John J. Pitney Jr. – författare

The full story behind the six words that reshaped Republican fiscal politics——and still haunt American governance today.“Read my lips: no new taxes.” With that electrifying pledge at the 1988 Republican National Convention, George H. W. Bush sealed his nomination and unified a party. The promise became one of the most famous—and most consequential—lines in modern American political history. When President Bush broke it two years later, the fallout didn’t just derail a presidency; it permanently transformed Republican thinking about taxes, deficits, and political survival.In 1990, facing a ballooning deficit, binding budget law, and the highstakes final phase of the Cold War, Bush made a fateful decision to accept a budget deal that included tax increases. The reaction was swift and brutal. Conservatives erupted in anger. Headlines screamed betrayal. Party unity collapsed. Though the agreement ultimately helped balance the federal budget, Bush paid a steep political price and lost his bid for reelection in 1992.Drawing on rare firsthand experience and rigorous historical analysis, John J. Pitney Jr.—who worked inside the Republican National Committee during the crisis—reveals what really happened behind closed doors. He shows why Bush believed he had no viable alternative, how Democrats forced the issue, and why defense cuts were a nonstarter at a pivotal moment in global politics. Most importantly, Pitney traces how Republicans turned the 1990 budget deal into a cautionary myth: the belief that any tax compromise guarantees political ruin.That lesson, embraced as doctrine, has shaped Republican fiscal strategy for decades. It has fueled resistance to deficit reduction, constrained budget negotiations, and helped drive today’s federal debt. By revisiting the moment when the party’s modern tax orthodoxy was forged, this book offers essential insight into the roots of contemporary budget battles.Authoritative and deeply revealing, this is the definitive account of how one broken promise changed American politics and why its consequences are still with us.

The full story behind the six words that reshaped Republican fiscal politics——and still haunt American governance today.“Read my lips: no new taxes.” With that electrifying pledge at the 1988 Republican National Convention, George H. W. Bush sealed his nomination and unified a party. The promise became one of the most famous—and most consequential—lines in modern American political history. When President Bush broke it two years later, the fallout didn’t just derail a presidency; it permanently transformed Republican thinking about taxes, deficits, and political survival.In 1990, facing a ballooning deficit, binding budget law, and the highstakes final phase of the Cold War, Bush made a fateful decision to accept a budget deal that included tax increases. The reaction was swift and brutal. Conservatives erupted in anger. Headlines screamed betrayal. Party unity collapsed. Though the agreement ultimately helped balance the federal budget, Bush paid a steep political price and lost his bid for reelection in 1992.Drawing on rare firsthand experience and rigorous historical analysis, John J. Pitney Jr.—who worked inside the Republican National Committee during the crisis—reveals what really happened behind closed doors. He shows why Bush believed he had no viable alternative, how Democrats forced the issue, and why defense cuts were a nonstarter at a pivotal moment in global politics. Most importantly, Pitney traces how Republicans turned the 1990 budget deal into a cautionary myth: the belief that any tax compromise guarantees political ruin.That lesson, embraced as doctrine, has shaped Republican fiscal strategy for decades. It has fueled resistance to deficit reduction, constrained budget negotiations, and helped drive today’s federal debt. By revisiting the moment when the party’s modern tax orthodoxy was forged, this book offers essential insight into the roots of contemporary budget battles.Authoritative and deeply revealing, this is the definitive account of how one broken promise changed American politics and why its consequences are still with us.

The Art of Political Warfare highlights the striking similarities between politics and war. Applying military thought to domestic politics, John J. Pitney, Jr., persuasively argues that the language of war teaches us about political activity. Combining lively story telling with solid scholarship, he ranges across history to produce a unique field manual for politics.Pitney discusses how military principle can explain victory or defeat in politics, whether for an election campaign or a legislative blitz. Each chapter takes a single concept form the military - strategy, leadership, training, intelligence, deception logistics, friction, family-and applies it to political concerns ranging from campaign warchests to legislative tactics.This strikingly original book will appeal to campaign operatives, armchair political strategists, and students of political science. In this presidential election year, The Art of Political Warfare is necessary reading for people fighting in the political trenches those who simply want an engrossing view of the battlefield.

In the first book devoted exclusively to the contentious politics of autism, noted political scientist and public policy expert John J. Pitney, Jr., explains how autism has evolved into a heated political issue disputed by scientists, educators, social workers, and families. Nearly everything about autism is subject to debate and struggle, including its measurement and definition. Organizational attempts to deal with autism have resulted in not a single “autism policy,” but a vast array of policies at the federal, state, and local levels, which often leave people with autism and their families frustrated and confused. Americans with autism are citizens, friends, coworkers, sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers. No longer simply the objects of public policy, they are active participants in current policy debates. Pitney’s fascinating look at how public policy is made and implemented offers networks of concerned parents, educators, and researchers a compass to navigate the current systems and hope for a path towards more regularized and effective policies for America’s autism community.

