Documentary and Reference Guides - Böcker

The past thirty years have witnessed the rise of political parties and other formal groups in the Middle East and elsewhere with Islamic agendas, a phenomenon that has both surprised and frightened many in the West. Events from the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 to the attacks of September 11, 2001, have led some to conclude that the United States is on a collision course with Islam, the religion of one-fifth of the world's population. The sourcebook aims to enhance our understanding of the Islamist phenomenon by presenting some forty documents, written by Islamists themselves, which shed light on the origins, goals, and practices of Islamic-focused groups and movements throughout the Muslim world. Each document is identified and analyzed as to its significance. The documentary section of the work is followed by an extensive bibliography and reference guide of relevant print and electronic resources.

As recently seen by the Kitzmiller vs. Dover case, the evolution versus creation debate never goes away. The best way to understand these debates is to read the arguments of the individuals involved. This reference work provides over 40 of the most important documents to help readers understand the debate in the eyes of the people of the time. Each document is from a major participant in the debates — from the predecessors of Darwin to the judges of the influential court cases of the present day. The editors have included an introduction and analysis of each document that places it within historical and scientific context.Evolution and Creationism: A Documentary and Reference Guide aims to enhance our understanding of the debate by presenting over 40 documents that shed light on the origins, goals, and history of the ongoing debate. The volume examines such topics as Darwin's theory of natural selection, the rise of Fundamentalism and its opposition to evolution, and evolution and its discontents at the beginning of the 21st century. In addition, the work includes an extensive bibliography and reference guide to relevant print and electronic resources.

This thought-provoking reference work explores the evolution of America's heated abortion debate in a selection of over 40 primary documents from the 19th century to the present day. The guide includes not only key laws and court cases that have determined abortion policy, but also political speeches, medical essays, theological writings, newspaper advertisements, magazine articles, and popular books that offer insight into America's changing attitudes towards women, race, the medical field, and the role of government in its citizens' personal lives. Each document is preceded by an introduction and is followed by analysis to help readers understand its significance and historical context.Today abortion is America's most contentious political and religious rallying point. Yet 150 years ago it was a virtual non-issue, quietly performed for centuries by women and mid-wives. What changed? This thought-provoking reference work explores the evolution of America's abortion debate in a balanced selection of over 40 primary documents by doctors, feminists, religious leaders, politicians, extremists, and judges from the 19th century to the present day. This guide not only examines the key laws and court cases, like Roe v. Wade and the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, that have determined abortion policy, but offers insight into America's changing attitudes towards women, race, the medical field, and the role of government in its citizens' personal lives. Memoirs of early abortion providers, excerpts from popular women's self-help books, the complete text of Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae, and personal writings from key liberal and conservative figures on both sides of the debate provide a more complete picture of an issue that is deeply personal, deeply divisive, and anything but clear-cut. A straightforward and accessible book, ideal for both students and general readers looking to expand their understanding of one of the most complicated, and still unresolved, issues of our day.Each excerpt is preceded by a brief explanation of its significance and followed by author analysis to help readers understand its implications and the historical context in which is it was written. Readers gain direct access to America's most important legal papers and transcripts on abortion, complimented by a well rounded view of the public beliefs and sentiments that have fueled abortion debates. Suggestions for further reading conclude each chapter, perfect for research or to guide interested readers in their search for material. The front matter includes a Timeline of major events in abortion history, and the back matter, offers a Bibliography of 50 titles on abortion and over 30 Web links.Documents are presented in easy-to-use chronological order, divided into 7 chapters exploring the various eras of the abortion debate.Chapter 1: (19th century) The state's minimal role in abortions, the nascent women's movement, and a medical movement to restrict abortion provision.Chapter 2: (1905 - 1960) America's strictest era of abortion policy. The ideology of motherhood vs. post-suffrage women's desire to control their fertility. Chapter 3: (1965-1971). Voices for decreased abortion restrictions and tragic consequences of illegal abortions. Chapter 4: (1973 - 983) Results of and immediate academic responses to the movement to liberalize abortion policy. Chapter 5: (1984 -1989) The growing role of political parties in abortion politics. Chapter 6: (1991-1996) The movement to protect the fetus. Chapter 7: (2001-2005) Impact of the fetal rights movement and successes in restricting abortion access.

