Uncertainty in American Politics

Description

This book represents an exciting intellectual meeting of researchers from diverse subfields to analyze how and why uncertainty affects American politics. It seeks to reconnect research traditions that have seldom spoken to one another. Though used by formal theorists, empiricists, and historians in a parallel fashion for a number of years, the notion of uncertainty has often been introduced only to explain away anomalies, provide backing for a larger argument, or justify a particular methodology. Uncertainty has rarely been considered in its own right or as a concept that might connect researchers from different subfields. The authors demonstrate some of the many substantive effects that uncertainty has on the bureaucracy, voters, and elected officials. They also reveal the origins and consequences of uncertainty to remind researchers across the discipline how central the idea should be to any serious study of US politics.

"...this is an interesting book. Several of the chapters are excellent and thought-provoking, making this book a worthwhile read for those interested in how uncertainty fits into the study of politics." Public Choice "Overall, the essays are evocative and well written and, even though they focus on American politics, they should be of interest to a broad audience of political scientists. Highly recommended." Choice