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. * Offers clear, relevant information on current politics in America that enables readers to better understand the key issues and grasp what is at stake in the 2016 presidential election * Documents differences of opinion on social issues within the Republican and Democratic parties where present and shows how the positions of the parties have changed over time * Describes the issues dividing Democrats and Republicans and how these disagreements shape political gridlock * Discusses interest groups with the most influence for each political party * Features book chapters that are cross-referenced to allow readers easy access to the information they seek

Book Information
ISBN 9781610698351
Author Timothy W. Kneeland
Format Hardback
Page Count 388
Imprint ABC-CLIO
Publisher ABC-CLIO