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Politicized Pseudo Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2006

Robert Weissberg
Robert Weissberg
Affiliation:
University of Illinois-Urbana
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Extract

On June 7th, 2004 the American Political Science Association (APSA) issued a Media Advisory announcing, “Leading Political Scientists Warn of Threat to American Democracy in Rare Nonpartisan Statement” (APSA Press Release 2004). The subtitle reiterated this alarmist tone: “New Study will Report Economic Disparities Deny Many Americans A Political Voice; Money Buys Access; Gains in Civil Rights Threatened as Well.” Note, we are speaking of “threats” (to democracy) that are “profound.” Furthermore, “research shows a devastating erosion of political equality in America” (italics added). Have these distinguished professors possibly discovered a conspiracy to cancel elections, repeal the First Amendment, or otherwise impose a racist plutocracy? Are retired generals and multinational CEOs about to launch a coup d'état?

Type
SYMPOSIUM
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 33 - 37
Copyright
© 2006 The American Political Science Association

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References

APSA Press Release. 2004. “Leading Political Scientists Warn of Threat to American Democracy in Rare Nonpartisan Statement.” Washington, D.C.: American Political Science Association. Available at www.apsanet.org/imgtest/taskforcepress.pdf.Google Scholar
APSA Task Force on Inequality, and American Democracy. 2004a. “American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality: Report of the American Political Science Association Task Force on Inequality and American Democracy.” Washington, D.C.: American Political Science Association. Available at www.apsanet.org/imgtest/taskforcereport.pdf.Google Scholar
APSA Task Force on Inequality, and American Democracy. 2004b. “Inequalities of American Voice.” Washington, D.C.: American Political Science Association. Available at www.apsanet.org/imgtest/voicememo.pdf.Google Scholar
Weissberg, Robert. 2004. The Limits of Civic Activism: Cautionary Tales of the Use of Politics. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers.Google Scholar