Book Talk

 

Wednesday, November 12, 2009
12:30 pm
6275 Bunche Hall

 

Cover art of

Why is There No Labor Party in the United States?

Presented by Robin Archer, London School of Economics

About the Book

Why is the United States the only advanced capitalist country with no labor party?
This question is one of the great enduring puzzles of American political development, and it lies at the heart of a fundamental debate about the nature of American society. Tackling this debate head-on, Robin Archer puts forward a new explanation for why there is no American labor party--an explanation that suggests that much of the conventional wisdom about "American exceptionalism" is untenable.

About the Speaker

ROBIN ARCHER teaches political sociology at the LSE, and is the director of the postgraduate program in that subject. His first degree was in physics, mathematics and philosophy at Sydney University where he received the University Medal. A Commonwealth Scholarship enabled him to come to England to do a DPhil in politics at Balliol College, Oxford. Prior to coming to the LSE, he taught political sociology, comparative government and political theory for over a decade at Oxford University, where he was the Fellow in Politics at Corpus Christi College.

The study of labour movements and labour politics are a central focus of Dr Archer's research interests. In addition, he has a longstanding and continuing interest in a wide range of other social movements, in questions of social and political philosophy (particularly questions concerning liberalism, socialism, freedom and democracy), in questions of comparative political economy (particularly concerning industrial relations, and the development of welfare states), in questions of political culture (particularly those concerning the impact of liberal, racial and religious ideas), and in the effects of political institutions. He has specialist knowledge of a range of European countries, as well as of India, Australia, and, especially, the United States.

 

This event is sponsored with Department of Sociology.