The Spirit of Compromise - Gutmann, Amy; Thompson, Dennis

Amy Gutmann Dennis Thompson 

The Spirit of Compromise

Why Governing Demands it and Campaigning Undermines it

Gebundenes Buch
 
Sprache: Englisch
versandkostenfrei
innerhalb Deutschlands
20 ebmiles sammeln
EUR 19,95
Jetzt bestellen
Sofort lieferbar
Alle Preise inkl. MwSt.
Bewerten Empfehlen Merken Auf Lieblingsliste


Andere Kunden interessierten sich auch für

The Spirit of Compromise

If politics is the art of the possible, then compromise is the artistry of democracy. Unless one partisan ideology holds sway over all branches of government, compromise is necessary to govern for the benefit of all citizens. A rejection of compromise biases politics in favor of the status quo, even when the rejection risks crisis. Why then is compromise so difficult in American politics today? In The Spirit of Compromise, the authors connect the rejection of compromise to the domination of campaigning over governing--the permanent campaign---in American democracy today. They show that campaigning for political office calls for a mindset that blocks compromise--standing tenaciously on principle to mobilize voters and mistrusting opponents in order to defeat them. Good government calls for an opposite cluster of attitudes and arguments--the compromising mindset--that inclines politicians to adjust their principles and to respect their opponents. It is a mindset that helps politicians appreciate and take advantage of opportunities for desirable compromise. Calling for greater cooperation in contemporary politics, The Spirit of Compromise will interest all who care about whether their government leaders can work together.

Produktinformation
  • Gewicht: 501g
  • ISBN-13: 9780691153919
  • ISBN-10: 0691153914
  • Best.Nr.: 34742967
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - RezensionBesprechung von 18.06.2012
Unter Wahlkämpfern

Die Radikalität politischer Diskurse in den Vereinigten Staaten verdirbt nicht nur das politische Klima, sondern hält amerikanische Politiker auch zunehmend davon ab, effektiv zu regieren. Kurz bevor der Präsidentschaftswahlkampf in die heiße Phase eintritt, appellieren deswegen zwei renommierte amerikanische Politikwissenschaftler an die Kompromissfähigkeit der Regierenden. Für Amy Gutmann und Dennis Thompson ist der Kompromiss - eine Einigung, die beiden Seiten Zugeständnisse abverlangt, anstatt nur auf Gemeinsamkeiten zu bauen - die höchste Kunst politischen Handelns. Und gleichzeitig die Voraussetzung dafür, erfolgreich regieren zu können. Amerikanische Politiker seien jedoch immer weniger bereit, Kompromisse einzugehen, weil sie sich nahezu permanent im Wahlkampfmodus befänden. Die Haltung, die einen erfolgreichen Wahlkämpfer ausmache, untergrabe wiederum die Kompromissbereitschaft. Notwendige politische Veränderungen fänden kaum mehr statt: in Ermangelung eines tragfähigen Kompromisses bliebe alles beim Alten. Gutmann und Thompson analysieren hier nur oberflächlich und wenig konkret, wo die Ursachen für diese Entwicklungen …

Weiter lesen
Provide[s] grist for thinking through the difficulties of compromise in [domestic policy], from tragic choices at desperate moments of history to the routine nastiness in American public life today... Until recently, who would have thought it necessary to offer Americans advice in the ways of compromise? We used to enjoy a reputation for being a practical-minded people, our politicians being regarded as an all-too-flexible species. But something has changed, and according to Gutmann and Thompson, the change has to do with the relation of campaigning and governing... Gutmann and Thompson end their book with recommendations to strengthen the spirit and practice of compromise. -- Paul Starr The New Republic Gutmann and Thompson articulately identify the conundrum that has made compromise unlikely, if not impossible, in Washington. -- Alexander Heffner Philadelphia Inquirer Scholars will appreciate the authors' lucid analysis of the dynamics of political compromise. Library Journal 'Compromise is difficult, but governing a democracy without compromise is impossible.' So begins this excellent, much needed corrective to the contemporary political scene, which eschews compromise in politics in favor of war analogies... This excellent book should be required reading for every member of Congress, and deserves a wide readership among the voting public. Choice
Amy Gutmann is president of the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Dennis Thompson is the Alfred North Whitehead Professor of Political Philosophy at Harvard University. Gutmann and Thompson are coauthors of "Why Deliberative Democracy?" (Princeton) and "Democracy and Disagreement."

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction
Two Compromises 5
Characteristics of Compromise 10
Mindsets of Compromise 16
Chapter 1: Valuing Compromise
Costs of Not Compromising 30
Vulnerabilities of Compromise 35
Limits of Compromise 41
Limits of History 54
Chapter 2: Resisting Compromise
The Makeup of Mindsets 64
Principled Tenacity 69
Mutual Mistrust 85
Uncompromising Multiplied 91
Chapter 3: Seeking Compromise
Principled Prudence 101
Mutual Respect 109
Economizing on Disagreement 117
A Moment of Compromise 133
Compromising in an Uncompromising Time 140
Chapter 4: Campaigning v. Governing
Requisites of Campaigning 146
Two Conceptions of Democracy 152
Campaigns without End 160
Chapter 5: Governing with Campaigning
Space for Governing 168
Term Time 177
Time Is Money 180
Primary Pressures 184
More Participation? 186
Minding the Media 189
Strengthening Civic Education 199
Conclusion
The Uses of Mindsets 205
Doubts about Compromise 210
The Dilemma of Reform 214
The Support of Citizens 216
Notes 219
Acknowledgments 255
Index 257