Lauren Wright – författare

Are celebrity politics the spice of American public life or a pox on policy progress? This book identifies and measures the attributes of celebrities that make them well-equipped to win campaigns and yet poorly prepared to govern effectively. The framers of the U.S. Constitution worried about the propensity of an undereducated public to elect unqualified entertainers rather than fit characters to government positions. Celebrities have come to play an increasingly central role in the American political process as fundraisers, surrogates, and as candidates themselves, yet remain a sorely understudied topic in political science. Through a multimethod approach that includes qualitative analysis, novel public opinion surveys, and survey experiments, this book assesses whether Americans are more likely to vote for celebrities than well-known traditional politicians and the implications of these preferences for democracy in the U.S. Perfect for students, scholars, and interested citizens, Star Power looks at the contemporary American political landscape through new lenses of research as well as popular appeal.

Are celebrity politics the spice of American public life or a pox on policy progress? This book identifies and measures the attributes of celebrities that make them well-equipped to win campaigns and yet poorly prepared to govern effectively. The framers of the U.S. Constitution worried about the propensity of an undereducated public to elect unqualified entertainers rather than fit characters to government positions. Celebrities have come to play an increasingly central role in the American political process as fundraisers, surrogates, and as candidates themselves, yet remain a sorely understudied topic in political science. Through a multimethod approach that includes qualitative analysis, novel public opinion surveys, and survey experiments, this book assesses whether Americans are more likely to vote for celebrities than well-known traditional politicians and the implications of these preferences for democracy in the U.S. Perfect for students, scholars, and interested citizens, Star Power looks at the contemporary American political landscape through new lenses of research as well as popular appeal.

A celebration of handmade toys, featuring fabulous stuffed animals, handmade baby gifts and more - all made using fat quarter cuts of fabric - the most popular way that sewers buy fabric. Continuing the series from 50 Fat Quarter Makes, this fun collection features beautiful styled photography, step-by-step diagrams and templates for over 50 handmade toys, with patterns provided by 10 top international talents. These include Amie Plumley co-author of the bestselling Sewing School books, Ayda Algin of Café Nohut, Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive, bestselling author Emma Hardy and Aurifil thread designer and founder of #GreatBritishQuilter Sarah Ashford. All the toys are made using simple sewing techniques alongside patchwork, appliqué and embroidery.

Encouraging crafters of all skill levels on their creative journey, this book contains felt and patchwork sewing projects with step-by-step illustrations and easy to follow instructions. The designs are quick and fun to make and with such a wide range of well-designed projects and techniques, there is something for everyone. From patchwork, quilting, and hand embroidery to English paper piecing and sewing with felt, readers can learn new skills or be challenged to try different techniques to create something very special. These pretty projects will inspire creativity and warm the heart.