Making Congress Work, Again, Within the Constitutional SystemCongress for many years has ranked low in public esteem—joining journalists, bankers, and union leaders at the bottom of polls. And in recent years there's been good reason for the public disregard, with the rise of hyper-partisanship and the increasing inability of Congress to carry out its required duties, such as passing spending bills on time and conducting responsible oversight of the executive branch.Congress seems so dysfunctional that many observers have all but thrown up their hands in despair, suggesting that an apparently broken U.S. political system might need to be replaced.Now, some of the country's foremost experts on Congress are reminding us that tough hyper-partisan conflict always has been a hallmark of the constitutional system. Going back to the nation's early decades, Congress has experienced periods of division and turmoil. But even in those periods Congress has been able to engage in serious deliberation, prevent ill-considered proposals from becoming law—and, over time, help develop a deeper, more lasting national consensus.The ten chapters in this volume focus on how Congress in the twenty-first century can once again fulfill its proper functions of representation, deliberation, legislation, and oversight. The authors offer a series of practical reforms that would maintain, rather than replace, the constitutional separation of powers that has served the nation well for more than 200 years.

Now updated to include the 2014 midterms and preview the coming 2016 election cycle, After Hope and Change provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, including the presidential nomination process and election and congressional elections. As they have for every national election since 1992, James W. Ceaser and Andrew E. Busch, now joined by John J. Pitney, Jr., combine a concise account of the elections as well as the broader context for American politics and institutions.Previous books in the seriesAfter Hope and Change: The 2012 Elections and American PoliticsEpic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics Red Over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics The Perfect Tie: The True Story of the 2000 Presidential ElectionLosing to Win: The 1996 Elections and American PoliticsUpside Down and Inside Out: The 1992 Elections and American Politics

The twenty-first century has seen a sharp rise in privatization of the military, especially of logistics and security functions during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The outbreak of Somali piracy that started in 2008 has prompted a similar revolution in maritime security. Private security companies began operating armed escort vessels to protect merchant shipping against pirates off the Horn of Africa. Private Anti-Piracy Navies is intended to provide a contextualized understanding of the historical origins, current state, and future prospects of this fast-changing sector. Centuries ago, the British East India Company used a private navy against piracy in the same waters with much success. Yet since then, international law has evolved to more tightly regulate the use of force by civilians, and to afford greater protections to suspected pirates. Thus, the development of what are in effect private warships has presented numerous legal and regulatory problems. How can the companies that operate these vessels be effectively licensed? Under what circumstances should they be allowed to use lethal force? This book explains how regulators in industry and government have attempted to answer such questions, and highlights the remaining areas of uncertainty. It also addresses the economic factors that drive the struggle between pirates and anti-piracy forces. Of equal concern are operational considerations such as defensive tactics, logistics, and rules of engagement. Security companies must carefully balance rights concerns against the need to defend ships effectively. Partly due to the contribution of private security, piracy in the Indian Ocean has dropped significantly over the past two years, leading to widespread overconfidence. Governments under severe budget pressure may withdraw their naval task forces from the region prematurely, leading to a resurgence of Somali piracy. At the same time, pirates are wreaking havoc in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa. The book concludes with an assessment of private naval forces’ prospects in these conflicts over the short term, as well as the implications for wider naval privatization in the long run.

Now updated to include the 2018 midterms and previewing the coming 2020 election cycle, Defying the Odds provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, including the presidential nomination process and election and congressional elections. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2016 election, Defying the Odds will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand an election that was decades in the making and will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

Now updated to include the 2018 midterms and previewing the coming 2020 election cycle, Defying the Odds provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, including the presidential nomination process and election and congressional elections. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2016 election, Defying the Odds will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand an election that was decades in the making and will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

A Scathing Indictment of Donald Trump on the Eve of the 2020 ElectionUn-American? President Donald J. Trump has been called many names, but how can this term apply to a candidate and president whose slogan is “make America great again?” How can such a term apply to the “America First” president? In this book, John J. Pitney Jr., one of America’s most incisive conservative commentators exposes a core irony of Trump’s presidency: that a man who is quick to question the patriotism of his critics is himself deeply unpatriotic. Pitney argues that real Americanism is about ideas and ideals: truth, equality, the rule of law, patriotic service, and the hope that America can serve as an example to the rest of the world. By words and actions, Trump has disparaged all of these things. Through an examination of his record, this book tells how Trump subverts genuine American greatness.

Through pandemic, protests, and polarization, Americans went to the polls in 2020, one of the most contentious elections in American history. Continuing an R&L tradition now entering its fourth decade, Divided We Stand book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the insurrection designed to stop the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2020 elections, Divided We Stand: The 2020 Elections and American Politics will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

Through pandemic, protests, and polarization, Americans went to the polls in 2020, one of the most contentious elections in American history. Continuing an R&L tradition now entering its fourth decade, Divided We Stand book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the insurrection designed to stop the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2020 elections, Divided We Stand: The 2020 Elections and American Politics will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

Continuing a tradition now in its fourth decade, this book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2024 elections, The Comeback will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

Continuing a tradition now in its fourth decade, this book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2024 elections, The Comeback will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.

Continuing a tradition now in its fourth decade, this book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the national election, as well as congressional and state elections. From the nominating process to the ratification of the electoral college vote, Andrew E. Busch and John J. Pitney Jr. revisit the campaigns and results through the short lens of politics today and the long lens of American political history. With its keen insights into the issues and events that drove the 2024 elections, The Comeback will be an invaluable resource for students and all political observers seeking to understand a historic election that will continue to resonate throughout American politics for many years to come.