This book helps us to study English at our University. We learn how the justce is administered in USA from "The Challenge of Democracy." It`s a little bit boring, but on the other way it is very nice source of legal terms

This is an excellent 'first look' deeper into American politics, and should be required reading for Poli Sci 101 classes. What separates 'Challenge of Democracy' from most other 'beginner's' political science books is its unabashed but un-partisianed look at the workings of the Amnerican political system from the inside out and the outside in. The title alone suggests that Democracy is not a one way street from the Hill down, but something which needs to be constantly nurtured and protected from going astray. The 'challenge' is also in using our political system as a tool to maintain our freedoms and as a vehicle for change to enable us more freedoms and at the same time greater security. In short, 'The Challenge of Democracy' will get one thinking deeper about the inner-workings and dynamics of the American political system by focusing on a broader spectrum of its use, abuse, and everyday applications.

I read this book in my government class at Bakersfield College. This book is an excellent place to start for anyone who is interested in learning about how our government works, but are unsure of where to start. This book breaks down the workings of our governement in clear and easy to read chapters. I highly recommed this book to everyone who cares about America and wants to understand what goes on in Washington D.C., and in other parts of America as well.

Having been in 2 college level courses that use this book, one being in my ap govt in high school and the other here at UTD, its a standard for Govt classes that are good

This book offers an insight into the life of vampires and other creatures of the night in cities around the world. The book focuses on the larger cities like L.A., Berlin and of course, New York. A wonderful source for learning about the people, socities and groups behind the darkness in these cities. This sourcebook is very well written and is a pleasure to read. This is a must have for urban-based scenarios.

Jeffrey Berry shows why reports of the demise of the progressive wing of the political Left are greatly exaggerated. In this book, he explains how an expanding coalition of grassroots-oriented activist groups is building steam and coming to dominate debates about regulatory issues in Washington. He also addresses reasons why conservative groups encounter difficulty when attempting to address this phenomenon.

He begins his introduction by pointing out that citizens groups, defined to be 'lobbyists who mobilize members, donors, and activists around interests other than their own vocation or profession,' are now the engine powering the progressive cause. He wastes no time before explaining the special relationships these groups build with legislators, regulators, and members of the media. He cites the role of the National Resources Defense Council in the Alar scare of 1989 as an obvious example of how easily these groups can influence television reporters and, more importantly, public opinion.

In discussing the impressive ability of citizens groups to obtain slots at congressional hearings, Berry focuses on their long-term efforts to demand hearings in the first place. It is logical to expect analysts who succeed in obtaining hearings to be among the individuals asked to testify. In addition, he cites the decentralization of authority within the Congress itself and the proliferation of congressional subcommittees as a means through which citizens groups can shop around their policy proposals to find sympathetic ears and, thus, congressional audiences. Most importantly, he states that there is nothing magic about the tactics they employ to exert influence.

Berry claims that environmentalists are the most powerful members of the citizens groups' coalition. He documents how environmental organizations were able to crush ten of the twelve major environmental initiatives undertaken by the 104th Congress in 1995. As a stunning example of their ability to influence the media, he points out that ABC's prime-time coverage of the Republican proposal to limit environmental takings contained a critique of the bill by a Sierra Club analyst, but did not feature a rebuttal from Republicans or market-based organizations. In addition, he cites the difficulties encountered by representatives of businesses when they must respond to accusations from environmental groups and explain complex statistical concepts to the media in terms that members of the public can understand.

While discussing reasons why members of Congress fear environmental groups, he points out that their enormous memberships can force legislators to dilute their concerns about the harm that most environmental legislation inflicts on job creation. In citing Mancur Olson's theory of interest group dynamics, he claims that environmental groups overcome the selective benefits requirement for group formation by identifying and recruiting individual members who feel strongly about their desires for stringent regulations. Therefore, to an extent, environmental groups depend on a public education system that serves as an outlet through which they can further promote their viewpoints and recruit new members.

Berry concludes his work by demonstrating an impressive understanding of why market-based organizations encounter so much difficulty when combating environmentalists. In his scalding analysis, he emphasizes the cash-starved status of many free-market groups and the need for more focused policy research.

While Berry does not hit every ball out of the park, (his characterization of advocacy-oriented think-tanks as mere corporate fronts lacking a firm philosophical foundation is shallow and vindictive at best), he does an outstanding job explaining how the progressive movement has evolved to reclaim its dominance of Washington. Individuals interested in understanding the dynamics of this new generation of progressive organizations should pay close attention to his analysis.

This book explains how organizations attempt to influence the political system. There has been a large increase in the number of interest groups in the past three decades. The book explains the types of interest groups and why people join them. It gives a good explanation of lobbyist and the role they play in the political spectrum.

If one is looking for a book laced with opinion stated as fact from a clearly liberal viewpoint, then this is just that book. There is no shortage of broad sweeping statements that begin with such phrases as: "Everyone agrees that..." or "No one would argue... ." The author is truly a master of non-critical thinking. One only needs to scan the pictures and read their captions to see the bias reinforced by the text. An unsolicited cartoon or two adds that extra twist. The bias doesn't stop there however. If one is hoping to get "just the facts, ma'am," this book is not the place to look. Even the portrayal of the facts has a slant. The aspects of American government that do not support the author's bias often are relegated to "et cetera" status. The 2nd Amendment is a good example. In my unveiled opinion, it is a shame that this book is a required text for some college level political science courses. The reader would be better served if the author explained how his 1st amendment rights take away the student's right to choose whether or not to support his agenda.