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129 books match the query 'Civics & Citizenship' and 3 start with i

cover of Illinois Politics: A Citizen's Guide to Power, Politics, and Government

Illinois Politics

A Citizen's Guide to Power, Politics, and Government

Melissa Mouritsen, Kent D. Redfield, and James D. Nowlan

University of Illinois Press, 2024

Shifting demographics. Downstate versus Chicago. Billionaires and bribery. Even veteran observers need a roadmap to track Illinois’ ever-changing political landscape. Melissa Mouritsen, Kent D. Redfield, and James D. Nowlan provide an up-to-date primer on Prairie State politics, government, and policies. Features include:

  • Discussions of recent events like the 2015-2017 budget disaster, the response to COVID-19, and the fall of longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan;
  • New chapters on corruption, social policies, and the political rules of the game;
  • Perspectives on the nuts-and-bolts of campaign funding, the ways political actors acquire power or influence, and many other topics;
  • Close examinations of complex issues like the state’s increased polarization and its ongoing fiscal recovery.

Fully revised and expanded, <i>Illinois Politics</i> blends detailed information with expert analysis to offer an essential resource for citizens, students, and public servants alike.

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cover of Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change

Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change

Janelle S. Wong

Russell Sage Foundation, 2018

As immigration from Asia and Latin America reshapes the demographic composition of the U.S., some analysts have anticipated the decline of conservative white evangelicals’ influence in politics. Yet, Donald Trump captured a larger share of the white evangelical vote in the 2016 election than any candidate in the previous four presidential elections. Why has the political clout of white evangelicals persisted at a time of increased racial and ethnic diversity? In Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change, political scientist Janelle Wong examines a new generation of Asian American and Latino evangelicals and offers an account of why demographic change has not contributed to a political realignment.
 
Asian Americans and Latinos currently constitute 13 percent of evangelicals, and their churches are among the largest, fastest growing organizations in their communities. While evangelical identity is associated with conservative politics, Wong draws from national surveys and interviews to show that non-white evangelicals express political attitudes that are significantly less conservative than those of their white counterparts. Black, Asian American, and Latino evangelicals are much more likely to support policies such as expanded immigration rights, increased taxation of the wealthy, and government interventions to slow climate change. As Wong argues, non-white evangelicals’ experiences as members of racial or ethnic minority groups often lead them to adopt more progressive political views compared to their white counterparts.
 
However, despite their growth in numbers, non-white evangelicals—particularly Asian Americans and Latinos—are concentrated outside of swing states, have lower levels of political participation than white evangelicals, and are less likely to be targeted by political campaigns. As a result, white evangelicals dominate the evangelical policy agenda and are overrepresented at the polls. Also, many white evangelicals have adopted even more conservative political views in response to rapid demographic change, perceiving, for example, that discrimination against Christians now rivals discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities.
 
Wong demonstrates that immigrant evangelicals are neither “natural” Republicans nor “natural” Democrats. By examining the changing demographics of the evangelical movement, Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change sheds light on an understudied constituency that has yet to find its political home.
 
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cover of Information Brokers: Political Socialization in Latino Immigrant Families

Information Brokers

Political Socialization in Latino Immigrant Families

Roberto F. Carlos

University of Chicago Press, 2026

An insightful rethinking of political socialization within Latino immigrant households.

Conventional wisdom tells us that children are passive recipients of political lessons from their parents, with caregivers being the ones who mold the developing behavior and beliefs of the children under their roof. Roberto F. Carlos challenges this preconception by revealing how Latino children, especially those with immigrant parents, often become key sources of political information and guidance in their families. As migrant parents navigate unfamiliar institutions and customs in the United States, they often turn to their children to broker information about everything from daily life to civic engagement. These roles not only place unique responsibilities on children but also create new pathways for them to shape the political behavior of their parents. Moreover, by taking on these roles, children learn the skills that can make them effective advocates later in life, even as they face resource disadvantages that normally correlate with reduced political participation and sense of political efficacy.

Drawing on six original surveys, multiple experiments, and in-depth interviews, including the accounts of youth helping protect their families from deportation, InformationBrokers shows how these dynamics influence both immigrant parents and their children in politically consequential ways. With the Latino population now over 64 million, Information Brokers offers vital insight into the political incorporation of America’s largest ethnic group.

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