Off Center

The Republicans who run American government today have defied the normal laws of political gravity. They have ruled with the slimmest of majorities and yet have transformed the nation’s governing priorities. They have strayed dramatically from the moderate middle of public opinion and yet have faced little public backlash. Again and again, they have sided with the affluent and ideologically extreme while paying little heed to the broad majority of Americans. And much more often than not, they have come out on top. This book shows why—and why this troubling state of affairs can and must be changed. Written in a highly accessible style by two professional political scientists, Off Center tells the story of a deliberative process restricted and distorted by party chieftains, of unresponsive power brokers subverting the popular will, and of legislation written by and for powerful interests and deliberately designed to mute popular discontent. In the best tradition of engaged social science, Off Center is a powerful and informed critique that points the way toward a stronger foundation for American democracy.

China Off Center takes as its fundamental assumption that contemporary China can only be understood as a complex, decentralized place, where the view from above (Beijing) and from tourist buses is a skewed one. Instead of generalizing about China, it demonstrates that this diverse national terrain is better conceived as it is experienced by Chinese, as a set of many Chinas. To that end, this anthology of interpretive essays and ethnographic reports focuses on the everyday, the particular, the local, and the puzzling. Together with contextualizing introductions, the readings provide students with a compelling look at some little-known but significant aspects of China from the past decade; for those already familiar with China, they furnish an assortment of uncommon viewpoints in a single, convenient volume. Foreword by Prasenjit Duara Contributors: A. Doak Barnett, Susan D. Blum, Diane Dorfman, Mary S. Erbaugh, Edward Friedman, Vincent E. Gil, Dru Gladney, Erwin J. Haeberle, Lionel M. Jensen, Andrew F. Jones, Eric Ivan Karchmer, Liu Binyan, Dalin Liu, Man Lun Ng, S. Robert Ramsey, Dorothy J. Solinger, Ann Tyson, James Tyson, Sydney White, David Yen-ho Wu, Li Ping Zhou.

The must-read summary of Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson's book: “Off Center: The Republican Revolution & the Erosion of American Democracy”. This complete summary of "Off Center" by Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson, two renowned political science professors, presents their exploration of the dynamics behind America's political shift to the right and their explanation of how the Republican party has maintained control, despite policies which clearly benefit affluent and ideologically extreme people and pay little heed to the broad majority of Americans. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand the American government under the Republican Party • Expand your knowledge of American politics To learn more, read "Off Center" and discover how the Republican Party maintained power and what this means for ordinary Americans.

The author invites anyone that has ever worked with young people, intends to work with young people, or knows some young people, to travel along on her sojourn into the world of being an at-riskhigh school teacher. Take a look at this unique world of academia through her lens. Join her in the ups and downs and the laughter and tears of getting to know her remarkable students, all the while getting to know the profession she has chosen. Going Off Center employs a little laughter, a little sass, a little sadness, and a lot of reflection of being an at-risk teacher.