Browse In US Politics | What Everyone Needs to Know®

The Alt-Right: What Everyone Needs to Know®

George Hawley

Published in Print:: 07 March 2019

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569696

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190905194.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190905194

In recent years, the so-called Alt-Right, a white nationalist movement, has grown at an alarming rate. Taking advantage of high levels of racial polarization, the Alt-Right seeks to ... More

American Higher Education in Crisis?: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Goldie Blumenstyk

Published in Print:: 13 November 2014

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569931

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199374090.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199374090

American higher education is at a crossroads. Technological innovations and disruptive market forces are buffeting colleges and universities at the very time their financial structure grows ... More

American higher education is at a crossroads. Technological innovations and disruptive market forces are buffeting colleges and universities at the very time their financial structure grows increasingly fragile. Disinvestment by states has driven up tuition prices at public colleges, and student debt has reached a startling record-high of one trillion dollars. Cost-minded students and their families--and the public at large--are questioning the worth of a college education, even as study after study shows how important it is to economic and social mobility. And as elite institutions trim financial aid and change other business practices in search of more sustainable business models, racial and economic stratification in American higher education is only growing. In American Higher Education in Crisis?: What Everyone Needs to Know, Goldie Blumenstyk, who has been reporting on higher education trends for 25 years, guides readers through the forces and trends that have brought the education system to this point, and highlights some of the ways they will reshape America's colleges in the years to come. Blumenstyk hones in on debates over the value of post-secondary education, problems of affordability, and concerns about the growing economic divide. Fewer and fewer people can afford the constantly increasing tuition price of college, Blumenstyk shows, and yet college graduates in the United States now earn on average twice as much as those with only a high-school education. She also discusses faculty tenure and growing administrative bureaucracies on campuses; considers new demands for accountability such as those reflected in the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard; and questions how the money chase in big-time college athletics, revelations about colleges falsifying rankings data, and corporate-style presidential salaries have soured public perception. Higher education is facing a serious set of challenges, but solutions have also begun to emerge. Blumenstyk highlights how institutions are responding to the rise of alternative-educational opportunities and the new academic and business models that are appearing, and considers how the Obama administration and public organizations are working to address questions of affordability, diversity, and academic integrity. She addresses some of the advances in technology colleges are employing to attract and retain students; outlines emerging competency-based programs that are reshaping conceptions of a college degree, and offers readers a look at promising innovations that could alter the higher education landscape in the near future. An extremely timely and focused look at this embattled and evolving arena, this primer emphasizes how open-ended the conversation about higher education's future remains, and illuminates how big the stakes are for students, colleges, and the nation.Less

Campaign Finance: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Robert E. Mutch

Published in Print:: 23 June 2016

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569245

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190274696.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190274696

The one percent has been providing an ever larger share of campaign funds since the 1980s. Well over half of the money contributed to the presidential race in 2015 came from only about 350 ... More

Campaigns and Elections: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Dennis W. Johnson

Published in Print:: 24 October 2019

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569788

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190935580.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190935580

Frequent and fair elections, open to all, are fundamental elements of a democracy. The United States, through its local, state, and national contests, holds more elections, more often, than ... More

Campus Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Jonathan Zimmerman

Published in Print:: 29 September 2016

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569375

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190627393.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190627393

Universities are usually considered bastions of the free exchange of ideas, but a recent tide of demonstrations across college campuses has called this belief into question, and with ... More

Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Sarah Kreps

Published in Print:: 14 April 2016

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569160

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190235345.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190235345

Drones quite possibly represent the most transformative military innovation since jet engines and atomic weaponry. No longer do humans have to engage in close military action or be in the ... More

Energy: What Everyone Needs to Know®

José Goldemberg

Published in Print:: 04 October 2012

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197570050

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199812905.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199812905

Without a doubt, the topic of energy--from coal, oil, and nuclear to geothermal, solar and wind--is one of the most pressing across the globe. It is of paramount importance to policy ... More

Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know® (2 ed.)

Robert Paarlberg

Published in Print:: 25 September 2013

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569870

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199322398.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199322398

The politics of food is changing fast. In rich countries, obesity is now a more serious problem than hunger. Consumers once satisfied with cheap and convenient food now want food that is ... More

Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know® (3 ed.)