This easy-to-use core reference takes on the biggest issue of our day: freedom of speech in post-9/11 America. No issue is more important to Americans—and especially to librarians—than the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is one of the longest, broadest, most sweeping pieces of legislation in American history. It introduced a vast edifice of domestic surveillance that has defined the post-9/11 world. But the legislation itself is so massive and technical that both supporters and critics have been free to interpret it loosely and in partisan fashion. Supporters of the Patriot Act believe that 9/11 irreversibly changed American politics and law enforcement, forcing every citizen to cede some traditional civil liberties in order to protect the nation from terrorism. Critics respond that many provisions of the Patriot Act were simply resurrected from old FBI wish lists, having no relevance to the war on terror and providing little security in exchange for precious liberties. This book will not silence the raging debate over the Patriot Act, but by presenting relevant source documents, analyzed and placed in context, it may provide a more reliable basis for the ongoing debate.

Ideal for general readers as well as professionals conducting extensive research, this informative book offers a collection of documents on the origins and conduct of the Iraq War.The Iraq War: A Documentary and Reference Guide gives readers the opportunity to investigate this costly and controversial conflict as professional researchers do—by looking closely at key samples of historical evidence. As readers will see, that evidence proves to be extraordinarily revealing about the drive to war, the course of the initial invasion, the counterinsurgency, the "surge," and the continuing difficulties in unifying and stabilizing the country.From relevant exchanges in the 2000 Bush/Gore debates to interviews with Saddam Hussein to the latest reorganization of the Coalition Provisional Authority, The Iraq War gives readers an insider's view of the conflict's key decisions and events. Each chapter brings together primary and secondary sources on an important phase of the war, with the author providing context, analysis, and insight from a historian's perspective. The book also provides a solid framework for working with the documentary record—a particularly difficult task in this case, as so many vital sources will remain classified and inaccessible for years to come.

Gun control is one of the most enduringly controversial issues in modern American politics. For the first time this book compiles a comprehensive array of documents that explain and illuminate the historical and contemporary context of the modern gun debate. Bringing together over 50 documents from the colonial era to the present, including early colonial laws, founding documents, letters, political debates, federal and state laws, federal and state court cases, and various political documents, this book is an indispensable reference work for those seeking to understand the origins and modern consequences of American gun policy, including the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms. Accompanying commentary and analysis is included to help the reader fully understand the meaning of these documents. Numerous bibliographic sources provide additional resources for interested readers. Ideal for undergraduate and high school students, this collection of primary documents surrounding one of America's oldest controversial issues is a must-have for library shelves.Contrary to popular impression, gun laws are as old as the country, and reflect the intersection of citizens' personal gun habits and the country's early need to defend itself by citizen militias who were required to arm themselves. The nation's gun policies evolved as its needs and resources changed. Old-style militias gave way to a modern professional American military, and the settling of the American frontier ushered in modern gun laws. In the past century, political assassinations and gun-related mass violence spurred both new gun control efforts and a burgeoning modern gun rights movement. Students will be able to read and analyze primary documents surrounding these events, including the Federalist Papers, early hunting laws, Supreme Court rulings, federal and state regulations, and recent political platform statements. Ideal for undergraduate and high school students, this collection of primary documents surrounding one of America's oldest controversial issues is a must-have for library shelves.

Since the landmark 1965 Supreme Court ruling Griswold v. Connecticut established a Constitutional right to privacy, the regulation of sexuality has become an extremely volatile area of American politics. From reproductive rights to sex education, pornography to gay marriage, the balance between community norms and individual autonomy has been fiercely contested. These and related subjects are often viewed in isolation, as though they were entirely separate issues. Yet as the documentary record makes clear, they are in fact closely interrelated, and their impact is cumulative. By addressing a broad array of topics at the intersection of sexuality and politics, this volume highlights the connections and makes an important contribution to a debate that touches every American.Taking as a starting point the 1965 Griswold decision—sometimes said to have launched the sexual revolution—the approximately 100 primary source documents assembled here either mark watersheds in themselves or are representative of a broad range of political developments. The documents are drawn from all quarters of U.S. political life. They include legislative texts; proposed laws and constitutional amendments; state and federal court rulings; political party platforms; and interest-group position statements.

