Mostly US contributors in sociology and political science examine issues surrounding national identity, ethnicity, and public policy, as well as political elites and political contention. The section on national identity and public policy looks at topics such as faith-based organizing for immigrant rights, and the intersection of immigration policy and the child welfare system in the US. Part 2 examines the role of political elites, with chapters on elites and social movements, the militarization theory in post-Soviet Russia, and party change in American’s bluest state.

Barbara Wejnert, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA Paolo Parigi, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

PART I: NATIONAL IDENTITY, ETHNICITY, AND PUBLIC POLICY How did the irish americans become irish? Gaelic sports and the organization of irish ethnicity in new york city - Dan Lainer-Vos Sanctified Mobilization: How Political Activists Manage Institutional Boundaries In Faith-Based Organizing For Immigrant Rights - Marion Coddou National Identity And Governmental Authority: The Intersection Of National Identity, Immigration Policy, And The Child Welfare System In The United States - Joanna Kaftan Revisiting Mothers' Pensions: A Critique Of A Social Science Classic And A New Analysis - Sheera Joy Olasky and David F. Greenberg PART II: POLITICAL ELITES AND POLITICAL CONTENTION Essential Contestants, Essential Contests - John Markoff Elites, Policy, And Social Movements - David Pettinicchio The Militarization Theory In Post-Soviet Russia: Dispelling The Pathological Look At Political And Administrative Elites - Victor Violier Changing Political Fortunes: Race, Class, And “Black Power” In The Rise And Fall Of A Black Urban Regime In Oakland - Eric S. Brown The Strength Of Civil Society Ties: Explaining Party Change In America's Bluest State - Johnnie Lotesta