Ola Listhaug and Matti Wiberg
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294733
- eISBN:
- 9780191599699
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294735.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Examines patterns in public confidence in the major institutions of Western Europe during the decade of the 1980s. It first addresses some conceptual and theoretical issues about the measurement of ...
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Examines patterns in public confidence in the major institutions of Western Europe during the decade of the 1980s. It first addresses some conceptual and theoretical issues about the measurement of confidence in institutions, and reviews the European Values Surveys used as data sources. It then presents evidence for the period 1981–90, and explores the factors that can account for the observed variations in the levels of confidence in various institutions, notably in respect of government and major companies. The finding that not all confidence levels move in tandem should direct attention to the possibility that inter‐institutional linkages might be important for determining overall confidence in the political order.Less
Examines patterns in public confidence in the major institutions of Western Europe during the decade of the 1980s. It first addresses some conceptual and theoretical issues about the measurement of confidence in institutions, and reviews the European Values Surveys used as data sources. It then presents evidence for the period 1981–90, and explores the factors that can account for the observed variations in the levels of confidence in various institutions, notably in respect of government and major companies. The finding that not all confidence levels move in tandem should direct attention to the possibility that inter‐institutional linkages might be important for determining overall confidence in the political order.
Mark Chaves
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691146850
- eISBN:
- 9781400839957
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691146850.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter looks at several important trends concerning religious leaders. Religious leadership is a less attractive career choice for young people than it used to be. The numbers of older clergy ...
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This chapter looks at several important trends concerning religious leaders. Religious leadership is a less attractive career choice for young people than it used to be. The numbers of older clergy and of female clergy are higher than they were several decades ago. Moreover, public confidence in religious leaders has declined precipitously. Public confidence in other kinds of leaders has declined as well, but confidence in religious leaders has declined more than confidence in leaders of other institutions. All things considered, religious leaders have lost ground on several fronts in recent decades when it comes to its reputation and social prominence.Less
This chapter looks at several important trends concerning religious leaders. Religious leadership is a less attractive career choice for young people than it used to be. The numbers of older clergy and of female clergy are higher than they were several decades ago. Moreover, public confidence in religious leaders has declined precipitously. Public confidence in other kinds of leaders has declined as well, but confidence in religious leaders has declined more than confidence in leaders of other institutions. All things considered, religious leaders have lost ground on several fronts in recent decades when it comes to its reputation and social prominence.
Jacques Thomassen
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294733
- eISBN:
- 9780191599699
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294735.003.0013
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Attempts to distinguish between lack of confidence in a democratic government that falls short of public expectations, and lack of confidence in democratic government per se. There has been too ...
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Attempts to distinguish between lack of confidence in a democratic government that falls short of public expectations, and lack of confidence in democratic government per se. There has been too little research into what the word ‘democracy’ means to people, but such research as there has been suffices to support the view that it is a multi‐dimensional concept. If one applies the familiar distinction between individual and collectivist theories of democracy, it is clear that different countries have found different points of balance between the two, although there is little evidence to suggest that public attitudes to democracy have clustered around the two poles.Less
Attempts to distinguish between lack of confidence in a democratic government that falls short of public expectations, and lack of confidence in democratic government per se. There has been too little research into what the word ‘democracy’ means to people, but such research as there has been suffices to support the view that it is a multi‐dimensional concept. If one applies the familiar distinction between individual and collectivist theories of democracy, it is clear that different countries have found different points of balance between the two, although there is little evidence to suggest that public attitudes to democracy have clustered around the two poles.
Oscar W. Gabriel
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.003.0013
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In public opinion research, only meagre attention has been given to the impact of value orientations on public confidence and trust in the efficacy of the political system. Whereas the implications ...
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In public opinion research, only meagre attention has been given to the impact of value orientations on public confidence and trust in the efficacy of the political system. Whereas the implications of materialist and post‐materialist orientations have been studied extensively, the impact of value orientations (such as religiosity, secularism, egalitarianism, and libertarianism) has been almost completely ignored. This chapter therefore investigates some neglected problems in empirical research into the political impact of value orientations. After clarifying the concepts of trust and efficacy, it proposes and tests some hypotheses for a set of Western European democracies.Less
In public opinion research, only meagre attention has been given to the impact of value orientations on public confidence and trust in the efficacy of the political system. Whereas the implications of materialist and post‐materialist orientations have been studied extensively, the impact of value orientations (such as religiosity, secularism, egalitarianism, and libertarianism) has been almost completely ignored. This chapter therefore investigates some neglected problems in empirical research into the political impact of value orientations. After clarifying the concepts of trust and efficacy, it proposes and tests some hypotheses for a set of Western European democracies.
