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This book examines the transition within the Japanese party system that has seen the demise of ‘the old socialists’, the Japan Socialist Party, and in its place, the emergence of the Democratic Party of Japan as the leading opposition party. Sarah Hyde has produced an original book which looks at the intra-left (non-communist) opposition party manoeuvrings during the 1990s through to the new millennium in a highly detailed and focused manner whilst simultaneously looking at the three most significant changes for the left nationally: the change to the electoral system, the change to public opinion regarding defense and the Constitution after the First Gulf War and the changes to the Labour Union movement.

Ending with a chapter on the incredibly important 2007 Upper House election, which brings the development of the opposition full circle, this book will be a valuable source for students and scholars of Japanese politics, electoral systems and opposition politics.

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Democrats Unite!

You're a Democrat. You pride yourself on democratic values, did a victory dance when your party took back the House in 2006, and are on a mission to champion the Democrats to reclaim the White House in the election of 2008! Democrat's Soul is a celebration of your political adventure and pride in your party.

This political pick-me-up is a humorous, fact-filled, and nostalgic exploration of what it means to be a Democrat and why Democrats are so passionate about their beliefs.

You will be touched by others' recollections of how politics have shaped their lives and strengthened their convictions as well as laugh out loud at other stories about donkey and elephants falling in love, politics in the family, memories of the first visit to the ballot box, and crossing party lines.

Good old Democratic zeal is evident throughout Democrat's Soul and is further brought to life with stories, interesting trivia, historical photos of great moments in Democrat history, inspiring keynote speeches, and witty cartoons--illuminating the pride and character of past and present leaders and causes worth fighting for.

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid Addition To My Democrat Library
A must have to any democrat or any one who has crossed the aisle to the logical side. Democrats Soul is a collection of stories, speeches, & trivia that would help even the most dedicated progressive/liberal more grounded in their political party and its heritage. Defines why the Democratic Party is the party of the people, and the american dream belongs to everyone! The storys range from mild to great accounts to why people are proud of their party and how to cope with spouses, family, and friends who are dedicated to the other side! Even the stories that are not modern capture what it was like to be a progressive in the mid 1900s and how the voice of the people will be heard, and that were the diverse party whos in this together! After readin this book I better image of FDR and JFK and even though they were before my time, from their speeches I can see where they molded our country and our party to where it is today! That hope prevails depite the circumstances, and if we stand together we will always make way to a better world!

Interesting Book
This was a interesting book, especially appealing this election season.The stories were delightful and the trivia interesting. It was a quick, easy read and the entire book was enlightening. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Not Well Put Together
Let me say right up front that I was disappointed in this book. Maybe I am too stuck in my ways, but when I pick up a history like this I was looking for an well-organized book.I want each President with his own chapter, some details that are presented for each person i.e. year of terms, Vice President etc, and then a nice review of what took place while in office, the good and the bad.The book just did not provide this; the presidents were grouped into chapters on what seemed to be on a basis as to total average chapter page length not by political or situational similarities.The basic facts that I wanted were not there for every President, and if they were there you needed to hunt for them.And if you are going to give me pictures then at least give me a picture of every President covered in the book, what we got were pictures of a few Presidents, a few campaign adds or jokes, and unbelievably to me pictures of city political bosses.

The book was positive; I give the author that. When there were negative issues they were glossed over if even mentioned.I new based on the size of the book that it was not going to be an exhaustive history, but even this brief look at each President left me disappointed.Also I kept thinking that the author wanted to write a history of the Democratic party and the publisher wanted a history of the Democratic Presidents and what came out was a compromise that did not serve either cause very well.I would have much rather had a few more pages on FDR (then the 15 offered) and less about the Kansas City and Chicago political bosses and the third party candidates on some elections. I do not want to be all-negative, there were a number of interesting facts and he hit the high notes on each man.I was interested enough to finish the book.I am just going to have to keep looking for a better effort at this topic.

