Historical Guides to Controversial Issues in America
Published by Greenwood Publishing Group.
Throughout history people have engaged in heated debates over controversial issues.
The Gambling Debate. Richard A. MacGowen, 2007. 192pp. On order 12/05/07
The great majority of Americans--more than 80%--say they approve of gambling, even if they themselves don't gamble. Still, deep divisions persist in our attitudes toward the gambling industry. Is it profoundly destructive, preying on human weakness and stripping its victims of their sustenance and dignity? Or is it a vehicle of the American dream--an engine of personal enrichment, enormous public revenue, and economic development? The industry's explosive growth has sharpened the debate, radically altering the gambling landscape and dramatically raising the stakes involved. Author Richard A. McGowan, a respected authority on the public-policy aspects of gambling and other "sin" industries, reveals the new dynamics of gambling and frames the age-old ethical and practical questions it poses.
Whether benefit or bane, gambling today permeates American culture in unprecedented ways. Its newest venues--Native American tribal casinos and the Internet--are drawing in new gamblers in vast numbers and generating spectacular profits. Social, legal, and political controversies inevitably have followed.
How should public policymakers approach expanded gambling? As regulator of the gambling industry, government has always been the gatekeeper. Its role and responsibilities remain central to the gambling debate, even while it stands to reap huge windfalls from the very industry it is regulating. Meanwhile, Internet gambling, more or less regulated at home, has found willing government sponsors abroad--removing an ever-larger segment of the industry from U.S. government jurisdiction and recasting the gambling debate.
Genetic Engineering. Mark Y. Herring. 2005. 244pp. Main Library Stacks QH442 .H49 2006
Genetic engineering has quickly become one of the more controversial issues of our time. Herring provides a detailed history of the debate in a fair and balanced manner, using proponents' points of view to make individual cases, both pro and con. Narrative chapters cover such topics as the Human Genome Project, gene splicing, cloning, genetically altered foods, and DNA and crime-solving.
Table of Contents:
[Genetic engineering -- Popular works]
Gun Control and Gun Rights
Constance Emerson Crooker. 2003. 180pp. Main Library Stacks HV7436 .C76 2003
Roots of the gun control debate date back to our country's founding. Attorney Constance Crooker traces this debate from its origin to the present day. Narrative chapters examine the theories and rhetoric behind each side of this dispute and show the extent to which the rhetoric is or isn't supported by statistical records. A collection of quotes from pro and con politicians and activists illustrate the passionate nature of the gun control issue.
Students will find a balanced, focused approach to landmark Supreme Court cases, gun control laws, gun rights groups, gun control advocates, and the fundamental controversies surrounding interpretations of the Second Amendment. This is an invaluable historical resource exploring an escalating debate in American society.
Table of Contents:
[Gun control -- United States -- History]
[Firearms -- Law and legislation -- United States -- History]
[Firearms -- Social aspects -- United States]
[Social movements -- United States]
Juvenile Justice. Laura L. Finley. 2007. 159pp. Main Library Stacks HV9104 .F53 2007
Early America is known for its harsh treatment of young people, most notably, the "stubborn child laws," which authorized use of the death penalty for children who defied their parents. Yet, even then, many people held more nurturing attitudes toward youth. Thus originated the mixed messages in the U.S. regarding juvenile delinquency and the hodgepodge of approaches that follow. The establishment of the juvenile justice system, founded on the concept of parens patriae, or the state as parent, would seem to have settled the debate over how juvenile offenders should be treated. In reality, however, there remains much controversy over how best to handle juvenile offenders, especially those who commit the most serious offenses. While some still maintain juveniles are developmentally different and should be treated in ways consistent with these differences, others are dismayed at what they feel to be a system that is too lenient and that leads to higher juvenile crime rates and more serious offenses.
With the advent of three strikes laws, curfew laws, boot camps, and referring juveniles to adult courts, and subsequently assigning them to adult prisons, many question just how we got to this place in juvenile justice. Here, Finley offers the history behind the controversial goals and development of the juvenile justice system, providing detailed descriptions of the major trends in juvenile justice. Addressing the most current aspects of the controversy, she also sheds light on issues of race, social class, and gender. Offering recommendations for addressing the weaknesses and confusion in the system, Finley offers a unique and compelling perspective on controversial subject.
