Book Description

Provocative and well written, this book invites the reader to reflect on the challenges to American democracy. First published in 1989, this all new fifth edition is published to address current concerns, not least the issues raised by the Enron collapse and the privileged position of business, the Supreme Court's involvement in the election of George Bush, and what a new national security system means post-September 11th. Hudson's exploration considers eight major challenges to American democracy: the separation of power, radical individualism, citizen participation, trivialized elections, the influence of business, inequality, and the national security system. Emphasis is applied to such critically topical political issues as the potential power of unelected judges and the Supreme Court in particular to mold public policy, and how the expansion of the global market has come to dominate American foreign policy and defense concerns.