"Can We All Get Along?"

Book excerpt: In a nation built by immigrants and bedeviled by the history and legacy of slavery and discrimination, issues of liberty, equality, and community continue to challenge Americans. In the fifth edition of this widely acclaimed text, Paula McClain and Joseph Stewart combine traditional elements of political science analysis - history, Constitutional theory, institutions, political behavior, and policy actors - with a fully updated survey of the political status of four major groups; blacks, Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians. McClain and Stewart show similarities and differences in these groups' political action and experience, and point the way toward coalition, competition, and consensus building in the face of ongoing conflict. Two dilemmas shape the book; How do we as a nation reconcile a commitment to equality with persistent inequality and discrimination? And what can we do about it - from the perspective of ethnic and racial minorities as well as within the dominant culture? Thoroughly updated following the historic 2008 presidential election, this new edition provides a concise overview of minority politics in America.