Inside the Carnival: Unmasking Louisiana Politics

By Wayne Parent

Book Overview

In the popular American imagination, Louisiana may come closer than any other state to offering the experience of a foreign culture - a Spanish-moss-draped netherland filled with friendly but vaguely threatening Cajuns, seething creature-infested swamps, the whirling masked chaos of Mardi Gras, seductive N'awlins cadences, and most vividly, even pruriently, the train wreck of Louisiana politics: cash-under-the-table shenanigans, fat and sassy environmental polluters, devil-and-the-deep-blue-sea electoral choices like the 1991 gubernatorial runoff between the Klan-tainted David Duke and the criminally indicated Edwin Edwards. Wayne Parent sees all of this clearly with both an entertainer's eye and a social scientist's rigor. He subjects Louisiana's politics to rational and empirical analysis, seeking and finding coherent reasons for the state's bizarre spectacle without resorting to vague hand-waving about exoticism, while at the same time bringing to life the juicy stories that illustrate his points. Parent's main theme is that Louisiana's ethnic mix, natural resources, and geography define a culture that in turn produces its unique political theater. supply of oil and gas, and the variations in political temperaments in 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 - while also noting signs of change in the offing. Rich in historical facts, gripping tales, and comparative data. Wayne Parent's primer on Louisiana politics will satisfy anyone agog at the state's saga.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807129380
• ISBN13: 9780807129388
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press
• Length: 177 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Just like being in one of Wayne's college lectures

I had Wayne Parent for a Louisiana Politics class at LSU and it was always intriguing. Wayne brings his broad knowledge of insider politics and his gift of storytelling to this book. You learn while being completely entertained! It is just like Wayne is giving one of his lectures. Highly recommend!

Subway or Pirogue: a good read either way.

Parents' writing brings clarity to the dizzying discussion of Louisiana politics. He successfully explains how oil & gas, corruption, and coalition building blend together to make such a colorful and unique political culture. Without a judgmental or partisan bias Inside the Carnival is able to explain some of the haunting questions of Louisiana Politics with simplicity, like: Where did Governor "Buddy" Roemer come from? And was the Long Juggernaut really that... powerful... crazy...or close to the White House? This book is far from that of a standard textbook, which I suspect it will be used for, for years to come. It is engaging and made me laugh out loud. Enjoyable for the scholars steeped in the subject or someone looking to read what all the hubbub in Louisiana is about. Enjoy and "Lache pas la patate!"

Backstory on the Carnival

This book is a delightful romp of a lesson in state history, civics, law, and political science all rolled into one.Prepare to be enlightened and entertained as Parent teases out and makes sense of the many ingredients that have come to shape the distinct flavor of Louisiana politics. It's the tale of how we've gotten here and what might lie ahead... and I can now drop the words "Napoleonic Code" into conversation with confidence.