Lawrence Jacobs and Theda Skocpol

Published in Print:: 07 January 2016

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569207

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190262037.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190262037

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in March 2010 is a landmark in U.S. social legislation, and the Supreme Court's recent decision upholding the Act ... More

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama in March 2010 is a landmark in U.S. social legislation, and the Supreme Court's recent decision upholding the Act has ensured that it will remain the law of the land. The new law extends health insurance to nearly all Americans, fulfilling a century-long quest and bringing the United States to parity with other industrial nations. Affordable Care aims to control rapidly rising health care costs and promises to make the United States more equal, reversing four decades of rising disparities between the very rich and everyone else. Millions of people of modest means will gain new benefits and protections from insurance company abuses - and the tab will be paid by privileged corporations and the very rich. How did such a bold reform effort pass in a polity wracked by partisan divisions and intense lobbying by special interests? What does Affordable Care mean-and what comes next? In this updated edition of Health Care Reform and American Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Lawrence R. Jacobs and Theda Skocpol-two of the nation's leading experts on politics and health care policy-provide a concise and accessible overview. They explain the political battles of 2009 and 2010, highlighting White House strategies, the deals Democrats cut with interest groups, and the impact of agitation by Tea Partiers and progressives. Jacobs and Skocpol spell out what the new law can do for everyday Americans, what it will cost, and who will pay. In a new section, they also analyze the impact the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the law. Above all, they explain what comes next, as critical yet often behind-the-scenes battles rage over implementing reform nationally and in the fifty states. Affordable Care still faces challenges at the state level despite the Court ruling. But, like Social Security and Medicare, it could also gain strength and popularity as the majority of Americans learn what it can do for them.Less

$HydrofrackingWhat Everyone Needs to Know®$

Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Alex Prud'homme

Published in Print:: 12 December 2013

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569863

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199311262.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199311262

Constantly in the news and the subject of much public debate, fracking, as it is known for short, is one of the most promising yet controversial methods of extracting natural gas and oil. ... More

Constantly in the news and the subject of much public debate, fracking, as it is known for short, is one of the most promising yet controversial methods of extracting natural gas and oil. Today, 90 percent of natural gas wells use fracking. Though highly effective, the process-which fractures rock with pressurized fluid-has been criticized for polluting land, air, and water, and endangering human health. A timely addition to Oxford's What Everyone Needs to Know series, Hydrofracking tackles this contentious topic, exploring both sides of the debate and providing a clear guide to the science underlying the technique. In concise question-and-answer format, Alex Prud'homme cuts through the maze of opinions and rhetoric to uncover key points, from the economic and political benefits of fracking to the health dangers and negative effects on the environment. Prud'homme offers clear answers to a range of fundamental questions, including: What is fracking fluid? How does it impact water supplies? Who regulates the industry? How much recoverable natural gas exists in the U.S.? What new innovations are on the horizon? Supporters as diverse as President Obama and the conservative billionaire T. Boone Pickens have promoted natural gas as a clean, "21st-century" fuel that will reduce global warming, create jobs, and provide tax revenues, but concerns remain, with environmental activists like Bill McKibben and others leading protests to put an end to fracking as a means of obtaining alternative energy. Prud'homme considers ways to improve methods in the short-term, while also exploring the possibility of transitioning to more sustainable resources-wind, solar, tidal, and perhaps nuclear power-for the long term. Written for general readers, Hydrofracking clearly explains both the complex science of fracking and the equally complex political and economic issues that surround it, giving readers all the information they need to understand what will no doubt remain a contentious issue for years to come.Less

Impeachment: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Michael J. Gerhardt

Published in Print:: 30 August 2018

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569689

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190903664.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190903664

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 ... More

Libertarianism: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Jason Brennan

Published in Print:: 31 January 2013

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197570104

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199933891.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199933891

Historically, Americans have seen libertarians as far outside the mainstream, but with the rise of the Tea Party movement, libertarian principles have risen to the forefront of Republican ... More

Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know® (2 ed.)

Jonathan P. Caulkins, Beau Kilmer, and Mark A.R. Kleiman

Published in Print:: 23 June 2016

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569214

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190262419.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190262419

Should marijuana be legalized? Since 2012 four US states have legalized commercial for-profit marijuana production and use, while Washington DC has legalized possession, growth and gifting ... More

Overfishing: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Ray Hilborn and Ulrike Hilborn

Published in Print:: 12 July 2012

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197570036

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199798131.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199798131

Over the past twenty years considerable public attention has been focused on the decline of marine fisheries, the sustainability of world fish production, and the impacts of fishing on ... More

