This provocative new study explores the reasons for the dramatic decline in confidence which the political institutions of the U.S. have suffered since the 1960s. The author demonstrates the limitations of existing attempts to account for this heightened political alienation, particularly spirit of the times explanations which claim that events like the Vietnam War and Watergate affected the entire U.S. population in a similar fashion and political socialization and culture theories which, Herring argues, do not accurately gauge the amount of change that has occurred in the past 25 years. Instead, Herring proposes and tests a welfare split model which posits that conflicts over spending priorities of the state have led to spiraling alienation among different class fractions. Ideal as supplemental reading for advanced courses in political sociology, political economy, and political science, Splitting the Middle offers important new insights into the nature and causes of political alienation among America's middle layers.
After pointing out the polarizing effects of the movements and events since the 1960s, Herring shows that the increasing lack of confidence in political institutions has a class basis. The War on Poverty and the progressive movements of the 1960s and 1970s, he demonstrates, forced irreconcilable demands on government and produced dual tendencies among different classes. On the one hand, levels of political alienation swelled among members of the capitalist, professional-managerial, and traditional working classes as a reaction to protest movement activities, growing deficits and the increasing burdens of the welfare state. At the same time, Herring asserts, political distrust among the new layer of public sector professionals and the poor grew because of cutbacks in government programs and worsening economic conditions. Using data from the National Elections Studies and other sources, Herring shows how the government's oscillation between mutually contradictory sets of demands led to higher levels of political distrust. Finally, Herring analyzes what consequences these higher levels of alienation have had on political behaviors and the society.

Splitting the Middle: Political Alienation, Acquiescence, and Activism Among America's Middle Layers

Politics & Social Sciences

Herring, Cedric

Politics & Government

Praeger

Diversity in Organizations: A Critical Examination

Diversity in Organizations argues that ensuring a diverse workforce composition has tangible benefits for organizations. Rather than relying on touchy-feely arguments, Herring and Henderson present compelling evidence that directly links diversity to the bottom line. Readers will learn: <ul>
<li>How and why diversity is related to business performance </li> <li>The impact of diversity training programs on productivity, business performance and promotions </li> <li>The biggest mistakes in diversity management, and how to avoid them </li> <li>What can be done to make diversity initiatives more effective and politically palatable </li> <li>How to measure success in diversity initiatives in rigorous, non-technical ways to achieve desired results </li> </ul>
Presented accessibly, without shying away from the contentious aspects of diversity, the book also provides concrete advice and guidance to those who seek to implement diversity programs and initiatives in their organizations, and to make their companies more competitive. Students taking classes in diversity, human resource management, sociology of work, and organizational psychology will find this a comprehensive, helpful resource.

Diversity in Organizations

Business & Money

Henderson, Loren

Economics

Routledge

African Americans and the Public Agenda: The Paradoxes of Public Policy

Who truly represents African Americans in the American political process? If white racism is declining, why does there seem to be increased white resistance to programs that seek to redress inequality? And, why do so many programs that were intended to amend inequality seem to exacerbate it?  For the most part, policies important to the African American community continue to reflect the political moods of whites. And with conservative policy initiatives being  in vogue, such policies often have had little to do with the needs or preferences of Black citizens, and in many cases have done more harm than good. This "Presidential Collection" of policy-oriented chapters features contributions from Rev. Jesse Jackson, Prof. William Julius  Wilson, Dr. Cedric Herring, and other leading African American thinkers and policy analysts. It sheds light on the apparent paradoxes surrounding issues such as affirmative action, Afrocentric education, crime and unequal punishment, and work and welfare reform. This book contributes to our understanding of public policy with implications for racial inequality by providing new insights, fresh policy perspectives, and original evidence concerning some of the most pressing policy issues confronting this nation as it enters the 21st Century.

Social Sciences

Scholarly Audio

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