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Relic: How Our Constitution Undermines Effective Government--And Why We Need...

by Howell, William G.; Moe, Terry M. | HC | VeryGood
US $6.69
Condition:
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Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ... Read moreabout condition
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Item specifics

Condition
Very Good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller Notes
“Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ...
Binding
Hardcover
Weight
0 lbs
Product Group
Book
IsTextBook
No
ISBN
9780465042692
Book Title
Relic : How Our Constitution Undermines Effective Government--And Why We Need a More Powerful Presidency
Publisher
Basic Books
Item Length
8.5 in
Publication Year
2016
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Illustrator
Yes
Item Height
0.9 in
Author
William G. Howell, Terry M. Moe
Genre
Political Science
Topic
Constitutions, History & Theory, Commentary & Opinion, American Government / General, Political Process / Political Parties, American Government / National
Item Weight
13.2 Oz
Item Width
5.9 in
Number of Pages
256 Pages
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Basic Books
ISBN-10
0465042694
ISBN-13
9780465042692
eBay Product ID (ePID)
219173737

Product Key Features

Book Title
Relic : How Our Constitution Undermines Effective Government--And Why We Need a More Powerful Presidency
Number of Pages
256 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2016
Topic
Constitutions, History & Theory, Commentary & Opinion, American Government / General, Political Process / Political Parties, American Government / National
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Political Science
Author
William G. Howell, Terry M. Moe
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
0.9 in
Item Weight
13.2 Oz
Item Length
8.5 in
Item Width
5.9 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2015-048073
Reviews
Advance Praise for Relic : "The case for constitutional reform in Relic is the best--certainly the most realistic--in many years... Just getting people to think seriously about constitutional reform would be progress. The cogent analysis in Relic helps to achieve that goal." -- Wall Street Journal "Focused, committed, convincing, and composed in moderate language that will appeal to those all along the political continuum." -- Kirkus Reviews "Howell and Moe make the bold and trenchant argument that the dysfunctions of American government lie squarely in the powers that the Founding Fathers gave Congress, and that the solution is to dramatically shift the balance of power to the executive. This book is sure to trigger an important debate, precisely because its fundamental analysis is so correct." --Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay "Clear-eyed and unapologetic, Howell and Moe insist that our nation's political woes stem not from our polarized political class but from an outdated Constitution. Anyone interested in our nation's political health will profit from exploring their bracing vision of how that Constitution now protects particularistic interests and propagates dysfunction." --Paul Pierson, UC Berkeley, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Winner-Take-All Politics "Howell and Moe deserve immense credit for 'connecting the dots' between our dangerously dysfunctional political system and an outmoded Constitution. One can only admire their willingness to challenge the cult of the Constitution that afflicts our political culture and hope that their book gets the widespread attention that it so richly deserves." --Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Law School, and author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance "Howell and Moe deliver the most concise, devastating account of congressional failure that I have ever read. In calling for a constitutional amendment that would increase the president's power over the legislative process, they have set the terms of debate for years to come." --Eric Posner, University of Chicago "Of all the books seeking to explain the decline of our political institutions, this one--from two of our best presidential scholars--might be the most radical. The problem, William Howell and Terry Moe argue, is that the Constitution fundamentally misdesigned Congress. Their cure for this mistake: a President with far greater control over the legislative process. For a daring argument about the future of American government, here's your book." --Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law "Marshaling an institutional imagination, Relic urgently contends that the Constitution should be revised to confer 'fast-track' powers on presidents to help American democracy successfully address our most pressing problems. Especially for those of us wishing to fortify Congress, this provocative call for a more formidable presidency offers a strongly-argued challenge. Let the debate begin!" --Ira Katznelson, author of Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time "Timely, accessible and provocative, Relic is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and ordinary citizens concerned about whether their government is up to emerging challenges like global terrorism, rising inequality, and climate change." --Eric Patashnik, Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia and author of Reforms at Risk, "The case for constitutional reform in Relic is the best--certainly the most realistic--in many years.... Just getting people to think seriously