Dan Clawson Bücher

When the editors of Contemporary Sociology selected the ten most influential books of the past twenty-five years and published new essays on their importance, the feature sparked enthusiasm, debate, and controversy. This volume responds to and extends that discussion by expanding the list to seventeen books, incorporating a piece on the bestsellers of sociology, and adding four essays on the "most influential" controversy itself. Although the list centers on sociology, only half of the books were written by sociologists. The charge to the reviewers was not to make a case for a book, but rather to analyze the character and extent of its influence. Because these works are already recognized as milestones in their fields, and because the reviewers are prominent figures who themselves often played central roles in the dramas surrounding these titles, the reviews are as noteworthy for their critical edge as for their celebration of the books' contributions. The result is a thought-provoking volume that engages many of the key intellectual issues of our time.

Campaign finance reform is critically examined through in-depth interviews with corporate "government relations" officials, revealing the intricate dynamics of access and influence in politics. The authors highlight how substantial donations, particularly from a small group of wealthy contributors, secure not just meetings but also secretive deals that undermine democratic processes. They argue for a systemic overhaul to diminish the power of big money in politics, moving beyond scandal-focused reforms to create a more equitable campaign financing system.

The U.S. labor movement may be on the verge of massive growth, according to Dan Clawson. He argues that unions don't grow slowly and incrementally, but rather in bursts. Even if the AFL-CIO could organize twice as many members per year as it now does, it would take thirty years to return to the levels of union membership that existed when Ronald Reagan was elected president. In contrast, labor membership more than quadrupled in the years from 1934 to 1945. For there to be a new upsurge, Clawson asserts, labor must fuse with social movements concerned with race, gender, and global justice. The new forms may create a labor movement that breaks down the boundaries between "union" and "community" or between work and family issues. Clawson finds that this is already happening in some parts of the labor movement: labor has endorsed global justice and opposed war in Iraq, student activists combat sweatshops, unions struggle for immigrant rights. Innovative campaigns of this sort, Clawson shows, create new strategies--determined by workers rather than union organizers-that redefine the very meaning of the labor movement. "The Next Upsurge presents a range of examples from attempts to replace "macho" unions with more feminist models to campaigns linking labor and community issues and attempts to establish cross-border solidarity and a living wage

The book delves into the intricacies of campaign finance, revealing how corporate donors manipulate the system for access to lawmakers. Through interviews with government relations officials, it uncovers the expectation of "access" in exchange for contributions, often leading to secretive deals that undermine the democratic process. Notably, a small number of wealthy donors provide a significant portion of campaign funds, highlighting the pervasive influence of money in politics. The authors advocate for comprehensive reforms to diminish the power of big money in elections.