Social Cleavages and Political Change
Voter Alignments and U.S. Party Coalitions
Jeff Manza author Clem Brooks author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:23rd Sep '99
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
What social groups support which political party, and how that support has changed over time, are central questions in the sociology of political behaviour. This study provides the first systematic book-length reassessment and restatement of the sociological approach to American politics in more than 20 years. It challenges widespread arguments that the importance of social cleavages have declined precipitously in recent years in the face of post-industrial social and economic changes. The book reconceptualizes the concept of social cleavages and focus on four major cleavages in American society: class, religion, gender, and race, arguing a that a number of important changes in the alignments of the groups making up these four cleavages have occurred. The book examines the implications of these changes for the Democratic and Republican Parties. The findings of the book are examined in light of the central dilemmas facing the two major parties in the contemporary political environment.
This is a wonderful book that no one interested in U.S. voting behaviour and presidential elections should ignore. * Contemporary Sociology *
The goal of Manza and Brooks in this impressive book, is to make the case for the sociological approach and to rescue it from its detractors. They do not wish to claim more for it than can be justified, but they argue for its continued usefulness and do so with a degree of thoroughness, intelligence, and imagination that should make this book a classic statement and defense of the approach ... Their discussion is sharp and illuminating. * Contemporary Sociology *
This book is an absolute must for any student of voting behavior or party coalitions as it is a major contribution to our understanding of social cleavages in American politics. Indeed, it presents the likely fatal blow to recent critics of the sociological approach to studying politics. * Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Ohio State University. *
The authors have produced an intelligent and thoughtful study that falls in the mainstream of empirical poitical sociolology. Social Cleavages and Poitical Change is in the 'must read' category of books for any specialist on American politics and also for students of electoral behaviour. * Alan Ware *
ISBN: 9780198294924
Dimensions: 242mm x 162mm x 24mm
Weight: 663g
354 pages