about constitutional reform would be progress. The cogent analysis in Relic helps to achieve that goal." -- Wall Street Journal "Focused, committed, convincing, and composed in moderate language that will appeal to those all along the political continuum." -- Kirkus Reviews "Howell and Moe make the bold and trenchant argument that the dysfunctions of American government lie squarely in the powers that the Founding Fathers gave Congress, and that the solution is to dramatically shift the balance of power to the executive. This book is sure to trigger an important debate, precisely because its fundamental analysis is so correct." --Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay, "The case for constitutional reform in Relic is the best--certainly the most realistic--in many years.... Just getting people to think seriously about constitutional reform would be progress. The cogent analysis in Relic helps to achieve that goal." -- Wall Street Journal "Focused, committed, convincing, and composed in moderate language that will appeal to those all along the political continuum." -- Kirkus Reviews "Howell and Moe make the bold and trenchant argument that the dysfunctions of American government lie squarely in the powers that the Founding Fathers gave Congress, and that the solution is to dramatically shift the balance of power to the executive. This book is sure to trigger an important debate, precisely because its fundamental analysis is so correct." --Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay "Clear-eyed and unapologetic, Howell and Moe insist that our nation's political woes stem not from our polarized political class but from an outdated Constitution. Anyone interested in our nation's political health will profit from exploring their bracing vision of how that Constitution now protects particularistic interests and propagates dysfunction." --Paul Pierson, UC Berkeley, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Winner-Take-All Politics "Howell and Moe deserve immense credit for 'connecting the dots' between our dangerously dysfunctional political system and an outmoded Constitution. One can only admire their willingness to challenge the cult of the Constitution that afflicts our political culture and hope that their book gets the widespread attention that it so richly deserves." --Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Law School, and author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance "Howell and Moe deliver the most concise, devastating account of congressional failure that I have ever read. In calling for a constitutional amendment that would increase the president's power over the legislative process, they have set the terms of debate for years to come." --Eric Posner, University of Chicago "Of all the books seeking to explain the decline of our political institutions, this one--from two of our best presidential scholars--might be the most radical. The problem, William Howell and Terry Moe argue, is that the Constitution fundamentally misdesigned Congress. Their cure for this mistake: a President with far greater control over the legislative process. For a daring argument about the future of American government, here's your book." --Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law "Marshaling an institutional imagination, Relic urgently contends that the Constitution should be revised to confer 'fast-track' powers on presidents to help American democracy successfully address our most pressing problems. Especially for those of us wishing to fortify Congress, this provocative call for a more formidable presidency offers a strongly-argued challenge. Let the debate begin!" --Ira Katznelson, author of Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time "Timely, accessible and provocative, Relic is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and ordinary citizens concerned about whether their government is up to emerging challenges like global terrorism, rising inequality, and climate change." --Eric Patashnik, Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia and author of Reforms at Risk, Advance Praise for Relic : "Howell and Moe make the bold and trenchant argument that the dysfunctions of American government lie squarely in the powers that the Founding Fathers gave Congress, and that the solution is to dramatically shift the balance of power to the executive. This book is sure to trigger an important debate, precisely because its fundamental analysis is so correct." --Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay "Clear-eyed and unapologetic, Howell and Moe insist that our nation's political woes stem not from our polarized political class but from an outdated Constitution. Anyone interested in our nation's political health will profit from exploring their bracing vision of how that Constitution now protects particularistic interests and propagates dysfunction." --Paul Pierson, UC Berkeley, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Winner-Take-All Politics "Howell and Moe deserve immense credit for 'connecting the dots' between our dangerously dysfunctional political system and an outmoded Constitution. One can only admire their willingness to challenge the cult of the Constitution that afflicts our political culture and hope that their book gets the widespread attention that it so richly deserves." --Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Law School, and author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance "Howell and Moe deliver the most concise, devastating account of congressional failure