Lance deHaven-Smith

Addressing how the diversity in nationality of its population has shaped government, the authors of this book offer a history of the State's political development over the last 150 years and the issues facing it today.

Ever since the Warren Commission concluded that a lone gunman assassinated President John F. Kennedy, people who doubt that finding have been widely dismissed as conspiracy theorists, despite credible evidence that right-wing elements in the CIA, FBI, and Secret Service-and possibly even senior government officials-were also involved. Why has suspicion of criminal wrongdoing at the highest levels of government been rejected out-of-hand as paranoid thinking akin to superstition?Conspiracy Theory in America investigates how the Founders’ hard-nosed realism about the likelihood of elite political misconduct-articulated in the Declaration of Independence-has been replaced by today’s blanket condemnation of conspiracy beliefs as ludicrous by definition. Lance deHaven-Smith reveals that the term “conspiracy theory” entered the American lexicon of political speech to deflect criticism of the Warren Commission and traces it back to a CIA propaganda campaign to discredit doubters of the commission’s report. He asks tough questions and connects the dots among five decades’ worth of suspicious events, including the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, the attempted assassinations of George Wallace and Ronald Reagan, the crimes of Watergate, the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal, the disputed presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, the major defense failure of 9/11, and the subsequent anthrax letter attacks.Sure to spark intense debate about the truthfulness and trustworthiness of our government, Conspiracy Theory in America offers a powerful reminder that a suspicious, even radically suspicious, attitude toward government is crucial to maintaining our democracy.

"Florida's modern face, the result of its astonishing population growth since World War II, belies an unbalanced economy: overly dependent on tourism and retirement that generates primarily low-paying service jobs. . . . Florida's Megatrends is timely reading for any citizen, and especially any aspiring politician." St. Petersburg Times"This brief but powerful book analyzes Florida since the 1870s. ?. . . Here each historical event is included for a reason, and each forecast for the future is based on solid historical precedents. The result is an exciting and informative book."--Florida Historical Quarterly"Offers an important perspective on some of the most critical issues facing our great state in the twenty-first century."--U.S. Senator Bob GrahamIn the first edition of Florida Megatrends, David Colburn and Lance deHaven-Smith revealed the state for what it is: a bellwether for the nation. The intervening years have only confirmed their analyses, as Florida and the U.S. have been battered and transformed by the housing collapse, the great economic recession that began in 2008, record-high gas prices, withering tourism, the 2004 hurricane season, and much more. This completely revised and updated edition brings the story up-to-date.

Florida began the twentieth century rooted in the Confederacy - the least populated of the southern states, with a rural, agricultural, frontier society. By the end of the century, Florida had become the most populated, urban, and culturally diverse state in the South - and the fourth largest in the nation. Florida's Megatrends is a lively overview of the forces that forged Florida in the twentieth century, the trends that are projected for the first quarter of this century, and how both will shape Florida in the future. The transformation of Florida began with railroad barons and developers from northern states who triggered the 1920s land boom. Waves of migration and immigration continued throughout the twentieth century. With a constant influx of new residents from the Caribbean and Latin America, combined with the African-American and Native American populations, Florida has become one of the most racially and ethnically diverse states in the nation. The state's economy is no longer dominated by agriculture but by tourism, construction, commerce, and technology. In Florida Megatrends, two of Florida's most respected scholars examine the evolution of the state, the remarkable changes that have shaped it, and the relevant concerns facing Florida in the future from political, historical, sociological, economic, and environmental perspectives.

"Foundations of Representative Democracy" analyzes a unique collection of works. This book relates how great philosophers of political theory such as Plato, Aristotle, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Jefferson contributed to what we now know as -representative democracy-. Professor deHaven-Smith enhancesthe reader's comprehension and ability to identify the nexus between classical ideas and representative democracy by discussing major themes, key points, and implications found in these classical works. This is an excellent resource for anyone involved in government - ranging from public administrators to politicians to academia and students."