David E. Kyvig's Books

Explicit and Authentic Acts

Amending the U.S. Constitution 1776–2015, With a New Afterword

By: David E. Kyvig

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Explicit and Authentic Acts

Amending the U.S. Constitution 1776–2015, With a New Afterword

By: David E. Kyvig

In time for the 225th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, David Kyvig completed an Afterword to his landmark study of the process of amending the US Constitution. The Afterword discusses the many amendments, such those requiring a balanced federal budget or limiting the terms of members of Congress, that have been proposed since the book was originally published and why they failed of passage. At a time when prominent scholars and other public figures have called for a constitutional convention to write a new constitution, arguing that our current system of governance is unsustainable Kyvig reminds us of the high hurdles the founders created to amending the constitution and how they have served the country well, preventing the amendment process from being used by one faction to serve the passions of the moment. In his farewell address, President Washington reminded his audience that the Constitution, "till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all." He regarded the Constitution as a binding document worthy of devout allegiance, but also believed that it contains a clear and appropriate procedure for its own reform. David Kyvig's illuminating study provides the most complete and insightful history of that amendment process and its fundamental importance for American political life. Over the course of the past two centuries, more than 10,000 amendments have been proposed by the method stipulated in Article V of the Constitution. Amazingly, only 33 have garnered the required two-thirds approval from both houses of Congress, and only 27 were ultimately ratified into law by the states. Despite their small number, those amendments have revolutionized American government while simultaneously legitimizing and preserving its continued existence. Indeed, they have dramatically altered the relationship between state and federal authority, as well as between government and private citizens. Kyvig reexamines the creation and operation of Article V, illuminating the process and substance of each major successful and failed effort to change the formal structure, duties, and limits of the federal government. He analyzes in detail the Founders' intentions; the periods of great amendment activity during the 1790s, 1860s, 1910s, and 1960s; and the considerable consequences of amendment failure involving slavery, alcohol prohibition, child labor, New Deal programs, school prayer, equal rights for women, abortion, balanced budgets, term limits, and flag desecration.

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670

Publisher

University Press of Kansas

Published Date

ISBN 10

0700622292

ISBN 13

9780700622290

Repealing National Prohibition

By: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers,David E. Kyvig

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Repealing National Prohibition

By: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers,David E. Kyvig

A study of the political reaction against the 18th Amendment, a response that led to its reversal 14 years later by the 21st Amendment. This work uses archival evidence to examine the liquor ban and to draw attention to the bi-partisan movement led by the Association Against Prohibition Amendment.

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310

Publisher

Kent State University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0873386728

ISBN 13

9780873386722

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Decades of Promise and Pain

By: David E. Kyvig

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Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Decades of Promise and Pain

By: David E. Kyvig

During the 1920s and 1930s, changes in the American population, increasing urbanization, and innovations in technology exerted major influences on the daily lives of ordinary people. Explore how everyday living changed during these years when use of automobiles and home electrification first became commonplace, when radio emerged, and when cinema, with the addition of sound, became broadly popular. Find out how worklife, domestic life, and leisure-time activities were affected by these factors as well as by the politics of the time. Details of matters such as the creation of the pickup truck, the development of radio programming, and the first mass use of cosmetics provide an enjoyable read that brings the period clearly into focus. Centering its attention on the broad masses of the population, this animated reference resource emphasizes the wide variety of experiences of people living through The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression. Readers will be surprised to discover that some of the assumptions we have about the lives of average Americans during these eras are historically inaccurate. A final chapter provides a unique look at six American communities and gives a vivid sense of the diversity of American experience over the course of these tumultuous years.

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Page Count

288

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

031300692X

ISBN 13

9780313006920

Nearby History

Exploring the Past Around You

By: David E. Kyvig,Myron A. Marty

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Nearby History

Exploring the Past Around You

By: David E. Kyvig,Myron A. Marty

In the Second Edition of Nearby History, the authors have updated all chapters, introduced information about internet sources and uses of newer technologies, as well as updated the appendices.

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310

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Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0742502716

ISBN 13

9780742502710

Evil Deeds in High Places

Christian America's Moral Struggle with Watergate

By: David E. Settje

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Evil Deeds in High Places

Christian America's Moral Struggle with Watergate

By: David E. Settje

Highlights Watergate as a critical turning point in Christian engagement in US politics The Watergate scandal was one of the most infamous events in American democratic history. Faith in the government plummeted, leaving the nation feeling betrayed and unsure who could be trusted anymore. In Evil Deeds in High Places, David E. Settje examines how Christian institutions reacted to this moral and ethical collapse, and the ways in which they chose to assert their moral authority. Settje argues that Watergate was a turning point for spurring Christian engagement with politics. While American Christians had certainly already been active in the public sphere, these events motivated a more urgent engagement in response, and served to pave the way for conservatives to push more fully into political power. Historians have carefully analyzed the judicial, media, congressional, and presidential actions surrounding Watergate, but there has been very little consideration of popular reactions of Americans across the political spectrum. Though this book does not aspire to offer a comprehensive picture of America’s citizenry, by examining the variety of Protestant Christian experiences—those more conservative, those more liberal, and those in between—and by incorporating analyses of both white and black Christian reactions, it captures a significant swath of the American population at the time, providing one of the only studies to examine how everyday Americans viewed the events of Watergate. Grasping the dynamics of Christian responses to Watergate enables us to comprehend more completely that volatile moment in US history, and provides important context to make sense of reactions to our more recent political turmoil.

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Page Count

283

Publisher

NYU Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1479803146

ISBN 13

9781479803149

Government by the People

By: James MacGregor Burns,David M. O'Brien

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Government by the People

By: James MacGregor Burns,David M. O'Brien

Best selling American Government book for the Introduction to American Government Politics course.

