The Divided States

"As James Madison led America's effort to write its Constitution, he made two great inventions-the separation of powers and federalism. The first is more famous, but the second was most essential because, without federalism, there could have been no United States of America. Federalism has always been about setting the balance of power between the federal government and the states-and that's revolved around deciding just how much inequality the country was prepared to accept in exchange for making piece among often-warring states. Through the course of its history, the country has moved through a series of phases, some of which put more power into the hands of the federal government, and some rested more power in the states. Sometimes this rebalancing led to armed conflict. The Civil War, of course, almost split the nation permanently apart. And sometimes it led to political battles. By the end of the 1960s, however, the country seemed to have settled into a quiet agreement that inequality was a prime national concern, that the federal government had the responsibility for addressing it through its own policies, and that the states would serve as administrative agents of that policy. But as that agreement seemed set, federalism drifted from national debate, just as the states began using their administrative role to push in very different directions. The result has been a rising tide of inequality, with the great invention that helped create the nation increasingly driving it apart"--

An America sundered. An America enraged. An America terrified. An America shattered by greed and racism, violence and fear, nihilism and tragedy and that's when everything really goes to hell. Collects THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA #1-6

“Racial tension in the United States is at an all-time high. The government, infiltrated by the KKK, uses this tension to justify dividing the states into racial sections. A must-read for every American! PS, you’ll love the ending!” ~ Carl Phillip, Attorney

“The anxiety caused in the United States by racial tensions is something felt by every American. This book needs to read by every American of every race!” ~ Jacqueline Saunders, Barnes & Noble Reader

“A perfect story for our time! I love Mikela! She is a courageous pioneer in a new world.” ~Alexandria O’Neil, Amazon Reader

An America sundered. An America enraged. An America terrified. An America shattered by greed and racism, violence and fear, nihilism and tragedy... ...and that's when everything really goes to hell

Publisher Description

Offers a new view of the separation of church and state debate in America, outlining the critical assumptions made by both sides and exploring why the debate is important for the future of religion in America.

A popular look at the separation of church and state: what it is, what it isn't, and why it matters for the future of religion in America. An alarm-ringing but intelligent and fair-minded revelation of the backlash against traditional moral values, presented in an accessible and practical way using the sports analogy of fair play. Explains why religiously-informed moral values are under threat in a one-sided interpretation of church and state. Empowers readers by helping them to clarify confusing viewpoints and motivating them to act on what they believe.

The Civil War has long been described as a war pitting "brother against brother." The divided family is an enduring metaphor for the divided nation, but it also accurately reflects the reality of America's bloodiest war. Connecting the metaphor to the real experiences of families whose households were split by conflicting opinions about the war, Amy Murrell Taylor provides a social and cultural history of the divided family in Civil War America. In hundreds of border state households, brothers--and sisters--really did fight one another, while fathers and sons argued over secession and husbands and wives struggled with opposing national loyalties. Even enslaved men and women found themselves divided over how to respond to the war. Taylor studies letters, diaries, newspapers, and government documents to understand how families coped with the unprecedented intrusion of war into their private lives. Family divisions inflamed the national crisis while simultaneously embodying it on a small scale--something noticed by writers of popular fiction and political rhetoric, who drew explicit connections between the ordeal of divided families and that of the nation. Weaving together an analysis of this popular imagery with the experiences of real families, Taylor demonstrates how the effects of the Civil War went far beyond the battlefield to penetrate many facets of everyday life.