Countermobilization: Policy Feedback and Backlash in a Polarized Age (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

An essential look at how and why backlash movements are inherent to US policymaking. The most successful policies not only solve problems. They also build supportive coalitions. Yet, sometimes, policies trigger backlash and mobilize opposition. Although backlash is not a new phenomenon,&nbsp;today's political landscape is distinguished by the frequency and pervasiveness of backlash in nearly every area of US policymaking, from abortion rights to the Affordable Care Act. Eric M. Patashnik develops a policy-centered theory of backlash that illuminates how policies stimulate backlashes by imposing losses, overreaching, or challenging existing arrangements to which people are strongly attached. Drawing on case studies of issues from immigration and trade to healthcare and gun control, Countermobilization shows that backlash politics is fueled by polarization, cultural shifts, and negative feedback from the activist government itself. It also offers crucial insights to help identify and navigate backlash risks.

Politics & Social Sciences

Patashnik, Eric M.

Politics & Government

University of Chicago Press

Putting Trust in the US Budget: Federal Trust Funds and the Politics of Commitment (Theories of Institutional Design)

In the United States many important programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, are paid from trust funds. At a time when major social insurance funds are facing insolvency, this timely book provides the first comprehensive study of this significant yet little-studied feature of the American welfare state. Trust funds are at the heart of US budgeting and public social provision, and also raise a fundamental question of democratic politics: can current officeholders bind their successors? Through detailed case studies Patashnik shows how long term government commitments are effectively designed.

Business & Money

Economics

Cambridge University Press

How partisanship, polarization, and medical authority stand in the way of evidence-based medicine
The U.S. medical system is touted as the most advanced in the world, yet many common treatments are not based on sound science. Treatments can go into widespread use before they are rigorously evaluated, and every year patients are harmed because they receive too many procedures―and too few treatments that really work. Unhealthy Politics sheds new light on why the government’s response to this troubling situation has been so inadequate, and why efforts to improve the evidence base of U.S. medicine continue to cause so much political controversy and public trepidation.
This critically important book draws on public opinion surveys, physician surveys, case studies, and political science models to explain how political incentives, polarization, and the misuse of professional authority have undermined efforts to tackle the medical evidence problem and curb wasteful spending. It paints a portrait of a medical industry with vast influence over which procedures and treatments get adopted, and a public burdened by the rising costs of health care yet fearful of going against “doctor’s orders.” The book shows how the government’s efforts to promote evidence-based medicine have become mired in partisan debates. It also proposes sensible solutions that can lead to better, more efficient health care for all of us.
Unhealthy Politics offers vital insights not only into health policy but also into the limits of science, expertise, and professionalism as political foundations for pragmatic problem solving in American democracy.

Unhealthy Politics: The Battle over Evidence-Based Medicine

Medical Books

Dowling, Conor M.

Gerber, Alan S.

Administration & Medicine Economics

Princeton University Press

Review\n"The United States stands out among rich countries in resisting evidence-based medicine―not in theory, perhaps, but in practice. In this informative book, the authors, all political scientists, document this phenomenon and then consider why ordinary people, physicians, and politicians all resist public spending on research that would produce obvious benefits for everyone."―Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs\n"Unhealthy Politics connects the dots in the complex relationships among physicians, medical societies, the public, and politicians."―Romana Hasnain-Wynia, Health Affairs\n"A remarkable example of the contribution that political science has to make to discussions of policy problems that have chiefly concerned other fields. . . . Patashnik, Gerber, and Dowling bring to bear not only a wealth of original survey evidence . . . but also a wealth of theoretical insights from the policy process and legislative politics literatures."―Jake Haselswerdt, Journal of Politics\nHow partisanship, polarization, and medical authority stand in the way of evidence-based medicine\nThe U.S. medical system is touted as the most advanced in the world, yet many common treatments are not based on sound science. Unhealthy Politics sheds new light on why the government's response to this troubling situation has been so inadequate, and why efforts to improve the evidence base of U.S. medicine continue to cause so much political controversy. This critically important book paints a portrait of a medical industry with vast influence over which procedures and treatments get adopted, and a public burdened by the rising costs of health care yet fearful of going against "doctor's orders." Now with a new preface by the authors, Unhealthy Politics offers vital insights into the limits of science, expertise, and professionalism in American politics.

Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance

Product Description Democracy is in crisis. Washington is failing. Government is broken. On these counts many politicians, policy experts, and citizens agree. What is less clear is why—and what to do about it. These questions are at the heart of Dynamics of American Democracy, which goes beneath the surface of current events to explore the forces reshaping democratic politics in the United States and around the world.Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners of politics and governance, this volume charts a twenty-first-century landscape beset by ideological polarization and political tribalism; rapid demographic, economic, and technological change; the influence of online news and social media; and the increasing importance of public attitudes about gender and race. Against this fraught background the authors consider the performance of the two-party system, the operations of Congress and the presidency, and the ways in which ordinary citizens form their beliefs and make their voting decisions. The contributors’ work represents a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches and provides insight into what ails American governance, from the practice of politics as tribal warfare to the electoral rules that produce a two-party hegemony, and from the impact of social media—including how differently conservatives and liberals use Twitter—to the significance of President Trump in historical and institutional perspective.Finally, Dynamics of American Democracy goes beyond diagnosis to present and evaluate the value and viability of proposals for reforming politics. Review "Patashnik and Schiller assemble an all-star cast to cover the landscape of current challenges in American politics. With topics ranging from tribal politics in the age of Trump to states taking a greater role in governance to citizens self-sorting on social media, this volume offers valuable insights and potential paths forward for American democracy."--Craig Volden, codirector of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia, and coeditor of Leadership in American Politics"Dynamics of American Democracy provides a compelling account of the major challenges plaguing contemporary American politics. The superb team of authors provides a wealth of insights into the sources of our polarized politics and its impact on the quality of governance and on the state of American democracy more generally."—Eric Schickler, Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Endowed Chair, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Racial Realignment: The Transformation of American Liberalism, 1932–1965 About the Author Eric M. Patashnik is Julis-Rabinowitz professor of public policy and political science and director of the MPA Program, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University.Wendy J. Schiller is professor of political science and international and public affairs and chair of the Department of Political Science at Brown University.

History

Schiller, Wendy J.

Americas

University Press of Kansas

Democracy is in crisis. Washington is failing. Government is broken. On these counts many politicians, policy experts, and citizens agree. What is less clear is why--and what to do about it. These questions are at the heart of Dynamics of American Democracy, which goes beneath the surface of current events to explore the forces reshaping democratic politics in the United States and around the world. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners of politics and governance, this volume charts a twenty-first-century landscape beset by ideological polarization and political tribalism; rapid demographic, economic, and technological change; the influence of online news and social media; and the increasing importance of public attitudes about gender and race. Against this fraught background the authors consider the performance of the two-party system, the operations of Congress and the presidency, and the ways in which ordinary citizens form their beliefs and make their voting decisions. The contributors' work represents a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches and provides insight into what ails American governance, from the practice of politics as tribal warfare to the electoral rules that produce a two-party hegemony, and from the impact of social media--including how differently conservatives and liberals use Twitter--to the significance of President Trump in historical and institutional perspective. Finally, Dynamics of American Democracy goes beyond diagnosis to present and evaluate the value and viability of proposals for reforming politics.

Promoting the General Welfare: New Perspectives on Government Performance

The U.S. Constitution calls on the government to "promote the general welfare." In this provocative and innovative book, a distinguished roster of political scientists and economists evaluates its ability to carry out this task. The first section of the book analyzes government performance in the areas of health, transportation, housing, and education, suggesting why suboptimal policies often prevail. The second set of chapters examines two novel and sometimes controversial tools that can be used to improve policy design: information markets and laboratory experiments. Finally, the third part of the book asks how three key institutions—Congress, the party system, and federalism—affect government's ability to solve important social problems. These chapters also raise the disturbing possibility that recent political developments have contributed to a decline in governmental problem-solving activity. Taken together, the essays in this volume suggest that opportunities to promote the common good are frequently missed in modern American government. But the book also carries a more hopeful message. By identifying possible solutions to the problems created by weak incentives, poor information, and inadequate institutional capacity, Promoting the General Welfare shows how government performance can be improved. Contributors include Eugene Bardach (University of California-Berkeley), Sarah Binder (Brookings Institution and George Washington University), Morris P. Fiorina (Stanford University), Jay P. Greene (University of Arkansas), Robin Hanson (George Mason University), Charles A. Holt (University of Virginia), David R. Mayhew (Yale University), Edgar O. Olsen (University of Virginia), Mark Carl Rom (Georgetown University), Roberta Romano (Yale Law School), William M. Shobe (University of Virginia), Angela M. Smith (University of Virginia), Aidan R. Vining (Simon Fraser University), David L. Weimer (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and Clifford Winston (Brookings Institution).

Social Sciences

Brookings Institution Press

Drawing on more than 40 years of experience with policy analysis, best-selling authors Eugene Bardach and Eric M. Patashnik offer practical tips and real-world examples to equip effective, accurate, and persuasive policy analysts. The Seventh Edition of A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis includes new case studies, expanded discussion, new guidance for policy analysis in a polarized age, and step-by-step strategies for the budding analyst as well as the seasoned professional.

A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving

Bardach, Eugene S.

CQ Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Patashnik, Eric M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Patashnik, Eric M.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Patashnik, Eric M.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Countermobilization: Policy Feedback and Backlash in a Polarized Age (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Countermobilization: Policy Feedback and Backlash in a Polarized Age (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Putting Trust in the US Budget: Federal Trust Funds and the Politics of Commitment (Theories of Institutional Design)

Putting Trust in the US Budget: Federal Trust Funds and the Politics of Commitment (Theories of Institutional Design)

Unhealthy Politics: The Battle over Evidence-Based Medicine

Unhealthy Politics: The Battle over Evidence-Based Medicine

Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance

Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance

Promoting the General Welfare: New Perspectives on Government Performance

A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving