About this product: Ward Churchill exposes the Criminal Justice System's role as an agent of social control. This lecture, recorded at the Doing Time Conference at the University of Winnepeg, September 2000, focuses on the prison system's compliance with the FBI in subverting and neutralizing movements for social change. Churchill also attacks the Prison Industrial Complex, the mushrooming rate of incarceration in the U.S., and debunks the media's whitewash of prison injustice.
About this product: A timely tour de force on the range of current American challenges that outlines answers for us all. In the tradition of Machiavell, the economic crisis and new government programs are explained in clear terms. For each challenge, a creative solution is explored and consequences are outlined. Topics addressed include: The Economic Crisis, Government borrowing, Delayed generation to generation doubling of prosperity, Spending eases pain now, retards growth later, Spending myths, Bailout formula, Private bad bank, Too big to fail, Housing plans, Housing interest deduction, Optimal tax policy, Policeman of the world questions, Empowering shareholders for bonus control, Financial regulation, Global warming, Legal reform, Energy policy, Education, Social Security transition, Health care efficiency, Immigration solutions, and the War on drugs. A font of new ideas for a prosperous USA. A must read for concerned Americans looking for straightforward understanding of the complex themes that are being thrust into the American landscape.
About this product: Kelcey was trying to help her sister Kylie explain what the government was all about and likened it to a game of basketball. She explained that the U.S. Constitution was "the highest law in the land" and then talked about its three main branches. The executive, legislative branch, and the judicial branches all had specific jobs to do. The executive branch was "the coach," the legislative branch (Congress) was like the team and the judicial branch was "like the referees."
Kelcey explained to her sister they all had to work together and, of course, they have to in order for our government to function properly.
In this book you will learn about the role of the president in the executive branch of government. He "oversees the major offices of the U.S. government" and is "commander-in-chief of the armed forces." You'll also learn about how he can make treaties, his ability to veto bills passed by congress and how is he "a symbol of the nation." You learn about the vice president, the cabinet and federal agencies such as the Secret Service. You'll read about the legislative branch, the role of Congress, its membership, its powers, its responsibilities, how bills become law and you'll learn about the judicial branch and our Supreme Court. Finally you'll learn about the similar set up of our state governments.
This book has a casual introduction by two sisters, one of whom likens government to the game of basketball, but it quickly reverts to "the facts." The analogy is a good one and may help some students put the role of the parts of government in perspective. The book is clear, concise and accomplishes its goal of explaining the parts of government. This can easily be used as a stepping stone to a school report. There are numerous photographs and informative sidebars scattered throughout the book. In the back there is an index, a glossary and additional recommended book and web site resources. Anyone for a game of basketball . . . er, government?
About this product: Ghana's 2004 elections were another milestone in the country's transition to a mature democracy. The essays in this volume cover about 50 constituencies studied during the 2004 elections. They assess on the bases of evidence from each set of constituencies the quality of democratic governance, focusing on key issues such as political participation, the dynamics of political choice, the electoral system as well as the challenges and prospects of democracy. Some of the major conclusions are that few Ghanaians are registered party members though they take active part in other political activities, electoral politics may be captured by a few wealthy individuals and groups if the issue of party financing is not addressed dispassionately and promptly; local/community factor and concerns are the greatest influence on voters choices; factors such as ethnicity do not have a decisive influence on voting behavior even where they appear visibly powerful in electoral politics. Above all Ghanaians appreciate the value of competitive elections.
About this product: Ghana's 2004 elections were another milestone in the country's transition to a mature democracy. The essays in this volume assess various aspects of this transition. The various themes focus on problem areas that impinge directly or indirectly on the performance of the country's democratic institutions and governance. The issues they address include, conflict and reconciliation in the light of years of human rights abuses; leadership styles and the degree to which leadership since 1993 has handled various critical problems confronting a new democracy like Ghana, ethnicity and whether or not it is a salient factor in the country's political life, electoral choices and whether Ghanaians vote o n the basis of issues, ethnicity or something else; and the degree of institutional development especially of critical democratic institutions. The essays are unanimous in underscoring the tremendous progress Ghana has made in building a democratic society despite the several unresolved problems.
About this product: In Australia 95% of the people cast their votes in elections. In 2000 only half of Americans even bothered going to the polls. It's not that Australians are more enthusiastic about electing their officials, but rather they are required by law to do so. Voting is a privilege that we have and should use. Every four years we elect a president and this book is a very useful tool in understanding the process in which we elect our leaders. We have two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, but there are several other minor parties as well.
There are many people who would like to be president, but political parties need to know who to support so early on there are primary elections that "begin very early in an election year." Some states have elected to hold caucuses to throw their support behind a candidate. In this book you'll learn about conventions, how candidates campaign, term limits, the popular vote, when the elections are held, the electoral college, inauguration day, "inauguration firsts," the close election of 2000, requirements needed to become an elected official, how stated officials are elected and the importance of voting.
I liked the set up of this book very much. The book was packed with information and had a nice flow to it. The numerous sidebar materials had a lot of very interesting facts. They were placed at appropriate intervals and don't drive the reader crazy trying to go back and forth trying to read them and follow the text at the same time. In the back of the book is a glossary (words used in the text were highlighted in bold) an excellent index and additional recommended book and web site resources. Did you know that "women in Wyoming got the right to vote in 1869?" This is one of many interesting facts you'll find in this book!
About this product: The Concept of government can be hard to understand for adults, let alone kids. These beautifully photographed books are a wonderul resource for young readers, clearly explaining the basic offices and roles of officials and how they influence our world.
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