Michael L. Mezey's Books

Representative Democracy

Legislators and their Constituents

By: Michael L. Mezey

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Representative Democracy

Legislators and their Constituents

By: Michael L. Mezey

Although we tend to use the terms 'representative democracy' and 'democracy' as synonyms, Michael Mezey maintains that they are not. Democracy means that the people govern; representative democracy means that the people elect others to govern for them. This raises the question of the extent to which representative government approximates democracy-a question that turns on the relationship between representatives and those whom they represent. Mezey reviews the literature on the meaning of representation and its relationship to issues of citizen control. In the empirical sections that follow, he draws on data from the United States Congress and from legislatures outside the United States to discuss the extent to which the composition of a legislature reflects the demography of its nation. The author also examines a legislature's various political and economic interests and the extent to which representatives are responsive to specific requests for assistance from their constituents and to constituent opinions on public policy questions. He further looks at the effect that interest groups, political parties, and election systems have on the relationship between representatives and their constituents. Finally, Mezey addresses the criticisms that have been leveled against representative institutions: that they are slow to act, inefficient and uninformed when they do act, that they are too inclined to do what is popular rather than what is necessary and, conversely, that their members are too removed from the opinions of their constituents and therefore unfaithful to their democratic obligation to respond to the wishes of those whom they represent. Rich in thoughtful analysis, Representative Democracy incorporates normative, empirical and comparative perspectives on representation. It is perfectly suited for use in an upper-level course on the legislative process or Congress.

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Page Count

253

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

0742564827

ISBN 13

9780742564824

Congress, The President, And Public Policy

By: Michael L Mezey

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Congress, The President, And Public Policy

By: Michael L Mezey

This book looks at the relationship between Congress and the president and how this interaction shapes public policy. The relationship between the president and the Congress has been under discussion as long as the U.S. Constitution has existed. It has been a discussion in which presidents, congressional leaders, Supreme Court justices, scholars f

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Page Count

247

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429718284

ISBN 13

9780429718281

From Memory to Written Record

England 1066 - 1307

By: Michael T. Clanchy

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From Memory to Written Record

England 1066 - 1307

By: Michael T. Clanchy

This seminal work of scholarship, which traces the development of literacy in medieval England, is now fully updated in a third edition. This book serves as an introduction to medieval books and documents for graduate students throughout the world Features a completely re-written first chapter, ‘Memories and Myths of the Norman Conquest', and a new postscript by the author reflecting on the reception to the original publication and discussing recent scholarship on medieval literacy Includes a revised guide to further reading and a revision of the plates which illustrate medieval manuscripts in detail

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Page Count

493

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Published Date

ISBN 10

1118295986

ISBN 13

9781118295984

Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy

Political Economy and Public Policy

By: Melody Hessing,Michael Howlett

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Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy

Political Economy and Public Policy

By: Melody Hessing,Michael Howlett

This book examines policy-making in one of the most significant areasof activity in the Canadian economy -- natural resources and theenvironment. It discusses the evolution of resource policies from theearly era of exploitation to the present era of resource andenvironmental management. Using an integrated political economy andpolicy perspective, the book provides an analytic framework from whichthe foundation of ideological perspectives, administrative structures,and substantive issues are explored. The integration of social scienceperspectives and the combination of theoretical and empirical work makethis innovative book one of the most comprehensive analyses of Canadiannatural resource and environmental policy to date.

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Page Count

366

Publisher

UBC Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0774806141

ISBN 13

9780774806145

(S)electing the President

The Perils of Democracy

By: Michael L. Mezey

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(S)electing the President

The Perils of Democracy

By: Michael L. Mezey

Selecting political leaders by popular election is an unquestioned hallmark of representative democracies—the institutional manifestation of Lincoln’s promise of a government of the people and by the people. But in 2016, Lincoln’s promise seems to have given way to Hamilton’s nightmare—with his worries that popular elections would produce demagogues who paid an "obsequious court to the people," appealing to their passions and prejudices rather than to their reason. This book examines the commitment to the widest level of participation among the largest number of citizens in the selection of the president. It looks at two salient characteristics of our current presidential election environment that bring the wisdom of this commitment into question: the declining influence of political parties and the communication revolution in the form of the internet, social media, and cable television. Ultimately, Mezey asks whether our now fully democratized presidential selection process has in fact diminished the quality of our presidential candidates and the campaigns they run, whether the turn to demagoguery that the founders feared has materialized, what the consequences of our presidential selection process have been for American government, and whether or not it would be valuable to rethink our wholehearted commitment to popular election of the president. His answers do not topple our commitment to popular elections but rather point the way toward improving the quality of both participation and democracy.

