Douglas J. Amy's Books

Government Is Good

An Unapologetic Defense of a Vital Institution

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Government Is Good

An Unapologetic Defense of a Vital Institution

By: Douglas J. Amy

Why a book defending government? Because for decades, right-wing forces in this country have engaged in a relentless and irresponsible campaign of vicious government bashing. Conservatives and libertarians have demonized government, attacked basic safety net programs like Medicare, and undermined vital regulations that protect consumers, investors, workers, and the environment. This book takes on this anti-government movement and shows that most of its criticisms of this institution are highly exaggerated, misleading, or just plain wrong. In reality, American government - despite its flaws - plays a valuable and indispensable role in promoting the public good. Most government programs are working well and are actually improving the lives of Americans in innumerable ways. Democratic government is a vital tool for making our world a better place; and if we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector. Part I: Why Government is Good. The section of the book describes how government acts as a force for good in society. One chapter chronicles a day in the life of an average middle-class American and identifies the myriad ways that government programs improve our lives. Other chapters describe the forgotten achievements of government; how government is the only way to effectively promote public values like justice and equality; and how a free market economy would be impossible without the elaborate legal and regulatory infrastructure provided by government. Part II: The War on Government. This section of the book chronicles the unrelenting assault on government being waged by conservative forces in this country. Chapters describe how cuts in social programs and rollbacks of regulations have harmed the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans and how these assaults have taken place on many fronts - in Congress, the administrative branch, and the federal courts, as well as on the state and local level. Also addressed: how the right's radical anti-government agenda is out of touch with the views and priorities of most Americans, and what the real truth is about government deficits. Part III: How to Revitalize Democracy and Government. There are, in fact, some problems with American government, and we need to address these if we are to restore Americans' faith in this institution. One of the main problems with our government is that it is not accountable and responsive enough to the public. Moneyed special interests too often win out over the public interest. Chapters in this section describe this problem and how we can fix it. There are several reforms - including public financing of elections - that could help our government live up to its democratic ideals. The final chapter discusses strategies for building a pro-government coalition in this country.

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Page Count

320

Publisher

Dog Ear Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1457506580

ISBN 13

9781457506581

Real Choices / New Voices

How Proportional Representation Elections Could Revitalize American Democracy

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Real Choices / New Voices

How Proportional Representation Elections Could Revitalize American Democracy

By: Douglas J. Amy

There is a growing realization that many of the problems afflicting American elections can be traced to the electoral system itself, in particular to our winner-take-all approach to electing officials. Douglas Amy demonstrates that switching to proportional representation elections—the voting system used in most other Western democracies, by which officials are elected in large, multimember districts according to the proportion of the vote won by their parties—would enliven democratic political debate, increase voter choice and voter turnout, ensure fair representation for third parties and minorities, eliminate wasted votes and "spoliers," and ultimately produce policies that better reflect the public will. Looking beyond new voting machines and other quick fixes for our electoral predicament, this new edition of Real Choices/New Voices offers a timely and imaginative way out of the frustrations of our current system of choosing leaders.

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Page Count

347

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231500750

ISBN 13

9780231500753

Behind the Ballot Box

A Citizen's Guide to Voting Systems

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Behind the Ballot Box

A Citizen's Guide to Voting Systems

By: Douglas J. Amy

Interest in voting systems and voting system reform is growing in the United States. Voting systems—the procedures by which we cast votes and elect our public officials—are a crucial part of the democratic election process. The decision to use one kind of voting system rather than another has far-reaching political consequences. Among other things, voting systems help to determine which officials are elected to run our governments, the variety of parties that voters have to choose from at the polls, whether political minorities can win any representation, and whether the majority will rule. Amy gives readers all the information and analytical tools needed to make intelligent choices among voting systems. He provides a set of political criteria that can be used to judge voting systems and gives detailed descriptions of all the common voting systems used in the United States and other Western democracies, including winner-take-all systems as well as proportional representation systems. He also provides an analysis of the various political advantages and disadvantages associated with each type of system. This is an important guide for citizens, government officials, political activists, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about voting systems and their political implications.

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Page Count

246

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313002452

ISBN 13

9780313002458

Agri-environmental Management in Europe: Sustainable Challenges and Solutions – From Policy Interventions to Practical Farm Management

By: Kathy Lewis,John Tzilivakis,Douglas Warner,Andy Green

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Agri-environmental Management in Europe: Sustainable Challenges and Solutions – From Policy Interventions to Practical Farm Management

By: Kathy Lewis,John Tzilivakis,Douglas Warner,Andy Green

Modern agriculture faces many challenges, most crucially food security and the need for sustainable farming systems. Decisions and actions in the agricultural sector come from government and stakeholder policies and on-farm decision-making. This comprehensive monograph provides a perspective on the current state of agri-environmental management in Europe from both a policy and practical perspective. Some of the issues in agriculture discussed are climate change and air pollution, biodiversity, water use and quality, pesticides, pathogens, flooding and drought, energy resources, land use, soil composition, nutrients, livestock, cropping, habitat management and cultural considerations. These important issues form the framework of the book, with each issue discussed in the context of its history, and asking the questions 'why is it an issue', 'what is the current scientific understanding regarding it' and 'how has policy shaped it'. The book takes an integrated approach by not just examining these issues separately, but examining the whole system in which these problems are manifested. At the end, technologies and solutions which are currently being developed and could be used in the future are discussed and the horizon scanned for future environmental challenges. Agri-environmental Management in Europe is an authoritative source for both undergraduate and post-graduate studies that consider the agri-environmental challenges society faces.

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Page Count

534

Publisher

5m Books Ltd

Published Date

ISBN 10

1912178451

ISBN 13

9781912178452

Behind the Ballot Box

A Citizen's Guide to Voting Systems

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Behind the Ballot Box

A Citizen's Guide to Voting Systems

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

246

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313002452

ISBN 13

9780313002458

Real Choices/new Voices

How Proportional Representation Elections Could Revitalize American Democracy

By: Douglas J. Amy

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Real Choices/new Voices

How Proportional Representation Elections Could Revitalize American Democracy

By: Douglas J. Amy

There is a growing realization that many of the problems afflicting American elections can be traced to the electoral system itself, in particular to our winner-take-all approach to electing officials. Douglas Amy demonstrates that switching to proportional representation elections-the voting system used in most other Western democracies, by which officials are elected in large, multimember districts according to the proportion of the vote won by their parties-would enliven democratic political debate, increase voter choice and voter turnout, ensure fair representation for third parties and minorities, eliminate wasted votes and "spoliers," and ultimately produce policies that better reflect the public will. Looking beyond new voting machines and other quick fixes for our electoral predicament, this new edition of Real Choices/New Voices offers a timely and imaginative way out of the frustrations of our current system of choosing leaders.

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Age

Page Count

356

Publisher

Columbia University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0231125488

ISBN 13

9780231125482

Book's by Douglas J. Amy

Government Is Good

Government Is Good

Real Choices / New Voices

Real Choices / New Voices

Behind the Ballot Box

Behind the Ballot Box

Agri-environmental Management in Europe: Sustainable Challenges and Solutions – From Policy Interventions to Practical Farm Management

Agri-environmental Management in Europe: Sustainable Challenges and Solutions – From Policy Interventions to Practical Farm Management

Behind the Ballot Box

Behind the Ballot Box

Real Choices/new Voices

Real Choices/new Voices

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