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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 ScienceAssociation (APSA) issued a Media Advisory announcing, “LeadingPolitical Scientists Warn of Threat to American Democracy in RareNonpartisan Statement” (APSA Press Release 2004). The subtitlereiterated this alarmist tone: “New Study will Report EconomicDisparities Deny Many Americans A Political Voice; Money BuysAccess; Gains in Civil Rights Threatened as Well.” Note, we arespeaking of “threats”(to democracy) that are “profound.” Furthermore, “research shows adevastating erosion of political equality inAmerica” (italics added). Have these distinguished professorspossibly discovered a conspiracy to cancel elections, repeal theFirst Amendment, or otherwise impose a racist plutocracy? Areretired generals and multinational CEOs about to launch acoup d'état?

Information

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