scholarly journals Blue-Green Coalitions: Constraints and Possibilities in the Post 9-11 Political Environment

2004 ◽  
pp. 91-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Gould ◽  
Tammy L. Lewis ◽  
J. Timmons Roberts
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climate Justice ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Environmental Groups ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
History Of

Workers and environmentalists in the United States have often found themselves on opposite sides of critical issues. Yet at the WTO meeting in Seattle in November 1999, they came together in a historic protest many see as a watershed in the formation of a new blue-green “Seattle Coalition.” However the two camps are again in con?ict over substantive issues, and in the changed political climate of post 9-11, the question arises of the coalition’s durability. The paper ?rst brie? y reviews the history of labor-environment interactions in the United States. It then examines a series of problems and potential areas of promise for the movements: di?culties of coalition-building, expectations of reciprocation, local vs. national connections, and the question of di?ering class cultures and interests. Finally, three areas of potential research and action are suggested: new roles for the mainstream environmental groups, just transition alliances and climate justice alliances. We propose that the environmen-tal justice and environmental health wings of the green movement are more suited to making long-term coalitions with labor than are habitat-oriented green groups.

Social Security

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry DeWitt ◽  
Edward D. Berkowitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Older People ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
History Of ◽  
Government Benefits

This chapter considers the history of Social Security, arguing that the 1950 amendments represented the fundamental adjustment that allowed the program’s long-term survival. It analyzes current issues in Social Security related to gender, race, and the program’s long-term solvency. It concludes that Social Security has legitimized the receipt of government benefits among many Americans and changed the nature of old age in the United States by providing older people with a guaranteed means of support. A large and costly program, Social Security has evolved into the United States’ major antipoverty program. Nonetheless it faces the criticism of those who argue that it favors older people over other age groups and that it represents an inefficient form of government coercion. Whether the program will be sustained in the future or modified in a significant way remains a critical question.

Comment on Reiter

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-419
Author(s):  
Nelson W. Polsby
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
The United States ◽  
Party Politics ◽  
Secular Trends ◽  
Recent History ◽  
History Of ◽  
American Party ◽  
Presidential Nominations

I am sure that all of us who have been attempting to make sense of American party politics these last couple of decades welcome Professor Reiter's contribution, and look forward to the publication of his book. As I understand the argument he is making, at least four positions are possible with respect to the recent history of political parties and Presidential nominations in the United States: (1) that no changes have occurred; (2) that long-term secular trends account for all changes; (3) that party reforms account for all changes; and (4) that a combination of longer-term trends and party reforms account for changes. Perhaps in order to hold the attention of readers, Professor Reiter has chosen to contrast positions (2) and (3).

Free the Land

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Onaci
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
Independence Movement ◽  
Political Struggles ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Republic

On March 31, 1968, over 500 Black nationalists convened in Detroit to begin the process of securing independence from the United States. Many concluded that Black Americans' best remaining hope for liberation was the creation of a sovereign nation-state, the Republic of New Afrika (RNA). New Afrikan citizens traced boundaries that encompassed a large portion of the South--including South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana--as part of their demand for reparation. As champions of these goals, they framed their struggle as one that would allow the descendants of enslaved people to choose freely whether they should be citizens of the United States. New Afrikans also argued for financial restitution for the enslavement and subsequent inhumane treatment of Black Americans. The struggle to "Free the Land" remains active to this day. This book is the first to tell the full history of the RNA and the New Afrikan Independence Movement. Edward Onaci shows how New Afrikans remade their lifestyles and daily activities to create a self-consciously revolutionary culture, and it argues that the RNA's tactics and ideology were essential to the evolution of Black political struggles. Onaci expands the story of Black Power politics, shedding new light on the long-term legacies of mid-century Black Nationalism.

