Results 1 to 2 of 2
- The imposters : how Republicans quit governing and seized American politics / by Benen, Steve,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Most American voters innocently assume the two major political parties are equally mature and responsible governing entities, ideological differences aside. That belief is due for an overhaul: over the past decade, the Republican Party has undergone an astonishing metamorphosis, one so baffling and complete that few have fully reckoned with the reality and its consequences. Republicans, simply put, have quit governing. As MSNBC's Steve Benen charts in his groundbreaking new book, the contemporary GOP has become a "post-policy party." Republicans are effectively impostors, presenting themselves as officials who are ready to take seriously the substance of problem solving, but whose sole focus is the pursuit and maintenance of power. Astonishingly, they are winning - at the cost of pushing the political system to the breaking point. Despite having billed itself as the "party of ideas," the Republican Party has walked away from the hard but necessary work of policymaking. It is disdainful of expertise and hostile toward evidence and arithmetic. It is tethered to few, if any, meaningful policy preferences. It does not know, and does not care, about how competing proposals should be crafted, scrutinized, or implemented. This policy nihilism dominated the party's posture throughout Barack Obama's presidency, which in turn opened the door to Donald Trump -- who would cement the GOP's post-policy status in ways that were difficult to even imagine a few years earlier. The implications of this approach to governance are all-encompassing. Voters routinely elect Republicans such as Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence to powerful offices, expecting GOP policymakers to have the technocratic wherewithal to identify problems, weigh alternative solutions, forge coalitions, accept compromises, and apply some level of governmental competence, if not expertise. The party has consistently proven those hopes misguided. The result is an untenable political model that's undermining the American policymaking process and failing to serve the public's interests." -- Publisher.- Subjects: Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ); Power (Social sciences); Political culture;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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- Ministry of truth : democracy, reality, and the Republicans' war on the recent past / by Benen, Steve,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."For as long as historical records have existed, people in positions of authority have tried to rewrite history to suit their purposes. The pattern has become tragically familiar: dictatorial powers use their editing pens to create myths, spread propaganda, justify decisions, erase opponents, and even dispose of crimes. Today, as Republican politics becomes increasingly radicalized, it's not surprising to see the party read from a similarly despotic script. Indeed, the party is taking dangerous, aggressive steps to rewrite history -- and not just from generations past. Unable to put a positive spin on Trump-era scandals and fiascos, GOP voices and their allies have grown determined to rewrite the stories of the last few years, treating the recent past as an enemy to be overpowered, crushed, and conquered. The consequences for our future, in turn, are deadly. Extraordinarily timely and undeniably important, Steve Benen's new book tells the staggering chronicle of the Republican party's unsettling attempts at historical revisionism. It reveals not only how dependent they have grown on the tactic, but also how dangerous the consequences are if we allow the party to continue. The stakes, Benen argues, couldn't be higher: the future of democracy hinges on both our accurate understanding of events and the end of alternative narratives that challenge reality"--- Subjects: Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ); Communication in politics; Deception; Social media;
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Results 1 to 2 of 2