The uncomfortable contemporary realities of immigration, enmeshed as they are in economic, human rights, and national security issues, have once again propelled foreign immigration to the United States toward the top of the list of U.S. domestic policy concerns. Three respected authorities on immigration and international affairs here present a carefully calibrated history of U.S. immigration in primary source documents, tracing the roots of the current debate in the history of our profoundly divided and surprisingly cyclical response to foreign immigration. This book documents this national ambivalence, identifying the major waves of immigration and clarifying the ways in which the existing social and political fabric conditioned both the response to the newcomers and their prospects of eventual integration into American society.Part I introduces the historical record:• The early days of the Republic, when most immigrants arrived from northern Europe• The most important wave of immigration to the United States in the country's history, over 1880-1920, when most immigrants arrived from Asia or from southern and eastern Europe• Virulent post-World War I anti-immigration sentiment• The World War II-era absorption of huge numbers of displaced persons fleeing the misery and devastation of Europe• Transition from a quota system to a preference system• Heightened debate in the 1980s and 1990s• The immigration policy repercussions of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001Part II takes up special issues in the contemporary immigration debate, including the security debate and immigration, immigration and the U.S. judiciary, the immigration debate and the economy, and the spectrum of public opinion on immigration revealed during the 2008 presidential election campaign. The authors demonstrate that today's highly polarized immigration reform debate in many respects recapitulates the antagonisms and chaotic policies of the 1980s and 1990s, when Ronald Reagan's Republican administration implemented an amnesty program while the state of California adopted the punitive Proposition 187.Paramount in today's immigration debate, however, are the homeland security concerns rendered acute by the 2001 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City. The controversial USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 are among the documents surveyed in relation to the contemporary immigration debate.General introduction to the historical period or thematic topic of each chapterMore than 50 documents, each with notes explaining its context and significanceSidebars featuring historical background notes and intriguing sidelightsFurther Reading lists presenting print and electronic resources recommended for further study25 black-and-white illustrations

This comprehensive documentary report on the cultural and political state of the union explores the flashpoints of the debate over American identity and values.Culture Wars in America: A Documentary and Reference Guide places the most hotly debated issues in American society in historical context. With this book in hand, the reader can more effectively evaluate the potential social and political significance of these important conflicts. Americans have never found it easy to reconcile their differences, even while sometimes achieving a remarkable unity of purpose. Although we pride ourselves on pluralism, we struggle to find common ground on our most essential principles. Since the 1980s, events covered in this volume have increased the questioning of traditional religious values, continuing immigration and globalization, the liberalization of social mores, and differing understandings of the nation's role in a post-Cold War world. Increased partisan conflict over these issues has dominated American domestic politics and policymaking. The primary source documents collected and analyzed here reflect all of these trends, while fairly representing the contending positions that shape our contemporary political reality.

This book provides an analytical guide to the modern political campaign, chronologically covering key federal, state, and local campaign laws, election commission rules, and the court decisions interpreting them.While the media and the public tend to focus on the personalities and foibles of the candidates and the horse-race elements of political campaigns, election outcomes often depend as much on the rules that limit candidates' activities and advertising as on the candidates' platforms and personal appeal. How much money may candidates raise? From whom can they accept money? When and how may they spend their campaign funds? What are they allowed to say in their ads? Informed voters who understand the constraints under which campaigns operate can see past the headlines and the hype to assess the quality of the candidates' campaign decisions and their management skills. The approximately 100 documents gathered in this reference guide put the essential information in readers' hands.After introducing 18th- and 19th-century efforts to regulate American election campaigns, this book examines the 20th-century evolution and refinement of election campaign laws in era-by-era chapters and concludes with a chapter on 21st-century developments. Each chapter opens with a short essay highlighting politically relevant historical events of the era to place the subject matter in context.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of drug policy in the United States from the early 1900s through the present day, providing historical and social context through the telling of the colorful and often tragic stories of the events and individuals throughout this period.Substance Abuse in America: A Documentary and Reference Guide examines the history of U.S. drug policy chronologically, from the early 1900s through the current day, covering topics such as patent medicines, Prohibition, Reefer Madness, the psychedelic '60s, Nixon's War on Drugs, and the powerful warring Mexican drug cartels that currently threaten political instability in that country. This book provides a comprehensive overview of U.S. drug policy that will fascinate general readers and benefit those in the field of substance abuse treatment or policy. Each chapter includes an analysis of a primary source document that serves to illuminate drug policy in America at a particular point in time as well as the reasons for the waxing and waning popularity of various drugs. The author provides accurate historical context that explains perceptions about substance abuse in American history, and draws compelling parallels across different time periods to show that much of what may seem new and unique for the present generation actually has a historical precedent.