A subjest too broad for one book.
From the start one thing needs to be made very clear about this book.It is a nice read for a Democrat, especially a partisan Democrat like myself.My Republican friends on the other hand would, I'm afraid find very little interesting about this book. Simply put, this is a very one sided view of history.Democrats tend to be pictured in the best possible light from page one.This is not to say that Mr. Rutland has not done his homework for he has.I don't think he ever set out to write an impartial historical epic.What he seems to have intended is basicly a survey type textbook for Democrats.If that was his goal he has accomplished it.Someone looking for a quick political history of the United States told from the Democratic point of view will find it here.

The simple fact is that Mr. Rutland took upon himself a rather large task in writing a history of the Democratic party.To do this task justice one would have to turn out a work that would rival in length the volumes written by Shelby Foote on the Civil War.In fact, this subject would probably require even more volumes since the subject covers over two hundred years of history. As it is the book in its 241 pages is only able to deal in the most superficial way with its subject.

Still this book does a fair job of following America's oldest party from its roots as Jefferson looks to a nation of farmers to today's urban America.Along the way we see the Democrats changing to become the party of the common man and the underdog. We see the party begin to take its present form in 1896 as William Jennings Bryan and his populists take control of the convention.We see more change in 1912 with the nomination of the progressive Woodrow Wilson.Then in 1932 FDR comes along and the Democratic party is forever changed.Old Democratic issues like tariffs and free silver give way to civil rights and labor relations. The direction of the party continues on the course set by Roosevelt as Harry Truman takes over and then LBJ sets off an a path of sweeping social change that for good or bad forever changes the United States. Oddly, the book gives little credit for the present positions of the Democratic party to JFK.

There are also a few places in the book where Mr. Rutland's facts are wrong.For example he states that in the election of 1896 William McKinley took T. Roosevelt with him to Washington as his Vice President when in fact T.R. wasn't on the ticket until 1900. For the most part however his facts do seem straight and he covers the subject as well as could be expected in such a short book.

Overall, the book could have been more in depth and such a large subject should probably never have been undertaken.I remember in high school english I always tried to choose a very broad topic for any paper I had to write because I figured it would be easy to turn out twenty pages that way.My teacher always called me on my plan though and I had to narrow it down.Maybe Mr. Rutland needed a good high school english teacher to make him do the same here.

On the other hand it is hard to study American history without a study of the Democrats.The party of Jefferson has been here through most of our history. So while this book gives one a quick look at the history of one party it also for the most part does the same for American history.Its not a waste of time to read this book by any means but it is more gravy than meat. ... Read more

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This timely study examines the increasing importance of the Sunbelt and its "megastates"--Florida, California, and Texas--in the U.S. election process. The purpose of the work is to provide a longitudinal analysis of partisan and gender election success and incumbency in the elections of 1986, 1988, 1992, and the "realignment" of 1994 (bringing up to date some of the classic studies from the 1970s and 1980s). In tracing the pattern of partisan success, the effect of incumbency, and the success of males and females in each party, the author is able to project the likely success of the two parties in the 1996 and subsequent elections in each megastate. This important election-year book will be of interest to scholars, students, and practitioners of politics. ... Read more

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Fascinating book
It is a pleasure to recommend this book.The Peculiar Democracy is an interesting survey of Southern Democrats.It makes important distinctions between populist-minded Jacksonians and elite-minded Bourbons.It points out that Jeffersonian ideals associated with yeoman farmers and self-reliance were not fulfilled by the arrogant slothfulness of the plantation aristocracy. ... Read more

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This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Slavery; Campaign literature; Campaign literature, 1856; History / United States / General; Political Science / Political Process / Political Parties; Social Science / Slavery; ... Read more

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In 1978, Republican William P. Clements won the race for governor of the Lone Star State, marking the start of an interlude of two-party competition in the state. Eventually, Republican ascendancy would once again make Texas a "safe" place for a single party--but not the party that had dominated the state since the end of Reconstruction.

At the time, observers asked whether the election of a Republican governor was a mere flash in the pan. For the previous twenty years, other races, at every level from national to local, had made inroads into Democratic strongholds, but that party's dominance by and large had held. In 1978, the situation changed.