Gábor Tóka
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294733
- eISBN:
- 9780191599699
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294735.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Examines the relevance for the new democracies of Eastern Europe of arguments about challenges to representative democracy in Western Europe, focusing on mass attitudes conventionally thought to ...
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Examines the relevance for the new democracies of Eastern Europe of arguments about challenges to representative democracy in Western Europe, focusing on mass attitudes conventionally thought to affect the stability of political regimes. The analysis focuses on four countries (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia), and suggests that their levels of public support for government are lower than in Western Europe, with economic dissatisfaction having particular salience. However, these democracies are still too young for firm conclusions to emerge from the available evidence.Less
Examines the relevance for the new democracies of Eastern Europe of arguments about challenges to representative democracy in Western Europe, focusing on mass attitudes conventionally thought to affect the stability of political regimes. The analysis focuses on four countries (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia), and suggests that their levels of public support for government are lower than in Western Europe, with economic dissatisfaction having particular salience. However, these democracies are still too young for firm conclusions to emerge from the available evidence.
Landon R. Y. Storrs
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153964
- eISBN:
- 9781400845255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153964.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter looks at key figures in the emerging anticommunist network and analyzes two early episodes: the Smith Committee attack on the National Labor Relations Board and its allies, and the Dies ...
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This chapter looks at key figures in the emerging anticommunist network and analyzes two early episodes: the Smith Committee attack on the National Labor Relations Board and its allies, and the Dies Committee attack on the consumer movement, especially the League of Women Shoppers and the Office of Price Administration. The power of the labor movement in stimulating the reaction against the New Deal is well known, but the consumer movement should be recognized as another major trigger. Women were important in the ascendance of both industrial unionism and organized consumerism, and conservatives highlighted women's role in an effort to undermine public confidence in those movements and their allied government agencies.Less
This chapter looks at key figures in the emerging anticommunist network and analyzes two early episodes: the Smith Committee attack on the National Labor Relations Board and its allies, and the Dies Committee attack on the consumer movement, especially the League of Women Shoppers and the Office of Price Administration. The power of the labor movement in stimulating the reaction against the New Deal is well known, but the consumer movement should be recognized as another major trigger. Women were important in the ascendance of both industrial unionism and organized consumerism, and conservatives highlighted women's role in an effort to undermine public confidence in those movements and their allied government agencies.
Dieter Fuchs, Giovanna Guidorossi, and Palle Svensson
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294733
- eISBN:
- 9780191599699
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294735.003.0011
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Presents an empirical test of the hypothesis that support for the democratic system is in decline, based on the Eurobarometer indicator of public satisfaction with democratic function. It begins with ...
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Presents an empirical test of the hypothesis that support for the democratic system is in decline, based on the Eurobarometer indicator of public satisfaction with democratic function. It begins with discussion of the concept of political support and its operationalization. The second part examines trends in political support in each country and across Western Europe as a whole. The third part compares levels of political support between Western European countries. Finally, the trend and level of political support in each country are considered in order to make a more accurate estimation of the state of democracy in these countries. The analysis shows quite clearly that there has been no legitimation problem in the Western European democracies, nor are there signs of any to come.Less
Presents an empirical test of the hypothesis that support for the democratic system is in decline, based on the Eurobarometer indicator of public satisfaction with democratic function. It begins with discussion of the concept of political support and its operationalization. The second part examines trends in political support in each country and across Western Europe as a whole. The third part compares levels of political support between Western European countries. Finally, the trend and level of political support in each country are considered in order to make a more accurate estimation of the state of democracy in these countries. The analysis shows quite clearly that there has been no legitimation problem in the Western European democracies, nor are there signs of any to come.
Yue Chim Richard Wong
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9789888139446
- eISBN:
- 9789888180349
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888139446.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
The world economic landscape has experienced seismic changes in the fifteen years after restoration of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. Fortunately, the Hong Kong economy has remained ...
