Have you ever wondered why pollsters can't seem to predict who the next president will be? With the sheer volume of data that encircles our lives, why can't pollsters detect the signal through the noise? POLL-ARIZED is a provocative examination of what has gone wrong with US pre-election polls written from the unique perspective of a market research industry insider. Blending actual data from polls, interviews with leading pollsters, and a proprietary survey conducted specifically for this...

From one of the foremost authorities on education in the United States, former U.S. assistant secretary of education, “whistle-blower extraordinaire” (The Wall Street Journal), author of the best-selling The Death and Life of the Great American School System (“Important and riveting”—Library Journal), The Language Police (“Impassioned . . . Fiercely argued . . . Every bit as alarming as it is illuminating”—The New York Times), and other notable ...

"If we are going to live in a democracy, we need to have a healthy middle class . . . tells us what needs to be done to reclaim what it is to be American." —Eric Utne, founder, Utne ReaderAmerica does not need an "upgrade." For years the Right has been tampering with one of the best political operating systems ever designed. The result has been economic and environmental disaster.In this hard-hitting book, nationally syndicated radio and television...

China and India's new-found interest in trade and investment with Africa - home to 300 million of the globe's poorest people and the world's most formidable development challenge - presents a significant opportunity for growth and integration of the Sub-Saharan continent into the global economy. Africa's Silk Road finds that China and India's South-South commerce with Africa is about far more than natural resources, opening the way for Africa to become a processor of ...

American manufacturing is on life support—at least, that's what most people think. The exodus of jobs to China and other foreign markets is irreversible, and anything that is built here requires specialized skills the average worker couldn't hope to gain. Not so, says Dan DiMicco, chairman and former CEO of Nucor, America's largest steel company. He not only revived a major US manufacturing firm during a recession, but helped galvanize the flagging domestic steel industry when many of his ...

From history of the budget process to detail about the ongoing conflict in Washington, from charts explaining where every federal dollar goes to simple explanations of budget terminology, this book covers it all. A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget is for every American who wants to understand and participate in a process that affects all of us. It serves as a foundation for the novice reader, a reference tool for a more advanced audience, and is perfect for high school and college clas...

Barack Obama's stunning victory in the 2008 presidential election will go down as one of the more pivotal in American history. Given America's legacy of racism, how could a relatively untested first-term senator with an African father defeat some of the giants of American politics? In The Obama Victory, Kate Kenski, Bruce Hardy, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson draw upon the best voter data available, The National Annenberg Election Survey, as well as interviews with key advisors to eac...

The report assesses the World Bank Group?s support for growth and productivity in the agriculture sector. Enhancing agricultural growth and productivity is essential to meeting the worldwide demand for food and to reducing poverty particularly in the poorest developing countries. Between 1998 and 2008 the period covered by this evaluation the World Bank Group (WBG) provided 23.7 billion in financing for agriculture and agribusiness in 108 countries (roughly 8 percent of total WBG financing) s...

CODE RED is about what has happened to American elections, American politics, and America since computers took over the vote counting just a few short years ago. It identifies red flags and offers accessible examinations of why those flags are red. It is a disturbing and provocative call to action. It is about saving our democracy and our country. Now, before it's all gone. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of a democracy. America, which considers itself the beacon of democracy, has ...

A group of prominent political leaders and thinkers offers a pathway to cut through the gridlock and make our government work.Every year the President stands before Congress and the American people to deliver a State of the Union Address. What was once an opportunity for honest reflection on accomplishments and goals has become more of a laundry list than a speech—a grab bag of policy ideas, partisan rhetoric, and a healthy dose of wishful thinking. Meanwhile, the ...

Traditionally an avenue for larger firms, exporting is not just for large U.S. firms today, but also for entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Leverage Point Strategy™, and 11 other leverage points like demand-driven exporting and language and culture in this book, will help you explore new pathways for shaping an export strategy which can build cash flow and profits.

In recent decades Washington has seen an alarming rise in the number of “revolving door lobbyists”—politicians and officials cashing in on their government experience to become influence peddlers on K Street. These lobbyists, popular wisdom suggests, sell access to the highest bidder. Revolving Door Lobbying tells a different, more nuanced story. As an insider interviewed in the book observes, where the general public has the “impression that lobbyists actually get things done...