that I have ever read. In calling for a constitutional amendment that would increase the president's power over the legislative process, they have set the terms of debate for years to come." --Eric Posner, University of Chicago "Of all the books seeking to explain the decline of our political institutions, this one--from two of our best presidential scholars--might be the most radical. The problem, William Howell and Terry Moe argue, is that the Constitution fundamentally misdesigned Congress. Their cure for this mistake: a President with far greater control over the legislative process. For a daring argument about the future of American government, here's your book." --Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law "Marshaling an institutional imagination, Relic urgently contends that the Constitution should be revised to confer 'fast-track' powers on presidents to help American democracy successfully address our most pressing problems. Especially for those of us wishing to fortify Congress, this provocative call for a more formidable presidency offers a strongly-argued challenge. Let the debate begin!" --Ira Katznelson, author of Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time "Timely, accessible and provocative, Relic is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and ordinary citizens concerned about whether their government is up to emerging challenges like global terrorism, rising inequality, and climate change." --Eric Patashnik, Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia and author of Reforms at Risk, Advance Praise for Relic : "Focused, committed, convincing, and composed in moderate language that will appeal to those all along the political continuum." -- Kirkus Reviews "Howell and Moe make the bold and trenchant argument that the dysfunctions of American government lie squarely in the powers that the Founding Fathers gave Congress, and that the solution is to dramatically shift the balance of power to the executive. This book is sure to trigger an important debate, precisely because its fundamental analysis is so correct." --Francis Fukuyama, Stanford University, and author of Political Order and Political Decay "Clear-eyed and unapologetic, Howell and Moe insist that our nation's political woes stem not from our polarized political class but from an outdated Constitution. Anyone interested in our nation's political health will profit from exploring their bracing vision of how that Constitution now protects particularistic interests and propagates dysfunction." --Paul Pierson, UC Berkeley, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Winner-Take-All Politics "Howell and Moe deserve immense credit for 'connecting the dots' between our dangerously dysfunctional political system and an outmoded Constitution. One can only admire their willingness to challenge the cult of the Constitution that afflicts our political culture and hope that their book gets the widespread attention that it so richly deserves." --Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Law School, and author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance "Howell and Moe deliver the most concise, devastating account of congressional failure that I have ever read. In calling for a constitutional amendment that would increase the president's power over the legislative process, they have set the terms of debate for years to come." --Eric Posner, University of Chicago "Of all the books seeking to explain the decline of our political institutions, this one--from two of our best presidential scholars--might be the most radical. The problem, William Howell and Terry Moe argue, is that the Constitution fundamentally misdesigned Congress. Their cure for this mistake: a President with far greater control over the legislative process. For a daring argument about the future of American government, here's your book." --Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law "Marshaling an institutional imagination, Relic urgently contends that the Constitution should be revised to confer 'fast-track' powers on presidents to help American democracy successfully address our most pressing problems. Especially for those of us wishing to fortify Congress, this provocative call for a more formidable presidency offers a strongly-argued challenge. Let the debate begin!" --Ira Katznelson, author of Fear Itself: The New Deal and the Origins of Our Time "Timely, accessible and provocative, Relic is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and ordinary citizens concerned about whether their government is up to emerging challenges like global terrorism, rising inequality, and climate change." --Eric Patashnik, Professor of Public Policy and Politics, University of Virginia and author of Reforms at Risk, "Clear-eyed and unapologetic, Howell and Moe insist that our nation's political woes stem not from our polarized political class but from an outdated Constitution. Anyone interested in our nation's political health will profit from exploring their bracing vision of how that Constitution now protects particularistic interests and propagates dysfunction." --Paul Pierson, UC Berkeley, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Winner-Take-All Politics "Howell and Moe deserve immense credit for 'connecting the dots' between our dangerously dysfunctional political system and an outmoded Constitution. One can only admire their willingness to challenge the cult of the Constitution that afflicts our political culture and hope that their book gets the widespread attention that it so richly deserves." --Sanford Levinson, University of Texas Law School, and author of Framed: America's 51 Constitutions and the Crisis of Governance "Howell and Moe deliver the most concise, devastating account of congressional failure that I have ever read. In calling for a constitutional amendment that would increase the president's power over the legislative process, they have set the terms of debate for years to come." --Eric Posner, University of Chicago