This book presents an unflinching investigation of homelessness in the United States—a problem that has been with us since the arrival of the first English settlers nearly 400 years ago.The terms historically used to describe them include "bums," "hoboes," "migrants," "street people," "transients," "tramps," and "vagrants." Just as varied as the words we have used to describe them are the reasons many people have found themselves living in the land of opportunity without permanent residence.The book considers homelessness and its distinctive character in three periods of American history: the era of tramps and hoboes in the late 1800s–early 1900s, the era of transients and migrants in the 1930s, and the era of homeless and "street" people in the last 40 years. It clarifies the multiple meanings of the word "homeless" today and demonstrates that homelessness is a symptom of more than one problem, leading to confusion about the issue of homelessness and hampering attempts to reduce its occurrence. Author Neil Larry Shumsky, PhD, also postulates that the treatment of homelessness in England before the colonization of North America laid the foundation of pervasive American attitudes and practices.

This book covers documents and related information pertaining to civil liberties in America, including the debates over arbitrary state action, due process, equal protection, freedom of speech, and privacy issues.The USA PATRIOT Act, the actions and free speech of the Ku Klux Klan, and the use of privately owned devices with GPS by law enforcement are all highly controversial topics that fall under the blanket of civil liberties and federal or state authority—subjects that are important to most Americans.This book provides a comprehensive examination of arbitrary state action post-September 11, 2001, combining detailed examinations of specific legislation with watershed coverage of issues such as freedom of speech, press, and religion as well as various aspects of criminal law and procedure. This text presents documents from Britain, the American colonial period, the Founding period, and the modern era, including recent Supreme Court cases. The author provides an accompanying analysis of each document, providing insightful historical context and ramifications of the decisions and the laws passed.

This reference guide documents white-collar crimes by individuals and businesses over the past 150 years, offering the most comprehensive array of documents and interpretations available.From Gilded Age railroad scandals to the muckraking period and from the Savings and Loan debacle to corporate fallout during the recent economic meltdown, some individuals and companies have chosen to take the low road to achieve "the American dream." While these offenders throughout modern history may have lacked ethics, morals, or good judgment, they certainly were not wanting in terms of creativity.White-Collar and Corporate Crime: A Documentary and Reference Guide traces the fascinating history of white-collar and corporate criminal behavior from the 1800s through the 2010 passage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform measure. Author Gilbert Geis scrutinizes more than a century of episodes involving corporate corruption and other self-serving behaviors that violate antitrust laws, bribery statutes, and fraud laws. The various attempts made by authorities to rein in greed and the methods employed by wrongdoers to evade these controls are also discussed and evaluated.

A critical tool for the study of U.S. history, this volume offers an analysis of important documents and decisions in U.S. foreign policy from George Washington to Barack Obama.The study of historical primary documents provides a uniquely beneficial and insightful view into history. To that end, U.S. Foreign Policy: A Documentary and Reference Guide presents and interprets important documents from throughout U.S. history, from the administration of George Washington to that of Barack Obama. Examining U.S. foreign policy through this lens identifies the ideals of the United States during different periods, illuminates the intent behind its military actions, and reveals how each American president interpreted his moral responsibilities as leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world.Organized to allow readers to examine the historical evolution of U.S. foreign policy, the book includes treaties, speeches, and other documents that illustrate important doctrines and decisions over the more than two centuries of American history, covering all presidential doctrines to the current administration. It also highlights various phases of foreign policy, from regionalism to westward expansion, from the Cold War to a New World Order. In addition to the documents themselves, the authors provide invaluable analysis and commentary that will help students understand what the documents mean—both in the context of their time, and in terms of their broader historical significance.

This invaluable one-stop reference source supplies students and general readers with historical and current information on the victims' rights revolution in the United States, providing analysis on everything from human rights reports to Supreme Court cases that allows the reader to fully understand these documents.Victims' rights represent the greatest change in the criminal justice system within the last 30 years. Victims' Rights: A Documentary and Reference Guide traces the origins, evolution, and results of the victims' rights movement. It puts victims' rights in a legal, historical, and contemporary context, and comprehensively collects important victims' rights documents in a single volume—perfect for students as well as general readers.Bringing together dozens of varied documents such as presidential task force reports and recommendations, Supreme Court cases, state constitutions, human rights reports, critical articles, and political documents, this book is an indispensable resource for those seeking to understand the origins and modern consequences of American victims' rights policy. The author's accompanying commentary and analysis helps the reader to gain a complete comprehension of the significance of these documents, while numerous bibliographic sources provide additional resources for interested readers.

