Democrats and Republicans--rhetoric and Reality: Comparing the Voters in Statistics and AnecdotesAre Democrats more tolerant than Republicans? Are they more intelligent? Who spends more time at work and who spends more time watching TV? Why are Republicans happier? Who benefits more from Social Security? All of these questions, and many more, are answered in Democrats and Republicans - Rhetoric and Reality. It uses authoritative survey evidence and statistics to compare the conduct and achievements of the Democratic and Republican constituencies. Many of the findings are surprising. For example, Democrats and Republicans have different tendencies with regard to trust, self-esteem, "apparent intelligence," political knowledge, mental health, happiness, work hours, charity, and even body mass index. These general differences are quantifiable and statistically significant. The author principally relied on data from the General Social Survey and the American National Election Studies, rounded out by surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the Gallup Organization, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, Harris Interactive, and other organizations. Although the book is aimed at the popular market, it has all of the supporting references and statistical significance of an academic work. Interspersed among the findings are quotations from pundits, politicians, philosophers, celebrities, fruitcakes, etc. Although some of this rhetoric is strident, the book's overall tone is objective - a refreshing alternative to the bombastic polemics we often see in modern political works. The last chapter comprises several constructive lessons that can be learned from the various Democratic-Republican comparisons. This is the most comprehensive and authoritative book written about the constituencies of our two major political parties. It should be in the personal library of anyone who is interested in American politics |
Contents
1 | |
5 | |
Who Is More Intelligent Knowledgeable and Educated? | 57 |
Who Is the Better Working Man? | 91 |
Who Gives More to Charity? | 129 |
Who Pays More Taxes? | 153 |
Who Is the Better Citizen? | 171 |
Who Gets More from Social Security and Medicare? | 203 |
Who Grows Up to be a Democrat And Who Grows Up to be a Republican? | 259 |
Do Deviants Grow Up to be Republicans? | 283 |
Lessons to be Learned In My Opinion | 301 |
Demographic Trends over 50 Years | 317 |
Information Overflow and Analysis | 344 |
A Few Notes about the Statistics Used | 360 |
The Superiority of the DemocratRepublican Paradigm | 361 |
Survey Sources Used | 363 |
Who gets more welfare? | 219 |
Who Is Happier Who Is More Miserable and Why? | 229 |
Acronyms and abbreviations | 364 |
Other editions - View all
Democrats and Republicans--rhetoric and Reality: Comparing the Voters in ... Joseph Fried Limited preview - 2008 |
Democrats and Republicans--rhetoric and Reality: Comparing the Voters in ... Joseph Fried Limited preview - 2008 |
Democrats and Republicans--rhetoric and Reality: Comparing the Voters in ... Joseph Fried No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
American amounts analysis Ann Coulter Appendix attributed average Republican Brainyquote.Com Bush calculation chapter charity columns combined results conducted from 1952 conducted in 1952 conducted in 2000 Conf confidence level conservative corporate welfare correlate crats Demo Democratic males Democratic women Democrats and Republicans Democrats or Republicans Democrats Republicans Dems Reps disparity donations earnings estimate factors family income federal income tax FICA tax Gallup Organization gender GSS surveys conducted happiness high school diploma identify as Democrats income levels left to right level of 99 liberal married Medicare Medicare benefits Michigan SOSS overall party identification Percent Yes percentage of Democrats percentile Pew Research Center Pew survey political party programs quintile Rasmussen regard relative proportions religious Republican males Republican women Research Respondents were asked Retrieved April RP is relative Rush Limbaugh Schoen & Berland shown in Figure Social Security statistically significant Table taxes paid variables vote workers