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The world economic landscape has experienced seismic changes in the fifteen years after restoration of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. Fortunately, the Hong Kong economy has remained steadfast and is still making progress, but public confidence in the governance of the SAR government has declined, and economic and social dissatisfaction have flared. Where should Hong Kong go from here in the face of all kinds of contradictions? This collection of essays provides an analysis of the origins of these contradictions and insights on these issues.Less
The world economic landscape has experienced seismic changes in the fifteen years after restoration of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. Fortunately, the Hong Kong economy has remained steadfast and is still making progress, but public confidence in the governance of the SAR government has declined, and economic and social dissatisfaction have flared. Where should Hong Kong go from here in the face of all kinds of contradictions? This collection of essays provides an analysis of the origins of these contradictions and insights on these issues.
David Faulkner and Ros Burnett
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428929
- eISBN:
- 9781447305569
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428929.003.0010
- Subject:
- Social Work, Crime and Justice
This chapter looks beyond criminal justice to wider reforms in government and public services – the transition from ‘old public administration’ to ‘new public management’, the mixed results it ...
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This chapter looks beyond criminal justice to wider reforms in government and public services – the transition from ‘old public administration’ to ‘new public management’, the mixed results it achieved and the areas for improvement. Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that he ‘wants one of the great legacies of the government to be the complete modernisation of our public services’. The proposed reforms consist mainly of cuts in public expenditure, contracting out services to create competition and allowing the ‘Big Society’ to take over functions previously performed by publicly funded statutory services. These changes mainly affect public services such as health, education and those provided by local government, and the same approach is being applied to criminal justice. The chapter considers in particular: policy making and legislation; the relationship between ministers and public servants; localisation and citizens' empowerment; the management of risk; promoting innovation; the use of research and expert advice; and the implications of outsourcing services to the private and voluntary sectors and the parameters that should be observed.Less
This chapter looks beyond criminal justice to wider reforms in government and public services – the transition from ‘old public administration’ to ‘new public management’, the mixed results it achieved and the areas for improvement. Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that he ‘wants one of the great legacies of the government to be the complete modernisation of our public services’. The proposed reforms consist mainly of cuts in public expenditure, contracting out services to create competition and allowing the ‘Big Society’ to take over functions previously performed by publicly funded statutory services. These changes mainly affect public services such as health, education and those provided by local government, and the same approach is being applied to criminal justice. The chapter considers in particular: policy making and legislation; the relationship between ministers and public servants; localisation and citizens' empowerment; the management of risk; promoting innovation; the use of research and expert advice; and the implications of outsourcing services to the private and voluntary sectors and the parameters that should be observed.
Desmond Rea and Robin Masefield
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9781781381502
- eISBN:
- 9781781382172
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9781781381502.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
This chapter, written by Edgar Jardine, is primarily an assessment of the performance of the PSNI from 2001-02 to 2001-12, including national comparisons. Beginning with a reference to the ...
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This chapter, written by Edgar Jardine, is primarily an assessment of the performance of the PSNI from 2001-02 to 2001-12, including national comparisons. Beginning with a reference to the Independent Commission recommendations in regard to planning and setting objectives for policing, it then sets out the trends across a wide range of recorded crimes, including violence against the person, domestic burglary, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. Describing the detection rates by the PSNI, these are benchmarked against other jurisdictions, followed by a section on public confidence in the police service. The chapter ends with a section interpreting PSNI performance and the indicators adopted by the Policing Board, and finally it notes alternative approaches to performance management.Less
This chapter, written by Edgar Jardine, is primarily an assessment of the performance of the PSNI from 2001-02 to 2001-12, including national comparisons. Beginning with a reference to the Independent Commission recommendations in regard to planning and setting objectives for policing, it then sets out the trends across a wide range of recorded crimes, including violence against the person, domestic burglary, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. Describing the detection rates by the PSNI, these are benchmarked against other jurisdictions, followed by a section on public confidence in the police service. The chapter ends with a section interpreting PSNI performance and the indicators adopted by the Policing Board, and finally it notes alternative approaches to performance management.
Jed Adam Gross
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807830598
- eISBN:
- 9781469605432
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807877524_wailoo.12
- Subject:
- History, Social History
Following Jesica Santillan's death, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit organization that oversees the country's organ allocation network, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring ...