This book uses primary documents as a lens through which to examine historical and present-day efforts to protect endangered species in the United States and around the world.In this thought-provoking work, author Edward P. Weber examines the values, policies, challenges, and approaches to endangered species conservation over the past 200 years. Using primary source documents and in-depth analysis of the issues, the reference tracks the evolution of species protection and conservation in the United States, and offers a brief look at global programs in the United States and other parts of the world. The book surveys how different countries are faring in protecting their plant and animal life, and considers which guidelines and programs hold the most promise for success in the future.Chapters compare and contrast past and present attitudes regarding endangered species and extinction and identify the influence of major organizations and individuals central to the debate over endangered species. Judiciously selected primary documents also explore the impact of species endangerment and loss on natural ecosystems—and ultimately, on humankind itself.

This sweeping study traces the development of water policy in the United States from the 19th century to the present day, exploring the role of legislation in appropriating access to water to the American people.Three factors influence the development of water policy and politics in the United States: the availability of water, the manner in which people use the commodity to its maximum economic benefit, and governmental control. This book is a one-stop resource for understanding the scope of water issues in America, from governing doctrine and legislation, to Native American water rights, to water protection and pollution, and to the mitigation of natural and manmade disasters. Distinguished author and noted scholar John R. Burch Jr. reviews the conflicts among state, federal, and international agencies in dealing with water supply and points to competing legal rulings and laws as undermining the creation of a cohesive policy for all. Through an analysis of key documents, Burch examines the recent calamities befalling the American water system—including droughts, oil spills, and natural disasters—and considers the future of water distribution to the American people. Organized into six parts, sections include doctrines and rights, waters of the West, border regions water management and flood control, environmental issues, and water supply and safety.

This authoritative and unbiased narrative—supported by 50 primary source documents—follows the history of vaccination, highlighting essential medical achievements and ongoing controversies.This timely work provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific breakthrough known as vaccination and the controversy surrounding its opposition. A timeline of discoveries trace the medical and societal progression of vaccines from the early development of this medical preventive to the eradication of epidemics and the present-day discussion about its role in autism. The content presents compelling parallels across different time periods to reflect the ongoing concerns that have persisted throughout history regarding vaccination.Author Lisa Rosner provides a sweeping overview of the topic, covering the development of modern vaccines and practices, laws governing the distribution of vaccines, patients' rights, consumer advocacy, and vaccination disasters. Throughout the volume, primary source documents present the perspectives of researchers, public health specialists, physicians, patients, consumer advocates, and government officials, helping to illuminate the past, present, and future of vaccines on a global level.

The attacks of September 11 and the resulting War on Terror have defined the first decade and a half of the 21st century. This text closely examines and analyzes the primary documents that provide the historical background of today's worldwide War on Terror.9/11 and the War on Terror: A Documentary and Reference Guide provides readers with a rare opportunity to read and examine a variety of primary documents related to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the larger War on Terror—both in the United States and globally. Thematically organized into chapters, each document comes with an introduction and analysis written by an expert in the field that supplies the crucial historical background for the users of this title to learn about the complexities of the global War on Terror.This book showcases key primary documents that follow the trajectory of events of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terror. Through the examination of various types of documents—such as speeches, diplomatic exchanges, military communications, and government reports—issued by opposing sides in the global conflict, readers will gain valuable insight into how these primary sources influenced the 21st-century world. Each primary source is prefaced by an introduction and followed by an analysis written by a scholar specializing in the field. The accompanying analyses enable readers to better gauge the role of diplomacy, military strategy, national security concerns, and ideological propaganda in the global War on Terror.

