Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right

by Elle Andrews Patt

Overview

Although the distinction between the politics of the left and the right is commonly assumed in the media and in treatments of political science and history, the terms are used so loosely that the student and the general reader are often confused: What exactly are the terms left and right supposed to imply? This two-volume Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right contains over 450 articles on individuals, movements, political parties, and ideological principles, with those usually thought of as left in the left-hand volume (Volume 1), and those considered on the right in the right-hand volume (Volume 2).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412904094
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	03/17/2005
Pages:	1088
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.30(h) x 3.00(d)

About the Author

Rodney P. Carlisle is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, where he taught in the History Department from 1966 to 2002. H received his undergraduate degree in history from Harvard College and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Editorial Reviews

"This two-volume set would be helpful to students with a renewed interest in politics. The writing is clear and concise."

Laura Younkin

During the French Revolution, those favoring preservation of the monarchy were seated to the right of the Assembly while promoters of a more egalitarian republic sat to the left. Today, the misunderstood terms Left and Right pepper our discourse-and polarize political debate-yet defy traditional definition. In this two-volume set, movements, ideologies, political parties, and people are split into Left and Right volumes. Thus, affirmative action, environmentalism, and Thomas Jefferson meet in Volume 1: The Left, while capitalism, unilateralism, and George Will appear in Volume 2: The Right. This juxtaposition of diverse elements spotlights the complexity of defining political ideas in simplistic terms. Some entries, like healthcare and welfare, are covered in both volumes with slightly different perspectives. The inclusive scope emphasizes recent events while paying homage to 19th-century changes in political landscape. The 450 articles have been written by an impressive array of world scholars, creating an appropriately global perspective (editor Carlisle is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University). A brief time line of politics and a helpful glossary of terms are appended, along with a reader's guide and index. Bottom Line The accessibility of the articles recommends this set to public libraries serving high school students and interested adults, while the inclusion of article bibliographies speaks to its appropriateness for the academic library market. Although the subjectivity of loose political tags may raise debate among scholars, the work is a solid and lasting contribution to the understanding of the issues that divide us politically. Highly recommended for its readability, scholarly content, and uniqueness.-Kelli Perkins, Herrick Dist. Lib., MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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