United States’ Options for Receiving Cross-Border Climate Migrants

Climate Law ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-258
Author(s):  
Katrina M. Wyman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Immigration Law ◽  
Displaced Persons ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Safe Haven ◽  
Legislative Change ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
History Of ◽  
Domestic Law

Although the current political climate in the United States is not especially receptive to welcoming displaced persons, the country has a history of oscillating between greater and lesser openness to immigration. This article seeks to establish that there are meaningful options for the United States to provide a refuge for climate migrants under existing us immigration law, contrary to suggestions in the literature that legislative change would be necessary for the country to provide a safe haven for such migrants. The article highlights three legal options that the United States could use to assist climate migrants from other countries under existing domestic law. In addition, it identifies recent precedents in the use of these options that could be helpful in adapting them to assist climate migrants.

Prison History

Criminology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Schmalleger ◽  
Cassandra Atkin-Plunk
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Social Transformations ◽  
Early 21St Century ◽  
History Of ◽  
Prison Systems ◽  
Historical Accounts

Prisons in the United States and Western European nations have a rich history, with the use of confinement as a form of punishment dating back to medieval times. Throughout the centuries, scholars and penal reformers have widely documented reform efforts and the shift in punishment philosophies. This shift resulted in corporal punishment methods being abandoned and replaced with incarceration. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the confinement of criminals in prisons expanded across the United States and Europe. As the use of prisons as punishment became common practice, penal innovations throughout continental Europe influenced the development of competing prison discipline systems in the United States. The opposing systems in the United States in turn promoted a change in penal practices across Europe. The state of early prison systems has been well documented, from first-hand accounts of abysmal conditions in early European prisons to historical examinations of physical prison structures. Scholars have conducted case studies of historical penal institutions as well as examined the history of women in prison, which paints a vivid picture of prisons throughout history. Historians and scholars also place great emphasis on reform efforts of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where authors cite social transformations, ideological shifts, economic changes, and political events that resulted in the widespread use of incarceration that continues in the early 21st century. The 1970s is arguably the most pivotal decade in the recent history of prisons, where the United States witnessed a sweeping change in the political climate. This change resulted in a transformation of penal and sentencing policies, which ultimately resulted in mass incarceration practices in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Europe. A substantial amount of scholarly research on trends in the correctional population emerged in the 1990s and 2000s. The consequences of the unprecedented increase in incarceration have also been examined, particularly with regard to the large-scale incarceration of minorities. Overall, the numerous historical accounts of prison development and penal practices throughout time will help researchers and students alike gain a comprehensive understanding of the history of prisons in the United States and Europe.

Hard Times but No Hard Words: A Rejoinder

2005 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 64-78
Author(s):  
Verity Burgmann
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Hard Times ◽  
Political Scene ◽  
Day By Day

“From Syndicalism to Seattle” was first delivered to ILWCH late in 2000, conceived during the highpoint of post-Seattle euphoria and before the events of 9/11. In some obvious ways the anticorporate movement in North America and Australia has since fallen on harder times due to: the necessary diversion of radical energies into the antiwar movement and opposition to inept and authoritarian counterterrorism initiatives; a reluctance on the part of some NGOs to continue campaigning in the prevailing conservative political climate; increased surveillance and repression of all forms of dissent and protest; and greatly reduced media coverage due to obsession with the “war on terror.” However, in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa, gigantic mobilizations and/or spectacularly stubborn day-by-day forms of resistance have continued and grown. Obituaries to anticorporate activism, invariably focused on the United States, are generally ignorant of these important struggles. In any case, despite the harsher political environment in the United States since 9/11, there are also positive developments that reveal the extent to which the critique of corporate power has gained public attention and political traction. Consider, for instance, the recent emergence of anticorporate blockbuster movies, such as Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Corporation, and Outfoxed. This new cinematic genre bears the imprint of Seattle: it builds upon the radically democratic anticorporate analysis brought to prominence by the worldwide movement that burst upon the political scene late in 1999; and it provides a valuable and previously unavailable avenue for dissemination of anticorporate ideas. Rather than dying—as those who pen its obituaries fervently wish—the anticorporate movement in the heart of Empire is instead assuming new forms and finding new ways to promulgate its message.

