Politics in the Trenches
Subtitle: Citizens, Politicians, and the Fate of Democracy
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
Published: January 2001
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 198
ISBN-13: 9780816520855
Subjects: Politics/International Relations; Politics - Current Events; Political culture; Politics / Current Events; United States; Government - U.S. Government; Political Process - General; Democracy; Political planning; Politicians
Description: "Ask most Americans what they think of politics and you'll likely get an earful. With suspicion and distrust of public servants running high, many citizens seem dispirited by the very process that has made the United States a showcase for democracy." "Now ask Tom Volgy. This former mayor of a major western city, who is also a political scientist, contends that most elected officials are the very opposite of what the public thinks: honest, hardworking people whose real work goes unnoticed by most.".

"In Politics in the Trenches, Volgy shows what really happens behind the scenes of government. He contrasts perception with reality regarding the rewards and perks of office. He examines the process of experimentation in the political laboratory and shows how the news media distort it. He provides a case study of homelessness to illustrate the system's constraints. And he offers a chapter on a typical week in office that will be an eye-opener for most readers."--BOOK JACKET.