Covering the Arab-Israeli conflict from its origins to the present, this valuable resource traces the evolution of this ongoing, seemingly unresolvable dispute through a wide array of primary source documents.Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Documentary and Reference Guide provides a fresh, accessible, and thorough overview of the Arab-Israeli conflict, covering its origins in the late-19th century to the present-day situation and enabling readers to grasp why peace has proved so elusive, despite massive international efforts to reach a permanent and lasting solution to this protracted animosity.Chronological chapters first address the years up to the establishment of Israel in 1948, then move forward to the wars of 1956 and 1967 and their impact; the 1973 Yom Kippur War and early efforts to reach a lasting peace settlement; and the ongoing international and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations since the mid-1980s. Readers will come away with not only an understanding of why so many great powers were from the beginning interested in the fate of the territory known as Palestine and of the current issues from an international perspective, but also an appreciation of the personalities and ethnic backgrounds involved that make the conflict so difficult to resolve.

This book provides a sobering look at modern-day slavery—which includes sex trafficking, domestic servitude, and other forms of forced labor—and documents the development of the modern anti-slavery movement, from grassroots activism to the passage of anti-slavery laws.Slavery was formally abolished across most of the world by the end of the 19th century, but it continues to lurk in the shadows of the modern world. As with slavery of yesteryear, modern slavery hinges on the exploitation of vulnerable populations—and especially women and children. The result is the same as in bygone centuries, when slavery was practiced in the open: unimaginable misery for those exploited and financial gain for the exploiter.Modern Slavery: A Documentary and Reference Guide is an invaluable resource for students, researchers, academics, policymakers, community leaders, and others who want to learn about modern-day slavery. Covering forms of modern slavery that include sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and domestic servitude, the book provides a complete examination of the modern-day anti-slavery movement. Its coverage includes historical antecedents, the various and sometimes opposing schools of thought about how to combat modern slavery, and the legislative processes that united them and resulted in a groundbreaking approach to combating human trafficking.The book uses primary source material, including survivor stories, witness testimony, case law, and other materials to discuss the nature and scope of modern-day slavery, the grassroots movement to stop it, and U.S. leadership in the international arena. Examples of primary source material include the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (2005); remarks and statements from Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Obama on human trafficking and modern slavery; the United Nations' Office of Drugs and Crime report, A Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2009); excerpts from the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, including harrowing victims stories from around the world (2013 and 2014); and excerpts from 2015 Senate hearings, including testimony from Holly Austin Smith, trafficking survivor, and from Malika Saada Saar, Human Rights Project for Girls.

Providing an invaluable introductory resource for students investigating the war in Afghanistan, this book highlights the evolution of the conflict through the documents that helped to shape it.This carefully curated primary source collection includes more than 80 documents from the national and international participants in nearly four decades of conflict that led to the Afghanistan War. Readers will gain an understanding of the macro and micro costs of the war on the participants and the political, social, economic, and military factors that have allowed the fighting to persist. Authored by a former member of the Afghanistan Study Team at the U.S. Army's Combat Studies Institute, readers will gain special insight into the military dynamics of the war in Afghanistan and how the war has changed those who have fought in it.The book is divided into four chapters that cover the primary phases of the war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and Civil War, 1979–2001; Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Reconstruction Begins, 2001–2003; The Taliban Return, 2003–2009; and The Surge, Drawdown, and an Uncertain Future, 2009–2017. This structure enables readers to clearly understand how the war evolved and the most significant developments that shaped each period.

This collection of documents contextualizes the ways in which Americans have addressed the evolving challenges of poverty throughout U.S. history. Each document is accompanied by an analysis that both summarizes its content and considers its impact.Poverty has always been a part of the fabric of American life, and this installment in the Documentary and Reference Guides series fills the gaps left by most educational treatments of the subject, beginning with an examination of poverty at the state and local levels as it was during the early 19th century.A federal plan for addressing poverty was not devised until Franklin Delano Roosevelt launched the New Deal in the 1930s. As these 70 chronologically arranged documents illustrate, the unfinished business of the New Deal, interrupted by World War II, culminated in new legislation during John F. Kennedy's New Frontier and Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty; progress, however, fell victim to the Vietnam War, ushering in decades of rollbacks under presidents of both parties. Noted scholar and librarian John R. Burch Jr. provides thorough coverage of these and contemporary events throughout which poverty has endured, including the Great Recession of 2008–2009, the minimum wage debate, and the Affordable Care Act and attempts to repeal it.