[Juvenile justice, Administration of -- United States -- History]
The Pro-Life/Choice Debate. Mark Y. Herring. 2003. 200pp. Main Library Stacks HQ767.5.U5 H467 2003
While the disagreements on abortion date to the beginning of our country, most of its public debate has taken place during the 20th century. Herring examines the issue from the debate's origin to its current state and expected future. Narrative chapters include discussions of the pro and con arguments associated with abortion, featuring quotes from doctors, politicians, religious figures, and ordinary people. First in the new Historical Guides to Controversial Issues in America series, this volume studies the major events and periods in the development of the abortion debate throughout its history. Students will find a nonpartisan approach to landmark cases, acts and amendments, and Pro-Life and Pro-Choice advocates. A list of Pro-Life/Choice Web sites and other electronic resources for further research is included.
[Abortion -- United States -- Public opinion]
[Pro-choice movement -- United States]
[Pro-life movement -- United States]
Same-Sex Marriage. Allene Phy-Olsen. 2006. 256pp. Main Library Stacks HQ1033 .P47 2006
The same-sex marriage debate is currently a central preoccupation of Western society, and both those for and against it have their points of view. After examining religious and social attitudes toward homosexuality and marriage throughout history, Phy-Olsen examines the strongest arguments on both sides of this highly contested issue. Readers are presented with both sides of the debate in an objective manner, and are thus able to form their own opinions. Written for students and the general public, the work provides historical and cultural context for examining the issue of same-sex marriage. Included are leading spokespeople for both positions, a discussion of the role of the media, as well as a concluding chapter discussing where the issue seems to be headed, based on present trends that both favor or bode ill for the future of same-sex marriage. An annotated bibliography lists print and electronic resources for those seeking additional information.
[Same-sex marriage]
[Same-sex marriage -- Religious aspects]
[Homosexuality -- History]
Three Strikes Laws. Jennifer E. Walsh. 2007. 185pp. Gast Business Library KF9685 .W356 2007
In the mid-1990s, policymakers in more than half the states and the federal government responded to escalating crime rates and a series of sensationalized crimes by passing laws that imposed lifetime sentences on repeat offenders. Since then, the "Three Strikes and You're Out" movement, which embodies the overall "get tough with crime" approach to criminal sentencing, has generated much controversy. Critics argue that Three Strike laws are disproportionate, costly, and inefficient. Supporters, however, argue that the laws are effective, necessary, and just. Despite the controversy, Three Strike laws are still popular more than a decade after their implementation. Attempts to reduce the scope and/or severity of Three Strike policies have failed and the laws continue to affect thousands of offenders each year. Setting the record straight, Walsh provides a clear, comprehensive overview of the movement and its consequences.
Do Three Strikes laws really prevent crime? Do they cost less than releasing repeat offenders time and time again? Are they evenly and fairly applied? These questions and more are answered in these pages through a careful analysis of the costs, benefits, and results of Three Strikes legislation. Walsh analyzes the historical development of the Three Strikes movement in the context of "get tough" sentencing reforms and provides detail about the various Three Strikes statutes adopted across the nation, while offering an in-depth exmamination of the controversies they have produced. Amid efforts to repeal or revise such statutes, the laws still stand, and this book sheds light on the history of, rationale for, and results of one of the most controversial criminal justice movements of our time.
[Mandatory sentences -- United States -- History]
[Life imprisonment -- United States]
[Recidivists -- United States]
[Mandatory sentences -- California]
[Life imprisonment -- California]
The Welfare Debate. Greg M. Shaw. 2007. 190pp. On order 12/05/07
"Welfare politics" have now been part of American life for four centuries. Beyond a persistent general idea that Americans have a collective obligation to provide for the poorest among us, there has been little common ground on which to forge political and philosophical consensus. Are poor people poor because of their own shortcomings and moral failings, or because of systemic societal and econonomic obstacles? That is, does poverty have individual or structural causes? This book demonstrates why neither of these two polemical stances has been able to prevail permanently over the other and explores the public policy--and real-life--consequences of the stalemate. Author Greg M. Shaw pays special attention to the outcome of the 1996 act that was heralded as "ending welfare as we know it.">br>
[Public welfare -- United States]
[United States -- Social policy -- History]
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Jon Harrison
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