreign agents who spew disinformation to advance a cause, make a buck, or simply amuse themselves. The consequences are severe. How America Lost Its Mind maps a political landscape convulsed with distrust, gridlock, brinksmanship, petty feuding, and deceptive messaging. As dire as this picture is, and as unlikely as immediate relief might be, Patterson sees a way forward and underscores its urgency. A call to action, his book encourages us to wrest institutional power from ideologues and disruptors and entrust it to sensible citizens and leaders, to restore our commitment to mutual tolerance and restraint, to cleanse the Internet of fake news and disinformation, and to demand a steady supply of trustworthy and relevant information from our news sources. 

Cover art is a political satire cartoon called the Democracy of France

The rise of democracy : revolution, war and transformations in international politics since 1776

Little over 200 years ago, a quarter of a century of warfare with an 'outlaw state' brought the great powers of Europe to their knees. That state was the revolutionary democracy of France. Since then, there has been a remarkable transformation in the way democracy is understood and valued - today, it is the non-democractic states that are seen as rogue regimes. Now, Christopher Hobson explores democracy's remarkable rise from obscurity to centre stage in contemporary international relations.

Cover art is image of a white hand holding a rose

Historical Dictionary of Socialism

Socialism has been an influential force for social change for almost two centuries. Its philosophy and ideology have inspired millions while simultaneously arousing fear and revulsion in its enemies. Having emerged after the French Revolution in the effort to build upon and develop the egalitarian ideas of the Enlightenment, socialism has taken many forms. It has, furthermore, sometimes been manipulated and reformulated by opportunists who have built authoritarianism and totalitarian dictatorships in its name. Opponents seize on such examples to frighten away people who may otherwise have found socialism attractive. Socialism has survived such criticism and misrepresentation as its core principles have struck a chord with generations of people concerned with social justice. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Socialism contains a chronology, an introduction, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on activists, politicians, political thinkers, political parties and organizations, and key topics, concepts, and aspects of socialist theory.. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Socialism.

Cover art is green and yellow background

Who will be the next president? : a guide to the U.S. presidential election system

This book addresses the peculiarities of the current presidential election system not yet addressed in other publications. It argues that any rules for electing a President that may have a chance to replace the current ones should provide an equal representation of states as equal members of the Union, and of the nation as a whole. This book analyzes the National Popular Vote plan and shows that this plan may violate the Supreme Court decisions on the equality of votes cast in statewide popular elections held to choose state electors. That is, the National Popular Vote plan may violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The book proposes a new election system in which the will of the states and the will of the nation as a whole are determined by direct popular elections for President and Vice President in the 50 states and in D.C. This system a) would elect President a candidate who is the choice of both the nation as a whole and of the states as equal members of the Union, b) would let the current system elect a President only if the nation as a whole and the states as equal members of the Union fail to agree on a common candidate, and c) would encourage the candidates to campaign nationwide. The second edition has been updated to include a proposal on how to make established non-major party presidential candidates and independent candidates welcome participants in national televised presidential debates with the major-party candidates.

Political Science Databases- Find articles here!

Academic Search Complete

(EBSCO) Multi-disciplinary database provides articles covering biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, psychology, religion & theology, and other subjects. Some full text. Nearly 6,600 active full-text journals and magazines; nearly 6,000 active full-text peer-reviewed journals.

CQ Encyclopedia of American Government

(CQ) Covers the who, how, and why of American democracy. Five content categories include: the Presidency, the Supreme Court, Congress, Elections, and the U.S. Constitution. Also includes facts, statistics, images, primary source documents, and bibliographies.

Military & Government Collection

(EBSCO) Current news articles covering all branches of the military and government. Some full text.

JSTOR

(JSTOR) JSTOR Arts & Sciences collections I, II, III, VI and VII includes archived scholarly full-text articles covering topics such as archaeology, classics, ecology, economics, history, mathematics, political science, sociology, and statistics. Also covers African, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Slavic studies. JSTOR Life Sciences collection includes topics such as aquatic science, botany, developmental & cell biology, ecology, paleontology, and zoology. Also covers medicine, nursing, epidemiology, and public health. Note: "archived" means this database excludes the most recent years of these journals, but usually has the complete run of each title from volume 1 onwards.

New York Times

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Selected Political Science Websites

Here are just a few of the many web sites relevant to political science:

Streaming Video Databases

Films on Demand

(Infobase Learning) Streaming video collection of over 38,500 full-length videos and 310,000+ video clips on a variety of subject areas. Captioning available *except* for non-English-language videos and videos without dialogue. Note that recently-added videos may take up to 3 weeks to get captioned.

Kanopy playlist

This is a curated Kanopy playlist of streaming video documentary films, all captioned. New titles are added by faculty request when funds are available. Click a title for access:
The Codes of Gender || Delano Manongs || Life After Life || Olmec Civilization Emerges || Precious Knowledge
Public Performance Rights (outside the classroom)
"Viewing films in a group forum is permitted for most films as long as the viewing is by authorized viewers and it is not for commercial benefit (i.e. no admission costs are charged and no profit is made from the screening). Feel free to contact us and we can confirm if the film is available for a showing to a group forum." Do Kanopy videos include Public Performance Rights?

Swank Digital Campus

Streaming video collection of over 290 feature films from major Hollywood studios and other producers, including MGM, Sony, Paramount, LionsGate, United Artists, Miramax and more.

Film Platform Collection

(Alexander Street/PQ) Streaming video collection of 400+ titles, curated for academic audiences. Includes selections from prestigious film festivals plus many OSCAR®-nominated and OSCAR®-shortlisted documentaries. Click the red filter button to sort the catalog.

Open OnDemand @ SDCCD

Streaming video collection of instructional videos created by SDCCD faculty and staff. Contact SDCCD Online Learning Pathways for more information.

3C Media Solutions

Streaming video collection. Contains videos created by instructors and students of the California Community Colleges. Check titles to ensure they are captioned.

NPR - Politics

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