Now, historian Kenneth Bridges--drawing on polling data, newspaper reports, archival sources, and extensive interviews--both confirms the significance of the election and explains the many and complex forces at work in it. He analyzes a wide range of factors that includes the disaffection among Mexican American voters fanned by La Raza Unida, miscalculations by Democrat John Hill and his campaign staff, the superior polling techniques used by Clements, the unpopularity of the Democratic president, Jimmy Carter, the changing demographics of the state, and the unprecedented spending by the Clements team. In the process, Bridges describes not an ideological realignment among Texas voters, but a partisan one.

Twilight of the Texas Democrats illuminates our understanding of both political science and regional history. ... Read more

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This book examines the history, organization, and continuing worldwide influence of the International Christian Democratic Movement, which currently has nearly seventy parties on five continents. Although the parties embrace a wide range of political ideologies, from socialism in Latin America to conservatism in Europe, Papini concludes that the movement transcends political, social, and cultural differences to unify itself according to certain fundamental principles: respect of the human person, interpersonal relationships based on justice and solidarity, and attention to a fraternal society open to the transcendent. ... Read more

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If you think you've heard every dumb thing they've said or done...think again!Outrageous indulgent, and downright dumb.That's right, we're talking aout the words and deeds committed by politicians, our favorite and least favorite people in the whole world.In this hilarious collections, it's he Democrats who step up to the mike, open their mouths, and insert their collective feet.Democrats do the dumbest things.Just ask any Republican who might wonder how Senator Ted Kennedy, whose legacy may have as much to do with his partying as with his party affiliation, kept his pants on long enough to serve the public.When Ted was photographed atop a twenty-two year old woman on a speed boat, a fellow senator quipped, "Well Teddy, I see you've changed your position on offshore drilling." You'll howl with laughter and wince in pain at the musguided actions, bizarre statements, and embarrassing moments of notable Democrats including Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Rev. Al B. Sharpton, Ed Koch, Gary Hart, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Jerry Brown, Lyndon Johnson, and of course, Bill Clinton.Find out the latest from presidential campaign 2000--namely whatare Al Gore and local Democratic "loonies" doing to keep the "dumb hall of fame" from running out of members?Highlights include:After the Chicago Bulls won their sixth NBA championship in 1998 Vice President Al Gore gushed, "I tell you that Michael Jackson is unbelievable isn't he?"John F. Kennedy had this to say about aging: "There are two naked girls in the room, but I'm sitting here reading The Wall Street Journal.Does that mean I'm getting old?"Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry once said, "Outside of the killing, we have one of the lowest crime rates in the country."These funny, edgy examinations of crazy political antics are sure to be as controversial as they are entertaining.Democrats will hate them. Republicans will love them.And everyone will want to read more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Freaking Hilarious
Be sure to get both.It doesn't matter where you are on the political spectrum, funny is funny!

Don't Talk Back!
I am republican, love what they do, and thought this would be a great book-NOPE. I like hearing Happy things the GOP does but this wrights off on so many issues that i cant tell what is the right thing to do. Dont buy get it at the lib. and when your a 1/5 the way thourgh you will be fed up even with your own party
Hypno signing off
this book gets a 2.4 out of 5

So true!
This collection of dumb quotes and actions from notable democrats was ahoot for a conswrvative like me.The book is fun, but not vindictive soeven democrats can enjoy it.After all, we all do things sometimes.Forthe liberals out there, there's "Republicans do the dumbestthings" too, so don't feel cheated! ... Read more

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This work is a comprehensive introduction to the most important issues facing American citizens and their government. It addresses various interpretations of the proper role of government with a view towards the Democrats re-working of such integral issues as: _ ... Read more

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This book traces the decline of the Labour Party's popularity and the development of the Social Democratic party. The authors have also written "Crisis in European Defence" and "The European Defence Initiative: Europe's Bid for Equality". ... Read more

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In his book Dr Morgan describes the relations between the First International and the first German socialist parties, the General German Workers' Union, founded by Ferdinand Lassalle and led by J. B. von Schweitzer, and the rival organisation of Wilhelm Liebknecht and August Bebel, whose programme was partly inspired by Marx. In particular Dr Morgan studies the attempts of the International's leaders, especially the German exiles Marx and Johann Philipp Becker, to spread its influence in Germany. Dr Morgan's study is not simply a history of socialist ideas, but an analysis of one source of these ideas - the International - and its influence on the problems of organisation and personalities facing the German Labour movement. As he shows in his concluding chapter, although the International played a subsidiary role, it did influence the development of German socialist thinking. ... Read more

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An American election lasts far too long, costs too much, and never fails to make perfectly sensible people look like utter fools.Convention customs may often be patronizing, boring, overacted, empty and insufferable.But they are OUR customs and they connect us to a common history.Our two political parties have known the best and the worst of times.And one way or another, it all lives in the collective memory of the system.