This book provides an indispensable resource for anyone researching the scourge of mass murder in the 20th and 21st centuries, effectively using primary source documents to help them understand all aspects of genocide.This illuminating primary source collection closely examines and analyzes primary documents related to genocides, focusing on genocidal events from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. Thematically organized into eight sections, each document comes with an introduction and analysis written by the author that helps provide the crucial historical background for the users of this title to learn about the complexities of genocide.The first section considers a range of definitional matters relating to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes; the second section relates to warnings of impending genocide, and how they have been received; the third considers atrocities and how they have been perpetrated; the fourth is an examination ofexamines a range of resistance initiatives that have been taken in response to genocide; the fifth looks at reactions to genocide from outside actors; the sixth considers the ways in which states have intervened to stop genocide; the seventh relates to post-genocide justice measures; and the eighth section relates to how states and NGOs have sought to prevent genocide.

A RUSA Outstanding Reference Source 2023This annotated document collection surveys the history and evolution of laws and attitudes regarding free speech and censorship in the United States, with a special emphasis on contemporary events and controversies related to the First Amendment.The United States' collective understanding of First Amendment freedoms was formed by more than 200 years of tensions between the power of word and the power of the government. During that time, major laws and legal decisions defined the circumstances and degree to which personal expression could be rightfully expressed—and rightfully limited.This struggle to define the parameters of free speech continues today. Vibrant and passionate debates about First Amendment limitations once inspired by the dissemination of birth control information now address such issues as kneeling during the national anthem, removing controversial books from public libraries, attempts by the Trump administration to discredit the press, and disseminating false or hateful information through social media platforms. By exploring diverse examples of censorship victories and triumphs of free expression, readers will better understand the enormous impact of First Amendment freedoms on American society.

This authoritative annotated document collection surveys and explains efforts to censor, intimidate, suppress—and reform and improve—news organizations and journalism in America, from the newspapers of colonial times to the social media that saturates the present day.This primary source collection will help readers to understand how the press has been vilified (usually by powerful political or corporate interests) over the course of American history, with a special focus on current events and how these efforts to censor or influence news coverage often flout First Amendment protections concerning freedom of the press. Selected documents highlight efforts to intimidate, silence, condemn, marginalize, and otherwise undercut the credibility and influence of American journalism from the colonial era through the Trump presidency.Most of the featured documents focus on efforts borne out of self-interested attempts to shape or conceal news for political or economic gain or personal fame, but coverage also includes instances in which press actions, attitudes, or priorities deserved censure. All told, the collection will be a valuable resource for understanding the importance of a free press to American life (and the constitutional basis for preserving such), the motivations (both selfish and altruistic) of critics of American journalism from the earliest days of the Republic to today, and the impact of all of the above on American society.

Providing an invaluable introductory resource for students studying cyber warfare, this book highlights the evolution of cyber conflict in modern times through dozens of key primary source documents related to its development and implementation.This meticulously curated primary source collection is designed to offer a broad examination of key documents related to cyber warfare, covering the subject from multiple perspectives. The earliest documents date from the late 20th century, when the concept and possibility of cyber attacks became a reality, while the most recent documents are from 2019. Each document is accompanied by an introduction and analysis written by an expert in the field that provides the necessary context for readers to learn about the complexities of cyber warfare.The title's nearly 100 documents are drawn primarily but not exclusively from government sources and allow readers to understand how policy, strategy, doctrine, and tactics of cyber warfare are created and devised, particularly in the United States. Although the U.S. is the global leader in cyber capabilities and is largely driving the determination of norms within the cyber domain, the title additionally contains a small number of international documents. This invaluable work will serve as an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to understand the nature and character of international cyber warfare.

Each entry in this essential collection of primary resources on capital punishment features an authoritative introduction and analysis that helps provide crucial context for understanding the evolution of law and public attitudes toward the death penalty in America, from colonial times to the present.Showcasing key primary documents that illuminate the ongoing debate and turbulent history of capital punishment in the United States, this collection gathers a wide range of fascinating and momentous documents, including court decisions and transcripts, legislation, personal accounts and perspectives, congressional testimony, and government documents. Since these documents reflect all political perspectives and messaging, students will gain valuable insight into the evolution of public opinion and government policy on the death penalty in America. To better understand these documents, each primary source is prefaced with an introduction and followed by scholarly analysis. These documents and accompanying analysis complement one another, helping students gain a better and more accurate understanding of the viewpoints, convictions, and perspectives that have shaped American attitudes and practices toward capital punishment since the United States' earliest days.