JOURNAL ARTICLE

"Laboratories against Democracy" and the Case against Federalism.

  • Published In: Political Science Quarterly (Oxford University Press / USA), 2023, v. 138, n. 3. P. 401 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Hopkins, Daniel J 3 of 3

Abstract

The article reviews Jacob Grumbach's book *Laboratories against Democracy*, which examines the interplay between American federalism, nationalized political parties—especially the Republican Party—and state-level policymaking. Grumbach argues that nationalized parties use states as venues to advance partisan agendas, often resulting in policies that diverge from public opinion and contribute to democratic backsliding, primarily measured through gerrymandering and election-related policies. The book highlights the limitations of federalism in protecting democracy amid polarized national parties, though the reviewer notes some debate about the extent to which federalism exacerbates democratic threats. Overall, the work offers a synthetic, institutionally focused analysis that bridges research on federalism, party politics, and democratic quality in the United States.

Additional Information

  • Source:Political Science Quarterly (Oxford University Press / USA). 2023/09, Vol. 138, Issue 3, p401
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Political Science
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0032-3195
  • DOI:10.1093/psquar/qqad044
  • Accession Number:172855869
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Political Science Quarterly (Oxford University Press / USA) is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.