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The Spirit of Compromise
http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Spirit-of-Compromise-Amy-Gutmann-Dennis-Thompson/9780691153919
Why Governing Demands it and Campaigning Undermines it
By
Amy Gutmann, Dennis Thompson
RRP $37.99 $17.55 Save $20.44 (54%)
Free shipping Australia wide Ships from UK supplier | Rating: | | | Format: | Hardback, 256 pages | | Published In: | United States, 02 April 2012 |
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", eminent political thinkers Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson 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. Gutmann and Thompson explore the dynamics of these mindsets by comparing the historic compromises on tax reform under President Reagan in 1986 and health care reform under President Obama in 2010. Both compromises were difficult to deliver but only tax reform was bipartisan. Drawing lessons from these and other important compromises - and failures to compromise - in American politics, Gutmann and Thompson propose changes in our political institutions, processes, and mindsets that would encourage a better balance between campaigning and governing. Calling for greater cooperation in contemporary politics, "The Spirit of Compromise" will interest all who care about whether their government leaders can work together. |
About the AuthorAmy 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." Table of ContentsIntroduction 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 ReviewsProvide[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
| Publisher: | Princeton University Press | | ISBN: | 0691153914 |
| EAN: | 9780691153919 | | Dimensions: | 21.0 x 14.0 x 2.0 centimeters (0.48 kg) |
| Age Range: |
15+ years |
|
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