The story of that history is the subject of the extraordinary montage of sounds collected here, many never before available on tape or record.Hear the voices and speeches of Theodore Roosevelt, Wendell Willkie, H.V. Kaltenborn predicting a Thomas Dewey victory. Dwight Eisenhower, Hubery Humphrey, Barry Goldwater and many more.

Told by Robert Trout, the legendary CBS, NBC, and ABC broadcaster whose voice has reported every American political convention of the 20th Century since 1936; and perhaps one of the few men alive able to make sense of those most remarkable and persistent political contraptions, the Democratic and Republican parties. ... Read more

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The author, currently a candidate for the state senate in Oregon, brings together his research, his 30 years working for Democratic candidates, and his experience evaluating government programs for the U.S. General Accounting Office.The book reviews the differences between the Democratic and Republican parties in historical perspective, and assesses the relevance of Democratic traditions to contemporary issues.It argues that the Democratic Party cannot reverse its long-run decline by emulating the rhetoric of the Republicans.It must clarify its public image and its fundamental difference from the Republican Party. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Title says it all
Too often voters declare a political party without any knowledge of what the fundamental beliefs of that party are. I highly recommend this book to all groups and individuals who want a concise, easy-to-understand primer on the Democrat Party. The author comprehends his topic and delivers solid information to the reader. This book should be a staple in every voter's home.

Wake up message for Democrats
I highly recommend this book to any serious student of American politics, as well as to Democratic activists. I came away from it feeling I had a firm understanding of political competition in the U.S. and the driving forces behind the two parties. I also found myself in strong agreement with the aurthor on need for Democrats to communicate their message clearly and aggressively. If they do not, the Republicans will do it for them, as they have done successfully since the Vietnam war, and as perfectly illustrated in the recent mid-term elections.

The most remarkable thing about this book is its almost eriee accuracy in predicting the current economic situation from the vantage point of 1997. It shows what I have long suspected: that the Federal Reserve is essentially a negative influence in the economy, and that Republican Administrations mean stagnation, and perhaps even deflation. Libbey assembles some impressive statistics and graphics to demonstrate this, and lays out the economic logic to go with them. The message for a successful election campaign is plainly evident.Sadly, though, nobody seems to be listening.

Pretty good "pep talk" to true Democrats
I will not mince words with the reader -- I am a proud Democrat.I have pictures of FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey and even Jimmy Carter on my wall. I am a proud supporter of laborunions, such civil rights groups as the SCLC and the NAACP and a proudAmericans for Democratic Action member.I believe in a world for justice,a God of justice and a spirit of justice for the world.This goes hand inhand with my Democratic leaning.

Thus, when I saw this book, I hadto buy it. What I found was a very good pep talk to true blue Democrats. The great thingis that this book spoke to all Democrats - conservativeDemocrats, "Blue Dog" Democrats, Reagan Democrats(come home!),moderate Southern Democrats, New Democrats, Libertarian Democrats, liberalDemocrats, labor and New Deal Democrats, left liberal Democrats and...well,the list goes on(alas - we are a diverse party!)This book left no groupout on most issues(abortion, sadly, being the only one on which the authorseems to want a litmus test).

To the author's credit - he seemed tounite Democrats on the one issue we all care about - the American communityand the government's moral responsbility to it.The American peopledeserve not "small" government, which caters to the richindirectly, but responsible government.

Personally, I am a die-hardNew Deal Democrat who believes that every family deserves the right to goodhealth care, education, a good job with a living wage, time with thefamily, equal rights and opportunity and dignity on the job.This is not a"lost dream" for any Democrat.This book specifies this dreamwell. ... Read more