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594

Published Date

ISBN 10

0130315664

ISBN 13

9780130315663

Promised Land

How the Rise of the Middle Class Transformed America, 1929-1968

By: David Stebenne

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Promised Land

How the Rise of the Middle Class Transformed America, 1929-1968

By: David Stebenne

A timely work of groundbreaking history explains how the American middle class ballooned at mid-century until it dominated the nation, showing who benefited and what brought the expansion to an end. In Promised Land, David Stebenne examines the extraordinary revival of the middle class in mid-twentieth century America and how it drastically changed the country. The story begins with the pervasive income and wealth inequality of the pre-New Deal period. What followed—Roosevelt’s reforms, the regulation of business and finance, higher taxation of the truly affluent, and greater government spending—began a great leveling. World War II brought the military draft and the GI Bill, similarly transformative elements that also helped expand the middle class. For decades, economic policies and cultural practices strengthened the trend, and by the 1960s the middle class dictated American tastes from books to TV shows to housing to food, creating a powerful political constituency with shared interests and ideals. The disruptive events of 1968, however, signaled the end of this headlong expansion. The cultural clashes and political protests of that era turned a spotlight on how the policies and practices of the middle-class era had privileged white men over women, people of color, and other marginalized groups, as well as economic growth over environmental protection. These conflicts, along with shifts in policy and economic stagnation, started shrinking that vast middle class and challenging its values, trends that continue to the present day. Now, as the so-called “end of the middle class” dominates the news cycle and politicians talk endlessly about how to revive it, Stebenne’s vivid history of a social revolution that produced a new and influential way of life reveals the fascinating story of how it was achieved and the considerable costs incurred along the way. In the form of a revealing history, Promised Land shines more than a little light on our possible future.

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Page Count

336

Publisher

Scribner

Published Date

ISBN 10

1982102705

ISBN 13

9781982102708

The American Political Scandal

Free Speech, Public Discourse, and Democracy

By: David R. Dewberry

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The American Political Scandal

Free Speech, Public Discourse, and Democracy

By: David R. Dewberry

In this holistic examination of political scandal in the United States, David Dewberry argues convincingly that such scandals follow a consistent narrative centered largely on media coverage and politician performance rather than the actual corruption or ethics violation committed. In making this argument, he also provides an analytical framework for understanding the patterns underlying scandals regardless of their unique political contexts. Dewberry dissects four major examples—Teapot Dome, Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Clinton/Lewinsky—and explores the roles of various constituencies involved in creating, reacting to, and mediating the scandal. What is the true role of journalism within the context of scandal? What persuasive techniques do politicians employ to develop and perpetuate scandals? What motives and values bring scandals to a close? In addition to the core cases, Dewberry incorporates briefer examples from contemporary and ongoing controversies including Anthony Weiner’s sexting scandal, money and sex in Congress, how cover-ups have gone digital, and Chris Christie’s Bridgegate. The result is a fascinating and thoughtful look at the relationships among political discourse, free speech, and democracy.

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Page Count

241

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

1442242922

ISBN 13

9781442242920

Nearby History

Exploring the Past Around You

By: David Kyvig,Myron A. Marty,Larry Cebula

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Nearby History

Exploring the Past Around You

By: David Kyvig,Myron A. Marty,Larry Cebula

Nearby History by David E. Kyvig and Myron A. Marty is one of the essential volumes on any public historian’s bookshelf and syllabus. Whereas every other “how to do history” book seems aimed at fledgling academic historians and grounds its advice on academic libraries and footnoting, it is Nearby History that shows the reader how to do hands-on public history research with the resources found in every community. First published in 1984, the book remains as important as ever. And yet the world of historical research has changed since 1984--not just the explosion of online historical sources but also the possibilities of using digital cameras and scanners for research, digital communities for historical collaboration, and podcasts, smartphone apps and websites to present research and interpretations of nearby history. It is time for an update. Newly updated by Larry Cebula, this fourth edition of Nearby History is a comprehensive handbook for those interested in investigating the history of communities, families, local institutions, and cultural artifacts, Nearby History helps its readers research the world near at hand. In this fourth edition, the authors discuss a variety of research approaches involving published literature, unpublished documents, oral histories, visual and material sources, and landscapes; offer guidance in the uses of technology, particularly digital photography and digital voice recording; and suggest methods of historical presentation. The authors also explore the promise and pitfalls of research in the digital age. Richly illustrated with photos and documents, Nearby History is an excellent resource for both professionally trained and self-taught historians.

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Page Count

243

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

1442270098

ISBN 13

9781442270091

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Decades of Promise and Pain

By: David E. Kyvig

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Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Decades of Promise and Pain

By: David E. Kyvig

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296

Publisher

Greenwood

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313295557

ISBN 13

9780313295553

Explicit and Authentic Acts

Amending the U.S. Constitution 1776–2015, With a New Afterword

By: David E. Kyvig

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Explicit and Authentic Acts

Amending the U.S. Constitution 1776–2015, With a New Afterword

By: David E. Kyvig

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Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

670

Publisher

University Press of Kansas

Published Date

ISBN 10

0700622292

ISBN 13

9780700622290

Book's by David E. Kyvig

Explicit and Authentic Acts

Explicit and Authentic Acts

Repealing National Prohibition

Repealing National Prohibition

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Nearby History

Nearby History

Evil Deeds in High Places

Evil Deeds in High Places

Government by the People

Government by the People

Promised Land

Promised Land

The American Political Scandal

The American Political Scandal

Nearby History

Nearby History

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939

Explicit and Authentic Acts

Explicit and Authentic Acts

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