Talk of politics in the United States today is abuzz with warring red and blue factions. The message is that Americans are split due to deeply-held beliefs--over abortion, gay marriage, stem-cell research, prayer in public schools. Is this cultural divide a myth, the product of elite partisans? Or is the split real?

Yes, argue authors Mark Brewer and Jeffrey Stonecash--the cultural divisions are real. Yet they tell only half the story. Differences in income and economic opportunity also fuel division--a split along class lines. Cultural issues have not displaced class issues, as many believe. Split shows that both divisions coexist meaning that levels of taxation and the quality of healthcare matter just as much as the debate over the right to life versus the right to choose.

The authors offer balanced, objective analysis, complete with a wealth of data-rich figures and tables, to explain the social trends underlying these class and cultural divides and then explore the response of the parties and voters. Offering solid empirical evidence, the authors show that how politicians, the media, and interest groups perceive citizen preferences--be they cultural or class based--determines whether or not the public gets what it wants. Simply put, each set of issues creates political conflict and debate that produce very different policies and laws. With a lively and highly readable narrative, students at every level will appreciate the brevity and punch of Split and come away with a more nuanced understanding of the divisions that drive the current American polity.

1. DIVISIONS IN AMERICAN POLITICS

The Central Issues--Class and Culture
Why Interpretations Matter
The Puzzling State of Interpretations
The Great Depression and Class Divisions
Race Eclipses Class?
Displacing Class Issues?
The Emergence of Cultural Issues
Displacing Class Issues (Again)
Much Ado About Nothing: The "Myth" of a Culture War
The Concerns and Plan of the Book

2. INEQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA: GROWING DIFFERENCES

By the Numbers: Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality
Inequality and the Lives of Americans
An Education Divide
Healthcare and Pension Divides
Interpreting Inequality
Conclusion

3. PARTY AND POLICY PROPOSALS ON CLASS ISSUES

Increased Party Differences
Taxes: Battles over Revenue and Who Pays
Who Pays What?
Fighting Over What Taxes Should Be
Differing Party Interpretations
Battles Over Programs
Social Security, Private Markets, and Redistribution Issues
Conclusion

4. CLASS DIVIDES IN THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

The Public's Perceptions of Inequality
The Public's Perceptions of the Parties
The Emergence of Class Divisions
Limits on Class Divisions in American Society
The Political Debate about Inequality
The Importance of Short-Term Events
Conclusion

5. THE RISE OF CULTURAL ISSUES: TRENDS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY

Religion in Schools
Sex Education
Sex in Popular Media
Abortion
The Role of Women in Society
The American Family
Homosexual Rights
Conclusion

6. Party and Policy Proposals on Cultural Issues

Party Platforms
Congressional Action
ERA
School Prayer
Abortion
Homosexual Rights
Presidential Politics
Presidential Cues to a Culture Divide
Acceptance Speeches and Other Cues
Conclusion

7. CULTURAL DIVIDES IN THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

Mass Recognition of Elite Changes
Cultural Issues and Electoral Behavior
Religion, Cultural Issues, and American Electoral Behavior
Religious Traditions and Political Divisions in America
Cultural Issues and a New Religious Cleavage
Conclusion

8. THE DUAL DIVISIONS OF CLASS AND CULTURE

A More Conservative Nation?
Concern with Economic Issues
Adding New Issues to Existing Ones
Building Party Coalitions
The Evolving Relationship of Class and Culture to Partisan Choice
Class, Abortion, and Voting Pattern Dynamics
Class, Gays, and Voting Pattern Dynamics
Opposing Interpretations