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Following Jesica Santillan's death, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit organization that oversees the country's organ allocation network, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring public confidence in the transplant system. This chapter examines the historical formation of UNOS and analyzes why public confidence is a paramount priority for transplant policymakers. It discusses the cultural-technical organization of matching, the efforts to promote organ donation, and the politics and economics of organ allocation. Overall, the chapter explores how the matching of available organs with worthy recipients has historically intersected with American debates over scarcity, abundance, fairness, equality, and public confidence.Less
Following Jesica Santillan's death, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit organization that oversees the country's organ allocation network, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring public confidence in the transplant system. This chapter examines the historical formation of UNOS and analyzes why public confidence is a paramount priority for transplant policymakers. It discusses the cultural-technical organization of matching, the efforts to promote organ donation, and the politics and economics of organ allocation. Overall, the chapter explores how the matching of available organs with worthy recipients has historically intersected with American debates over scarcity, abundance, fairness, equality, and public confidence.
Nigel G. Fielding
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198817475
- eISBN:
- 9780191859434
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198817475.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
The chapter uses contemporary policing problems and challenges to evaluate how well training prepares recruits, auxiliaries, detectives, and managers for the police role. It reviews patterns of ...
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The chapter uses contemporary policing problems and challenges to evaluate how well training prepares recruits, auxiliaries, detectives, and managers for the police role. It reviews patterns of police corruption, misconduct and complaints against officers and considers whether, and how well, training helps police forces counter such problems. It also notes instances of positive responses to failures of service delivery. The discussion moves on to examine the challenge that diversity poses for the police, both at a cultural level and in respect of the specific experience of female officers, ethnic minority officers, and officers with alternative sexual orientations. The lessons of sickness, stress and injury on duty are considered in relation to how effectively training and supervision helps counter these. A discussion of public confidence and trust is used to address the concept of police legitimacy and to place it in relation to the acquisition of professional competence.Less
The chapter uses contemporary policing problems and challenges to evaluate how well training prepares recruits, auxiliaries, detectives, and managers for the police role. It reviews patterns of police corruption, misconduct and complaints against officers and considers whether, and how well, training helps police forces counter such problems. It also notes instances of positive responses to failures of service delivery. The discussion moves on to examine the challenge that diversity poses for the police, both at a cultural level and in respect of the specific experience of female officers, ethnic minority officers, and officers with alternative sexual orientations. The lessons of sickness, stress and injury on duty are considered in relation to how effectively training and supervision helps counter these. A discussion of public confidence and trust is used to address the concept of police legitimacy and to place it in relation to the acquisition of professional competence.
Yanek Mieczkowski
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801451508
- eISBN:
- 9780801467936
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801451508.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter discusses Eisenhower's televised efforts to “calm” the American public after the Sputnik launch. He gave a series of nationally televised speeches on science and national security, ...
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This chapter discusses Eisenhower's televised efforts to “calm” the American public after the Sputnik launch. He gave a series of nationally televised speeches on science and national security, assuring the public that there was no crisis, that no rash action or legislative program was needed. General Andrew Goodpaster noted that this effort—dubbed as Operation Confidence—aims to restore the public confidence in the U.S. national security, and prevent “crash programs that would be unnecessary, that would be very wasteful and misdirected.” By setting the proper tone and invoking the right words, he hoped to banish the Sputnik issue from the news.Less
This chapter discusses Eisenhower's televised efforts to “calm” the American public after the Sputnik launch. He gave a series of nationally televised speeches on science and national security, assuring the public that there was no crisis, that no rash action or legislative program was needed. General Andrew Goodpaster noted that this effort—dubbed as Operation Confidence—aims to restore the public confidence in the U.S. national security, and prevent “crash programs that would be unnecessary, that would be very wasteful and misdirected.” By setting the proper tone and invoking the right words, he hoped to banish the Sputnik issue from the news.
Thom Brooks
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- October 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190243098
- eISBN:
- 9780190243104
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190243098.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory, American Politics
Mass incarceration is at near pandemic proportions and yet there is evidence of poor public confidence in how sentencing is handled by the criminal justice system with many finding the courts too ...
