{"product_id":"inside-the-carnival-unmasking-louisiana-politics-9780807131985","title":"Inside the Carnival: Unmasking Louisiana Politics","description":"With both an entertainer's eye and a social scientist's rigor, Wayne Parent subjects Louisiana's politics to rational and empirical analysis, seeking and finding coherent reasons for the state's well-known unique history. He resists resorting to vague hand-waving about \"exoticism,\" while at the same time he brings to life the juicy stories that illustrate his points. Pa rent's main theme is that Louisiana's ethnic mix, natural resources, and geography define a culture that in turn produces its unique political theater. He gives special attention to immigration patterns and Louisiana's abundant supply of oil and gas, as well as to the fascinating variations in political temperaments in different parts of the state. Most important, he delivers thorough and concise explanations of Louisiana's unusual legal system, odd election rules, overwrought constitutional history, convoluted voting patterns, and unmatched record of political corruption. In a new epilogue, Parent discusses how the hurricanes of 2005 will affect state politics and politicians as Louisiana struggles to regain its footing in the New South.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWayne Parent is Russell Long Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Louisiana State University. He is a frequent commentator on national and Louisiana politics for the media, including \u003ci\u003eNightline, CBS Sunday Morning, All Things Considered, \u003c\/i\u003e Voice of America Radio, \u003ci\u003eCNN News, New York Times, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eU.S. News and World Report. \u003c\/i\u003eHe is the coeditor of \u003ci\u003eThe Louisiana Field Guide: Understanding Life in the Pelican State.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"LSU Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50503883686162,"sku":"9780807131985","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_1163d4fd-85bd-4ffb-8677-256adabd3051.jpg?v=1730802317","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/inside-the-carnival-unmasking-louisiana-politics-9780807131985","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}