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Political Parties & Politics

 

Selected Books

For Older Readers and Adults

Brownstein, Ronald
The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington And Polarized America
JK2261.B84 2007
Brownstein is a Los Angeles Times political correspondent and columnist who sees the deep division between the Republicans and Democrats as very harmful to the country.
 
Dobbs, Lou
Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit
JK275.D63 2007
Lou Dobbs of CNN television criticizes illegal immigration, Bush, Capitol Hill, big business, etc. and encourages the little guy that gets the shaft to "live every day as independent day" and vote independent. See also his War on the Middle Class.
 
Douthat, Ross Gregory and Reihan Salam
Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win The Working Class And Save The American Dream
JK2271.D68 2008
"Grand New Party offers a new direction - a conservative vision of a limited but active government that tackles the threats to working-class prosperity and to the broader American Dream."
 
Gore, Albert
The Assault on Reason
E902.G67 2007
"How the Politics of Fear, Secrecy, and Blind Faith Subvert Wise Decision Making, Degrade Our Democracy, and Put Our Country and Our World in Peril"
 
Declaring Independence
Schoen, Douglas E.
Declaring Independence: The Beginning Of The End Of The Two-Party System
JK2271.S35 2008
Schoen feels that the voters to watch in the coming election are the independents and also feels that the U.S. is ready for a third party candidate.
 
Winograd, Morley and Michael D. Hais
Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, And The Future Of American Politics
JK1764.W635 2008
Winograd and Hais hold that America has a political makeover every 4 decades and that it is ripe for one in the 2008 election with the emergence of the Millenial Generation that grew up with the Internet.
 
Yglesias, Matthew
Heads In The Sand: How The Republicans Screw Up Foreign Policy And Foreign Policy Screws Up The Democrats
JZ1480.Y45 2008
Yglesias is a liberal blogger and proponent of "liberal internationalism".
 

For Younger Readers

Cox, Vicki
The History of Third Parties
The History of Third Parties chronicles third parties and their increasing visibility in the American political system.
j JK2261.C834 2007
 
Wagner, Heather Lehr
The History of the Democratic Party
A brief history of the oldest political party in the United States.
j JK2316.W34 2007
 
Wagner, Heather Lehr
The History of the Republican Party
Examines the development of the Republican party, including its prominent figures, key events, and ideological trends.
j JK2356.W25 2007
 

Web Sites

 

Pittsburgh Region

  • Allegheny County Democratic Committee
    Their website includes a list of Democratic candidates and a list of elected officials. Information on volunteering is also available.
  • Green Party of Allegheny County
    Allegheny County affiliate of the Green Party, a political party based on Ten Key Values starting with Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice, Ecological Wisdom, and Non-violence.
  • Libertarian Party of Pittsburgh
    "Libertarians follow the principles set forth by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, wherein he stated that individuals have inalienable rights, and that the purpose of government is to secure these rights. We hold that this is the sole purpose of government, and that there is no role for government in solving social problems. Accordingly, we advocate limited government, and defend the rights of individuals."
  • Republican Committee of Allegheny County (RCAC)
    RCAC is the structural foundation of the Republican Party for Allegheny County. RCAC serves to maintain and develop local (municipal) committees, as well as recruit, train, and support local Republican candidates. Additionally, the County Committee serves as a resource center for elected officials, residents, candidates, and committees at every level.

Pennsylvania