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Mass incarceration is at near pandemic proportions and yet there is evidence of poor public confidence in how sentencing is handled by the criminal justice system with many finding the courts too lenient. This chapter considers this problem about public confidence and sentencing from a distinctive angle: if public confidence in sentencing is so poor, then why not include the public more in sentencing decision-making? Restorative justice is a welcome first step about how the public can participate effectively with high satisfaction and lower reoffending at less cost. The chapter argues that restorative justice should be expanded to include more punitive outcomes, including hard treatment, in what the author calls “punitive restoration.” More punitive options for restorative justice may increase its applicability and positive outcomes like improved public confidence while embedding it further into the criminal justice system.Less
Mass incarceration is at near pandemic proportions and yet there is evidence of poor public confidence in how sentencing is handled by the criminal justice system with many finding the courts too lenient. This chapter considers this problem about public confidence and sentencing from a distinctive angle: if public confidence in sentencing is so poor, then why not include the public more in sentencing decision-making? Restorative justice is a welcome first step about how the public can participate effectively with high satisfaction and lower reoffending at less cost. The chapter argues that restorative justice should be expanded to include more punitive outcomes, including hard treatment, in what the author calls “punitive restoration.” More punitive options for restorative justice may increase its applicability and positive outcomes like improved public confidence while embedding it further into the criminal justice system.
Timothy Brain
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- April 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199684458
- eISBN:
- 9780191807497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199684458.003.0010
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter considers the prospects for the new police service's core mission to reduce crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour, and the extent to which public confidence will support them. It ...
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This chapter considers the prospects for the new police service's core mission to reduce crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour, and the extent to which public confidence will support them. It analyses statistics on crime and anti-social behaviour. It describes past incidents of disorder and riots and how these were prevented by the police. This chapter also focuses on the public support for the police and the role of neighbourhood watches in reducing crime.Less
This chapter considers the prospects for the new police service's core mission to reduce crime, disorder, and anti-social behaviour, and the extent to which public confidence will support them. It analyses statistics on crime and anti-social behaviour. It describes past incidents of disorder and riots and how these were prevented by the police. This chapter also focuses on the public support for the police and the role of neighbourhood watches in reducing crime.
Matthew Flinders
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- February 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199644421
- eISBN:
- 9780191803604
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199644421.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter defends politics from the market and explores how economic thinking has transformed the nature of politics in recent decades. It argues that the incursion of market-based values, ...
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This chapter defends politics from the market and explores how economic thinking has transformed the nature of politics in recent decades. It argues that the incursion of market-based values, relationships, and institutions within the public sphere has played a role in damaging public confidence in politics. The chapter is organized as follows. The first section focuses on the cultural contradictions: how an emphasis on individual consumption and material wealth risks fuelling social fragmentation. The second section seeks to tease apart the nature of markets and market logic in order to reveal its deeper moral core. This provides an understand of how marketization affects our relationships by stimulating individualized notions of material exchange, desire, rights, and reward to the detriment of non-market altruistic impulses and social responsibilities. The third section focuses on the impact of marketization on the public sector. The final section looks at the impact of marketization and particularly the notion of ‘citizen consumers’.Less
This chapter defends politics from the market and explores how economic thinking has transformed the nature of politics in recent decades. It argues that the incursion of market-based values, relationships, and institutions within the public sphere has played a role in damaging public confidence in politics. The chapter is organized as follows. The first section focuses on the cultural contradictions: how an emphasis on individual consumption and material wealth risks fuelling social fragmentation. The second section seeks to tease apart the nature of markets and market logic in order to reveal its deeper moral core. This provides an understand of how marketization affects our relationships by stimulating individualized notions of material exchange, desire, rights, and reward to the detriment of non-market altruistic impulses and social responsibilities. The third section focuses on the impact of marketization on the public sector. The final section looks at the impact of marketization and particularly the notion of ‘citizen consumers’.
Robert Alan Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300090000
- eISBN:
- 9780300132946
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300090000.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
There is a hunger for conspiracy news in America. Hundreds of Internet websites, magazines, newsletters, even entire publishing houses, disseminate information on invisible enemies and their secret ...
