Christopher F. Karpowitz

Kelly D. Patterson

The Politics of Individualism demonstrates how individualist attitudes drastically reduce the possibility that people will defer to the decisions and practices of civic and political institutions, therefore threatening the stability of democratic society. Modern American justifications for individual decisions are often rooted in skepticism toward authority and the influence of social institutions. Examining this "moral" dimension of individualism, political scientists Christopher F. Karpowitz and Kelly D. Patterson argue that attachment to this form of the individualist attitude poses significant risks to the maintenance of democratic practices and institutions.

The Politics of Individualism

David B. Magleby

Just in time for the coming election year, this book looks at the changing of the guard in 2006 and speculates on where the system may be heading in 2008. It provides an in-depth examination of the ways in which candidates, interest groups, and parties perceived their opportunities and allocated their campaign resources during the midterm elections. The role of money, which was influenced by campaign finance reform, is a special focus in this book. The theme of political scandal has frequently raised concerns that Republican leadership had become a "culture of corruption" that had flourished under their watch, which is also addressed in this book. The war in Iraq, however, may be the most important factor-not only in the 2006 battle for Congress, but for the 2008 battle for the White House as well.

Kelly D. Patterson

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