Amchitka Island, Alaska: moving towards long term stewardship

Polar Record ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Benning ◽  
David L. Barnes ◽  
Joanna Burger ◽  
John J. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Atomic Energy Commission ◽  
Test Site ◽  
The United States ◽  
Nuclear Test ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Health ◽  
History Of

ABSTRACTAmchitka Island, Alaska, is a historical underground nuclear test site. Three underground tests were conducted there by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, now US Department of Energy (USDOE), between 1965 and 1971. These were Long Shot, an 80 kiloton detonation; Milrow, a 1 megaton detonation; and Cannikin, a 5 megaton detonation. Subsequent to these tests, several scientific assessments have been conducted regarding the impacts of the tests on the terrestrial and marine environments surrounding the island. However, many citizens and groups still voice concerns over the potential for detrimental effects on human and ecological health. In its responsibility for the long term protection of human and ecological health consequent to its nuclear programme, USDOE has recently prepared a plan for the long term surveillance and monitoring of the site. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the history of the island, specifically with regards to its use as a nuclear test site, to summarise the results of investigative activities following testing, to summarise USDOE's plan for surveillance and monitoring, and to offer the authors' viewpoints on the long term stewardship of the island. The authors deemed the stewardship plan to be essentially protective of human and ecological health; however, they recommend a stronger commitment to site oversight and review, as well as to future research, for addressing uncertainties remaining at the island.

Racism Is Not Enough: Minority Coalition Building in San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Yeon Kim
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coalition Building ◽  
Exogenous Shocks ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S

Scholars have long argued that the marginalized racial status shared by ethnic minority groups is a strong incentive for mobilization and coalition building in the United States. However, despite their members’ shared racial status as “Orientals,” different types of housing coalitions were formed in the Chinatowns of San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver during the 1960s and 1970s. Asian race-based coalitions appeared in San Francisco and Seattle, but not in Vancouver, where a cross-racial coalition was built between the Chinese and southern and eastern Europeans. Drawing on exogenous shocks and process tracing, this article explains how historical legacies—specifically, the political geography of settlement—shaped this divergence. These findings demonstrate how long-term historical analysis offers new insights into the study of minority coalition formation in the United States.

scholarly journals Uncertainty and Resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Megan Elizabeth Welsh ◽  
Ian Burke ◽  
James Estes
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Theological Education ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Managed Change ◽  
History Of

This study examines the experiences of theological library deans and directors in the United States and Canada as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey and interview data gathered in spring and fall 2020 provide insight about how library leaders managed change and uncertainty, including the sudden shift to virtual learning environments, meeting changing patron needs, and identifying opportunities amidst unprecedented challenges. The researchers contextualize this research within the recent history of theological education and alongside the limited information available about the impacts of the pandemic on libraries. Further research is needed to understand the long term implications of the pandemic on theological librarianship.

The French Connection: An Uncertain Factor in Soviet Relations with Western Europe

1985 ◽  
Vol 481 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIE MENDRAS
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Soviet Union ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
Socialist Government ◽  
Uncertain Factor ◽  
History Of

France's long relationship with the Soviet Union has varied according to the political climate. The crucial factors in the French-Soviet relationship are the state of U.S.-Soviet affairs and Moscow's objectives in Western Europe. Mendras reviews the history of French-Soviet relations from the de Gaulle years. By the early 1970s, she argues, détente with the United States and the recognition of postwar borders in central Europe reduced the instrumentality and priority of France in Soviet policy. In the 1980s, as their relations with the United States deteriorated, the Soviets took a renewed interest in France. But the Socialist government in Paris, more critical of the USSR than were its predecessors, has developed a policy that the Soviets denigrate as “Europeanist” and “Atlantist” and no longer truly independent. Although recent events have made the French leadership more receptive to the Soviet Union, bilateral relations will remain essentially a diplomatic ritual.

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