Representation In Crisis: The Constitution, Interest Groups, And Political Parties (Suny Series In Political Party Development)

Representation in Crisis: The Constitution, Interest Groups, and Political Parties (Suny Series in Political Party Development)

Details how the Supreme Court has impoverished the constitutional standing of political parties, thereby contributing to a crisis of representation. Review "Ryden tackles a topic that has been poorly researched--the legal regime surrounding representation and political organizations engaged in representation. He deals with the real problems of representation, the dilemmas and contradictions inherent in the topic. The strength of this book is the assembling in one place of important information on the law and potential law of representation as it applies to political organizations. Then this new assemblage is put in the context of the scholarly literature on the topic. This is a very important topic, both for scholars and practical politicians." -- John Green, Bliss Institute, University of Akron"A superior work of scholarship, well written and carefully argued. Ryden skillfully analyzes complex legal issues in terms that lay readers will be able to follow and understand. I think the book will be recognized in the field as a major contribution opening new lines of thought." -- A. James Reichley, author of The Life of the Parties From the Back Cover Confronting a fundamentally important but often neglected reality in American politics, this book shows the powerful influence of the courts in determining the shape and operation of our politics. About the Author David K. Ryden is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Hope College.