Dewey Edition
23
Dewey Decimal
320.973
Synopsis
Our government is failing us. From health care to immigration, from the tax code to climate change, our political institutions cannot deal effectively with the challenges of modern society. Why the dysfunction? Contemporary reformers single out the usual suspects, including polarization and the rise in campaign spending. But what if the roots go much deeper, to the nation's founding? In Relic , William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe point to the Constitution as the main culprit. The framers designed the Constitution some 225 years ago for a simple, agrarian society. But the government they created, with a parochial Congress at its center, is ill-equipped to address the serious social problems that arise in a complex, postindustrial nation. We are prisoners of the past, burdened with an antiquated government that cannot make effective policy, and often cannot do anything at all. The solution is to update the Constitution for modern times. This can be accomplished, Howell and Moe argue, through reforms that push Congress and all its pathologies to the periphery of the lawmaking process, and bring presidents--whose concern for their legacy drives them to seek coherent policy solutions--to the center of decision making. As Howell and Moe reveal, the key to effective government for modern America is a more powerful presidency. Relic is a provocative and essential book for our era of political dysfunction and popular despair. It sheds new light on what is wrong with our government and what can be done about it, challenging us to reconsider the very foundation of the American experiment., Our government is failing us. From health care to immigration, from the tax code to climate change, our political institutions cannot deal effectively with the challenges of modern society. Why the dysfunction? Contemporary reformers single out the usual suspects, including polarization and the rise in campaign spending. But what if the roots go much deeper, to the nation's founding?In Relic , William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe point to the Constitution as the main culprit. The framers designed the Constitution some 225 years ago for a simple, agrarian society. But the government they created, with a parochial Congress at its centre, is ill-equipped to address the serious social problems that arise in a complex, postindustrial nation. We are prisoners of the past, burdened with an antiquated government that cannot make effective policy, and often cannot do anything at all.The solution is to update the Constitution for modern times. This can be accomplished, Howell and Moe argue, through reforms that push Congress and all its pathologies to the periphery of the lawmaking process, and bring presidents,whose concern for their legacy drives them to seek coherent policy solutions,to the centre of decision making. As Howell and Moe reveal, the key to effective government for modern America is a more powerful presidency. Relic is a provocative and essential book for our era of political dysfunction and popular despair. It sheds new light on what is wrong with our government and what can be done about it, challenging us to reconsider the very foundation of the American experiment., Two award-winning scholars offer a bold critique of the Constitution and argue that it lies at the root of our government dysfunction, Our government is failing us. From health care to immigration, from the tax code to climate change, our political institutions cannot deal effectively with the challenges of modern society. Why the dysfunction? Contemporary reformers single out the usual suspects, including polarization and the rise in campaign spending. But what if the roots go much deeper, to the nation's founding? In Relic , William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe point to the Constitution as the main culprit. The framers designed the Constitution some 225 years ago for a simple, agrarian society. But the government they created, with a parochial Congress at its center, is ill-equipped to address the serious social problems that arise in a complex, postindustrial nation. We are prisoners of the past, burdened with an antiquated government that cannot make effective policy, and often cannot do anything at all. The solution is to update the Constitution for modern times. This can be accomplished, Howell and Moe argue, through reforms that push Congress and all its pathologies to the periphery of the lawmaking process, and bring presidents -- whose concern for their legacy drives them to seek coherent policy solutions -- to the center of decision making. As Howell and Moe reveal, the key to effective government for modern America is a more powerful presidency. Relic is a provocative and essential book for our era of political dysfunction and popular despair. It sheds new light on what is wrong with our government and what can be done about it, challenging us to reconsider the very foundation of the American experiment.
LC Classification Number
JF251.H67 2016

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