Over the past twenty years considerable public attention has been focused on the decline of marine fisheries, the sustainability of world fish production, and the impacts of fishing on marine ecosystems. Many have voiced their concerns about marine conservation, as well as the sustainable and ethical consumption of fish. But are fisheries in danger of collapse? Will we soon need to find ways to replace this food system? Should we be worried that we could be fishing certain species to extinction? Can commercial fishing be carried out in a sustainable way? While overblown prognoses concerning the dire state of fisheries are plentiful, clear scientific explanations of the basic issues surrounding overfishing are less so - and there remains great confusion about the actual amount of overfishing and its ecological impact. Overfishing: What Everyone Needs to Know will provide a balanced explanation of the broad issues associated with overfishing. Guiding readers through the scientific, political, economic, and ethical issues associated with harvesting fish from the ocean, it will provide answers to questions about which fisheries are sustainably managed and which are not. Ray and Ulrike Hilborn address topics including historical overfishing, high seas fisheries, recreational fisheries, illegal fishing, climate and fisheries, trawling, economic and biological overfishing, and marine protected areas. In order to illustrate the effects of each of these issues, they will incorporate case studies of different species of fish. Overall, the authors present a hopeful view of the future of fisheries. Most of the world's fisheries are not overfished, and many once overfished stocks are now rebuilding. In fact, we can learn from the management failures and successes to ensure that fisheries are sustainable and contribute to national wealth and food security. Concise and clear, this book presents a compelling "big picture " of the state of oceans and the solutions to ending overfishing.Less

Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Nolan McCarty

Published in Print:: 05 December 2019

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569627

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190867782.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190867782

The 2016 election of Donald J. Trump invoked a time for reflection about the state of American politics and its deep ideological, cultural, racial, regional, and economic divisions. But one ... More

Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Jorge Duany

Published in Print:: 27 April 2017

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569436

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780190648695.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780190648695

Puerto Rico, acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898, has a peculiar status among Latin American and Caribbean countries. As a Commonwealth, the island enjoys limited autonomy over ... More

Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know®

Rickie Solinger

Published in Print:: 14 March 2013

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197570043

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199811403.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199811403

Reproductive politics is a term coined by feminists in the 1970s to describe contemporary, Roe v. Wade-era power struggles over contraception and abortion, adoption and surrogacy, and other ... More

The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know®

John Prados

Published in Print:: 23 July 2015

Published Online:: 12 November 2020

eISBN:: 9780197569917

DOI:: 10.1093/wentk/9780199354283.001.0001

Format:: book

ISBN:: 9780199354283

The assassination of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team 6 in May 2011 will certainly figure among the greatest achievements of US Special Forces. After nearly ten years of searching, they ... More

The assassination of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team 6 in May 2011 will certainly figure among the greatest achievements of US Special Forces. After nearly ten years of searching, they descended into his Pakistan compound in the middle of the night, killed him, and secreted the body back into Afghanistan. Interest in these forces had always been high, but it spiked to new levels following this success. There was a larger lesson here too. For serious jobs, the president invariably turns to the US Special Forces: the SEALs, Delta Force, the Green Berets, and the USAF’s Special Tactics squad. Given that secretive grab-and-snatch operations in remote locales characterize contemporary warfare as much as traditional firefights, the Special Forces now fill a central role in American military strategy and tactics. Not surprisingly, the daring and secretive nature of these commando operations has generated a great deal of interest. The American public has an overwhelmingly favorable view of the forces, and nations around the world recognize them as the most capable fighting units: the tip of the American spear, so to speak. But how much do we know about them? What are their origins? What function do they fill in the larger military structure? Who can become a member? What do trainees have to go through? What sort of missions do Special Forces perform, and what are they expected to accomplish? Despite their importance, much of what they do remains a mystery because their operations are clandestine and the sources elusive. In The US Special Forces: What Everyone Needs to Know, eminent scholar John Prados brings his deep expertise to the subject and provides a pithy primer on the various components of America’s special forces. The US military has long employed Special Forces in some form or another, but it was in the Cold War when they assumed their present form, and in Vietnam where they achieved critical mass. Interestingly, the Special Forces suffered a rapid decline in numbers after that conflict despite the fact that the United States had already identified terrorism as a growing security threat. The revival of Special Forces began under the Reagan administration. After 9/11 they experienced explosive growth, and are now integral to all US military missions. Prados traces how this happened and examines the various roles the Special Forces now play. They have taken over many functions of the regular military, a trend that Prados does not expect will end any time soon. This will be a definitive primer on the elite units in the most powerful military the world has ever known.Less

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