Today's Social Issues: Democrats and Republicans

by Timothy W. Kneeland

Overview

Covering everything from abortion to gun control to immigration, this book explains policies and positions of today's Democratic and Republican parties, giving readers a complete understanding of modern-day American politics and the 2016 presidential race.

This book cuts through rhetorical platitudes and partisan distortions to provide a balanced and up-to-date resource for understanding policy debates on social issues in statehouses around the country as well as in Washington, DC. It provides broad coverage of the parties and the forces that affect each party's positions, examining every major social policy and taking into account historical differences between Democrats and Republicans in an evenhanded manner, with emphasis on the key ideologies that set the two parties apart during the 2008–2014 midterms.

Author Timothy Kneeland presents an in-depth study of the diversity of political opinion on today's most pressing social issues, digging deeper than the typical black-or-white presentation of these debates in the media. Readers will gain a detailed understanding of how the parties agree, disagree, and find compromise on the broad range of problems and issues facing American society in the 21st century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610698351
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	07/01/2016
Series:	Across the Aisle
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Timothy W. Kneeland, PhD, is professor of history and political science at Nazareth College, Rochester, NY.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Abortion 1

Affirmative Action 11

Animal Rights/Animal Welfare 21

Birth Control 31

Bullying 41

Climate Change 51

Death Penalty 63

Disability Rights 73

Education 81

Entitlement Programs 91

Environmental Protection 101

Equal Pay for Women 111

Eamily Policy 121

Gay Marriage 129

Gun Control 139

Health Care 149

HIV/AIDS 159

Illegal Drugs 169

Immigration 179

LGBT Rights 189

Marijuana Legalization 199

Mental Health Policy 209

Minimum Wage 217

Net Neutrality 225

Obesity and Public Health 235

Policing 245

Poverty and Income Inequality 255

Prisons and Sentencing 265

Privacy Rights 275

Racial Profiling 283

Religious Freedom 291

Reparations 301

Right to Die 309

Sex Education 319

Unemployment Insurance 329

Unions 335

Voting Rights 345

Glossary 355

Bibliography 365

Index 373

Editorial Reviews

The consistent format is easy to follow, and the essays provide succinct, clear descriptions of comparative positions of each party and, in some cases, policy divisions. A useful baseline resource for identifying social policy topics currently dividing the national political landscape. Summing Up: Recommended. High school, community college, and beginning undergraduate students.” —Choice

“Top Community College Resource, January 2017” —Choice

From the Publisher