Living with the Dragon: How the American Public Views the Rise of China (Contemporary Asia in the World)

It is widely believed that most Americans not only distrust but also despise China. Considering the country's violent political history, unprecedented economic rise, and growing military capabilities, China has become America's strongest market competitor and arguably the most challenging global threat to the United States. Nevertheless, a full consideration of American opinion proves the opposite to be true. Carefully analyzing all available polls and surveys, Benjamin I. Page and Tao Xie find most Americans favor peaceful engagement with China. The public view has been surprisingly coherent and consistent, changing only in response to major events and new information. While a majority of Americans are not happy that China's economy is projected to become as large as that of the United States, they are prepared to live with it. "Unfair" Chinese trade practices and their impact on American jobs and wages are a concern, along with the quality and safety of Chinese-made goods. However, Americans favor free trade with China, provided it is tempered with environmental and workplace protections. They also believe that the United States should "balance" Chinese power through alliances with neighboring countries, such as Japan. Yet they oppose military action to defend Taiwan. Page and Xie examine these opinions in relation to facts about China and in light of current U.S. debates on diplomacy and policy.

Robert Kennedy's role in American politics during the 1960s was pivotal yet has defied attempts to define it. He was a junior senator from New York, but he was also much more. The public perceived him as possessing the intangible qualities of his brother, the slain president. From 1965 to 1968 Kennedy struggled to find his own voice in national affairs.

In His Own Right examines this crucial period of Robert Kennedy's political career, combining the best of political biography with a gripping social history of the social movements of the 1960s. How did Kennedy make the transformation from cold warrior to grassroots activist, from being a political operator known for ruthlessness toward his opponents to becoming, by 1968, a "tribune of the underclass"? Based on never before seen documents, this intimate portrait of one of the most respected politicians never elected president describes Robert Kennedy's relationship with such well-known activists and political players as Benjamin Spock, Eugene McCarthy, Allard Lowenstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez, as well as the ordinary men and women who influenced Kennedy's views as he came to stand in the public arena and in the national consciousness as a man and a leader in his own right.

Columbia University Press

"Robert Kennedy's role in American politics during the 1960s defies definition. He was a junior senator from New York, but he was also much more. The public perceived him as possessing the intangible qualities of his brother, the slain President. Throughout his tenure as an elected official, 1965-1968, Kennedy struggled to find his own voice in national affairs.". "In His Own Right examines this crucial period of Robert Kennedy's political career. How did he make the transformation from being a political operator known for "ruthlessness" toward his opponents, to becoming, by 1968, a "tribune of the underclass"? Joseph A. Palermo chronciles RFK's extraordinary transformation from Cold Warrior to grass roots activist, from his strong opposition against the war in Vietnam to his support of the civil rights movement and his continued antagonism with Lyndon Johnson. He bases his analysis on never before seen documents and focuses on the crucial nexus between '60s social activism and Kennedy's role as national leader, which was a direct product of the social movements of the time."--BOOK JACKET. On January 5, 1965, Kennedy began his term as the junior senator from New York, joining the ranks of Senate Democrats who commanded a 36-seat majority at the start of the 89th Congress. The United States and China The economic dragon The rise of China as a world power Democracy and human rights Friends or foes? The future of U.S.-China relations.