“Chapman Rackaway has given us an important entry in a revitalized civic education literature. This book is a primer in civic failure, where voter apathy, ignorance, and the mismatch of citizen policy expectations with the mechanics of democracy have led to a mass abandonment of civic duty and the decline of citizenship as an ideal in the mass public. Serious students of civic education will appreciate the theoretical advancements and novel data and analysis, while policy makers at all levels of government would do well to take to heart the lessons on civic decline and the solutions proposed in Civic Failure. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the state of civics and the capacity for real change in American politics today.” -- Donald M. Gooch, Stephen F. Austin State University
“The Unorthodox Presidency of Donald J. Trump is an unusually comprehensive assessment of this most unusual of presidents. This collection of perspectives covers a wide variety of subjects including Trump’s popular appeals and mass politics, his relations with American political and governing institutions, and the character of his public policy. These subject-matter chapters are set off by an excellent introduction and conclusion from the editors. The book is a valuable effort to make sense of this unusual presidency and the extent to which it may leave an indelible mark on the American polity and American political culture. The chapters within provide systematic evidence and clarity of analysis that both reinforce and dispel impressionistic assumptions regarding the Trump presidency. All in all, Rutledge and Rackaway’s book provides a terrific early take on the Trump presidency and is very much worth the attention of presidency scholars and of anyone trying to make sense of the Trump phenomenon.”—Bert A. Rockman, Purdue University
"It is impossible to do justice to all the insights, arguments, and analysis in this volume’s chapters in such a sort review. . . . but this volume offers a fascinating initial assessment of the Trump presidency."—Perspectives on Politics
“The editors and contributors have done an outstanding job at cutting through the polemics and making sense of the Trump presidency. For a serious and level-headed analysis of the Trump era and how it fits into the larger framework of modern presidential studies, this volume is highly recommended.”—Mark J. Rozell, George Mason University
“This is an edited volume worth having if one is looking to understand not only Donald Trump’s presidency but also his expansive impact and potential legacy on the American national political system.”—Lara M. Brown, George Washington University
"As Rackaway and Romance outline, mistrust of parties runs throughout American political history. Yet, they advance provocative arguments that weakening parties might have weakened democracy and that democracy's problems are not always solved by more democracy. They argue that the Progressives' push for direct primaries was built around a faulty premise about citizen participation. Further, by focusing on the ills of parties, Progressives missed seeing their valuable role as linkage institutions that make it easier for citizens to participate." - Laurie L. Rice, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
“This is an impressive book that threads the technology of disruption through a comprehensive assessment of historical and recent changes in media communications. In Communicating Politics Online, Chapman Rackaway raises timely questions about what these changes mean for American politics and democracy, including news coverage, political polarization, voting behavior, and the tribal mentality of the digital world.” ―Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, University of North Texas