Political Reform

Over the past several years, Jonathan Kozol has visited nearly 60 public schools. Virtually everywhere, he finds that conditions have grown worse for inner-city children in the 15 years since federal courts began dismantling the landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. First, a state of nearly absolute apartheid now prevails in thousands of our schools. The segregation of Black children has reverted to a level that the nation has not seen since 1968. Few of the students in these schools know White children any longer.

Tatum had a brutal home life, but one thing to emerge from her living with a family of gun runners was that she learned to shoot with unerring accuracy. When she finally escaped her family, she found friendship and camaraderie with a sisterhood of feminist activists until many of her friends were killed in a deadly terrorist attack.

George Washington’s nightmare has been realized. Despite his warning about the negative effects of party loyalties, the US government has become paralyzed by partisanship, allowing national challenges to go unaddressed. As an independent candidate for US Senate in 2018, Neal Simon witnessed the destructive nature of modern American politics. He experienced firsthand the perverse incentives that push candidates and lawmakers to ideological extremes. He watched as party leaders resisted pragmatic solutions to our nation’s problems.

We see it everywhere: shady zoning regulations in a small town; taxpayer money diverted into political campaigns; deals that enrich the few at the expense of the many; billion-dollar bailouts; and much more. When private interests need a political favor, they know whom to call. When politicians need money, they also know whom to call. The people involved try to keep most of it concealed behind closed doors. This is the system that prevails in Russia after the fall of Communism. But increasingly it is America's system as well.

Step into a world of darkness and intrigue with Denise, a master manipulator with money to burn, and Brandon, a fame-seeker who'll stop at nothing to make her his own. Experience the thrilling, unpredictable ride that ensues!

As the 2020 presidential campaign begins to take shape, there is widespread distrust of the fairness and accuracy of American elections. In this timely and accessible book, Richard L. Hasen uses riveting stories illustrating four factors increasing the mistrust. Voter suppression has escalated as a Republican tool aimed to depress turnout of likely Democratic voters, fueling suspicion. Pockets of incompetence in election administration, often in large cities controlled by Democrats, have created an opening to claims of unfairness.

Unsere Schulen stecken in einer Krise, aus der sie sich nur sehr langsam herausarbeiten. Lehrer, Eltern und Schüler sind frustriert, Arbeitgeber klagen, dass die Schulabgänger nicht die nötigen Kenntnisse für den Einstieg ins Berufsleben mitbringen. Die Krise hat viele Ursachen, eine davon ist die Situation der Lehrer. Vor riesigen Klassen können sie nicht auf die individuellen Stärken und Schwächen ihrer Schüler eingehen, Sparkonzepte, überfrachtete Lehrpläne und eine übermächtige Bürokratie ersticken jedes Engagement.

In the aftermath of the 2010 election, George Megalogenis considers what has happened to politics in Australia. Have we entered a new phase with minority government and the rise of the Greens and independents? Hawke, Keating and Howard years were ones of bold reform; recently we have seen an era of power without purpose. But why? Is it down to powerful lobbies, or the media, or a failure of leadership, or all of the above? And whatever the case, how will hard decisions be taken for the future? In a brilliant analysis, Megalogenis dissects the cycle of polls, focus groups and presidential politics....