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Page Count

268

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1315450836

ISBN 13

9781315450834

Comparative Politics

A Global Introduction

By: Michael J. Sodaro

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Comparative Politics

A Global Introduction

By: Michael J. Sodaro

This is a uniquely comprehensive introduction to the study of politics in a variety of countries. Part I surveys the core topics of comparative politics and equips students with the concepts and analytical methods needed to understand the complexities of today's political world, explaining in a step-by-step fashion how the basic techniques of the scientific method, such as qualitative hypothesis testing, can be used to understand political realities. Part II provides in-depth studies of a number of major countries, using the concepts and analytical techniques introduced in Part I. By combining rich conceptualization, analytical methods, and extensive coverage of a diversity of countries, this engaging text teaches students how to think for themselves about politics, logically and systematically.

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Page Count

772

Published Date

ISBN 10

0072867981

ISBN 13

9780072867985

Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman,Eric Plutzer

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Ten Thousand Democracies

Politics and Public Opinion in America's School Districts

By: Michael B. Berkman,Eric Plutzer

This book provides the most extensive examination of democratic control of American public schools. Beginning with a look at educational reforms from the Progressive era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the civil rights movement and ending with Pennsylvania's 2004 tax relief measure, Berkman and Plutzer explore what factors determine education spending levels in school districts, including the effects of public opinion, the nature of local political institutions, and the roles played by special interests. The authors show how board members are selected, how well the boards represent minorities, whether the public can bypass the board through referenda, and how the schools are financed. By providing an innovative statistical portrait of the nations' 10,000 school districts, they answer questions central to democtratic control of our schools: how responsive are school boards to their public and when? How powerful are such special interests such as teachers' unions and senior citizens? Among their findings are the correlation of race, age, and home owner status with support for increased funding, that African Americans are more supportive than other races of educational spending, and that senior citizens with longstanding ties to their communities support school budgets. Their statistical method combining public opinion data with Census data is important and innovative, but the hard-core statistics are presented in appendices to make the text accessible to a wider audience.

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Page Count

236

Publisher

Georgetown University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1589010760

ISBN 13

9781589010765

Representative Democracy

Legislators and their Constituents

By: Michael L. Mezey

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Representative Democracy

Legislators and their Constituents

By: Michael L. Mezey

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Page Count

253

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

0742564827

ISBN 13

9780742564824

(S)electing the President

The Perils of Democracy

By: Michael L. Mezey

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(S)electing the President

The Perils of Democracy

By: Michael L. Mezey

Looking at two salient characteristics of our current environment -- the declining influence of political parties; the communication revolution via the internet, social media, and cable television; and the impact of money -- this book asks whether our now-fully democratized presidential selection process has diminished the quality of our presidential candidates and the campaigns they run, whether the turn to demagoguery that the Founders feared has materialized, what the consequences of our presidential selection process have been for American government, and whether it would be valuable to rethink our wholehearted commitment to popular election of the President.

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Page Count

192

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1315450844

ISBN 13

9781315450841

Presidentialism

Power in Comparative Perspective

By: Michael L. Mezey

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Presidentialism

Power in Comparative Perspective

By: Michael L. Mezey

In countries as diverse as Brazil, Ecuador, France, Russia, South Africa, and the United States, presidents have come to dominate the politics and political cultures of their nations. Michael Mezey offers a comprehensive cross-national study of the presidency, tracing the historical and intellectual roots of executive power and exploring in detail the contemporary forces that have driven a turn toward ¿presidentialism.¿

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Page Count

260

Publisher

Lynne Rienner Pub

Published Date

ISBN 10

1588268926

ISBN 13

9781588268921

Book's by Michael L. Mezey

Representative Democracy

Representative Democracy

Congress, The President, And Public Policy

Congress, The President, And Public Policy

From Memory to Written Record

From Memory to Written Record

Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy

Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy

(S)electing the President

(S)electing the President

Comparative Politics

Comparative Politics

Ten Thousand Democracies

Ten Thousand Democracies

Representative Democracy

Representative Democracy

(S)electing the President

(S)electing the President

Presidentialism

Presidentialism

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