Who's Running America? the Bush Restoration

by Thomas R. Dye

Book Overview

Arguing that the power in America is concentrated in large institutions, this book studies the people at the top of these institutionswho they are, how much power they wield, and how they came to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0130974625
• ISBN13: 9780130974624
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Pearson
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.4" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Dye provides a non-conspiratorial yet critical view of the elites

Prof. Thomas Dye and his graduate students have, through the various editions of this book over the years, given us a candid revelation of "Who's Running America." I often recommend this book-series to anyone who has fallen into the more "paranoid" view of American politics, those who espouse views that there is a secret, occult conspiracy of "Illuminati" and/or a powerful cabal using the Council on Foreign Relations and Trilateral Commission to manipulate world events for some draconian purpose-- the creation of a godless, anti-American "New World Order." (The kind of overwrought, feverish material in None Dare Call It Conspiracy, Pat Robertson's New World Order, and many other books and articles of this fear-based ilk.) Yes, it's true, the "shadow side" of American policy-making is rotten and corrupt with special-interest money and heavy attachment to a status quo of "business and pleasure as usual." This agenda quite callously ignores and/or manipulates and oppresses the poorer nations and downtrodden peoples of the planet (including right here in the U.S.A.) who all aspire toward a more secure and pleasant middle-class lifestyle--"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." So it's a great ongoing labor that Dye and his colleagues continue to shine a light on all those "movers and shakers" who align (more-or-less) together with their overall "elitist" interests to enact national and international policies, certain of these policies helping people, but too many of these policies harming our fellow beings. Numerous folks wielding immense influence and power are quite well-intentioned. Others, alas, are still stuck in stubborn selfishness. Let's hope Prof. Dye's "Obama years" next-edition of Who's Running America will be out within the next year or two.

Invaluable and informative

The book was recommended in my "Wealth and Power in America" class at the University of Phoenix and I have used the information in subsequent business classes. Dye is refreshingly analytical! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to understand this economy.

Elite View of American Politics

Pretty good book about political elites in the United States. Its strongest point is its empirical discussion of personalities and of groups that have a lot of power in America. Even though the book has been through seven editions, including one following election 2000, some information needs to be updated. This is true, for example, of the discussion about the richest people in America. The theoretical model I found a bit tangled and not one hundred percent persuasive. I am on the side of the author as far as the major thesis, but I think theoretically this is not the last word on the elite theory of American politics, nor is the book astonishingly creative from the theoretical standpoint.I also needed more persuasion as far as some specific hypotheses. For example the role of endowments and foundations was presented as a truly major role. Most textbooks on American politics do not even mention endowments and foundations that support academic and scientific research. Much less do most textbooks on the subject consider endowments and foundations to be key players.Nevertheless, it is a clear no-nonsense book and easy to read, especially if you are interested in politics. I thought it had a nice introductory chapter, paying homage to some of the early great elite theorists, such as Vifredo Pareto, Robert Michels, and Gaetano Mosca.I recommend it to undergraduate students in American politics and political theory.