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There is a hunger for conspiracy news in America. Hundreds of Internet websites, magazines, newsletters, even entire publishing houses, disseminate information on invisible enemies and their secret activities, subversions, and coverups. Those who suspect conspiracies behind events in the news—the crash of TWA Flight 800, the death of Marilyn Monroe—join generations of Americans, from the colonial period to the present day, who have entertained visions of vast plots. This book focuses on five major conspiracy theories of the past half-century, examining how they became widely popular in the United States and why they have remained so. The author argues that, in the post-World War II decades, conspiracy theories have become more numerous, more commonly believed, and more deeply embedded in our culture. He investigates conspiracy theories regarding the Roswell UFO incident, the Communist threat, the rise of the Antichrist, the assassination of President John Kennedy, and the Jewish plot against black America, in each case taking historical, social, and political environments into account. Conspiracy theories are not merely the products of a lunatic fringe, the author shows. Rather, paranoid rhetoric and thinking are disturbingly central in America today. With media validation and dissemination of conspiracy ideas, and federal government behavior that damages public confidence and faith, the ground is fertile for conspiracy thinking.Less
There is a hunger for conspiracy news in America. Hundreds of Internet websites, magazines, newsletters, even entire publishing houses, disseminate information on invisible enemies and their secret activities, subversions, and coverups. Those who suspect conspiracies behind events in the news—the crash of TWA Flight 800, the death of Marilyn Monroe—join generations of Americans, from the colonial period to the present day, who have entertained visions of vast plots. This book focuses on five major conspiracy theories of the past half-century, examining how they became widely popular in the United States and why they have remained so. The author argues that, in the post-World War II decades, conspiracy theories have become more numerous, more commonly believed, and more deeply embedded in our culture. He investigates conspiracy theories regarding the Roswell UFO incident, the Communist threat, the rise of the Antichrist, the assassination of President John Kennedy, and the Jewish plot against black America, in each case taking historical, social, and political environments into account. Conspiracy theories are not merely the products of a lunatic fringe, the author shows. Rather, paranoid rhetoric and thinking are disturbingly central in America today. With media validation and dissemination of conspiracy ideas, and federal government behavior that damages public confidence and faith, the ground is fertile for conspiracy thinking.
Daniel Friedmann
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190278502
- eISBN:
- 9780190278533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190278502.003.0031
- Subject:
- Law, Comparative Law, Legal History
This chapter illustrates the decline of the Supreme Court’s standing in the public eye, particularly during Aharon Barak’s tenure. It recounts several prominent criticisms levied against Barak’s ...
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This chapter illustrates the decline of the Supreme Court’s standing in the public eye, particularly during Aharon Barak’s tenure. It recounts several prominent criticisms levied against Barak’s court, such as the exceptional interview granted by former Chief Justice Moshe Landau. The chapter then outlines several factors that contributed to this decline, beginning with the court’s “all is justiciable” principle to its failure to simply perform its major function of serving the quotidian needs of Israel’s citizens and commercial bodies. The irony of the matter is that the court’s overbearing interference in government affairs was justified on the grounds of preserving “public confidence” in the government. As it turns out, public trust in the courts has instead declined.Less
This chapter illustrates the decline of the Supreme Court’s standing in the public eye, particularly during Aharon Barak’s tenure. It recounts several prominent criticisms levied against Barak’s court, such as the exceptional interview granted by former Chief Justice Moshe Landau. The chapter then outlines several factors that contributed to this decline, beginning with the court’s “all is justiciable” principle to its failure to simply perform its major function of serving the quotidian needs of Israel’s citizens and commercial bodies. The irony of the matter is that the court’s overbearing interference in government affairs was justified on the grounds of preserving “public confidence” in the government. As it turns out, public trust in the courts has instead declined.
Steven G. Calabresi and Christopher S. Yoo
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300121261
- eISBN:
- 9780300145380
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300121261.003.0045
- Subject:
- Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law
This chapter illustrates the difficulty Gerald R. Ford faced in defending the prerogatives of the executive branch, given that Watergate had effectively destroyed public confidence in the presidency. ...
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This chapter illustrates the difficulty Gerald R. Ford faced in defending the prerogatives of the executive branch, given that Watergate had effectively destroyed public confidence in the presidency. Ford also lacked the mandate and the broad base of political support needed for vigorous presidential action. Instead of acquiescing in congressionally imposed invasions on the unitariness of the executive branch, however, Ford held firm and defended the unitariness of the executive with the aid of his assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, Antonin Scalia. The first two major issues of the Ford presidency emerged one month into his administration, when he pardoned both former president Richard M. Nixon and many individuals who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.Less
This chapter illustrates the difficulty Gerald R. Ford faced in defending the prerogatives of the executive branch, given that Watergate had effectively destroyed public confidence in the presidency. Ford also lacked the mandate and the broad base of political support needed for vigorous presidential action. Instead of acquiescing in congressionally imposed invasions on the unitariness of the executive branch, however, Ford held firm and defended the unitariness of the executive with the aid of his assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, Antonin Scalia. The first two major issues of the Ford presidency emerged one month into his administration, when he pardoned both former president Richard M. Nixon and many individuals who had evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
