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9780534647599

America at Odds

by ;
  • ISBN13:

    9780534647599

  • ISBN10:

    0534647596

  • Edition: 5th
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2005-07-20
  • Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
  • View Upgraded Edition

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Summary

Known for its provocative and engaging issues approach, topical organization, and economical length, AMERICA AT ODDS explores the current conflicts that truly define America as a nation while involving students in discussion and debate. The engaging content and pedagogical features throughout AMERICA AT ODDS support two main goals of the text: to encourage students to read about American politics and government and to participate in the political system. In every chapter of the text, the foundations and systems of political history, behavior, institutions, and policy are presented within the framework of issues oriented debate, making AMERICA AT ODDS truly unique as an approach to teaching the Introduction to American Government course.

Table of Contents

The Foundations of Our American System
America in the Twenty-First Centuryp. 1
America at Odds: Is There Too Much Religion in American Politics?p. 2
Introductionp. 3
What Are Politics and Government?p. 4
Different Systems of Governmentp. 5
American Democracyp. 8
America at odds Has America Gone too Far in "Exporting Liberty"?p. 11
America at odds a Nation Divided?p. 14
American Democracy at Workp. 16
Key Termsp. 18
Chapter Summaryp. 18
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 18
Politics on the Webp. 19
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 19
Chapter 1 Features
The Constitutionp. 21
America at Odds: Should We Elect the President by Popular Vote?p. 22
Introductionp. 23
The Beginnings of American Governmentp. 23
The Rebellion of the Colonistsp. 24
Breaking the Ties: Independencep. 26
America at odds What Happened to the Promise of Equality?p. 28
The Confederation of Statesp. 29
Drafting the Constitutionp. 32
The Debate over Ratificationp. 34
The Constitution's Major Principles of Governmentp. 36
America at odds The Constitution-a Blueprint for Future Controversyp. 42
Amending the Constitutionp. 43
Key Termsp. 46
Chapter Summaryp. 46
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 47
Politics on the Webp. 47
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 47
Chapter 2 Features
Federalismp. 49
America at Odds: Should the States Decide the Medical-Marijuana Issue?p. 50
Introductionp. 51
Federalism and Its Alternativesp. 51
The Constitutional Division of Powersp. 55
America at odds Should States Be Allowed to Import Prescription Drugs?p. 57
The Struggle for Supremacyp. 58
America at odds Should Direct Wine Shipments Be Legalized?p. 63
Federalism Todayp. 63
The Fiscal Side of Federalismp. 66
Key Termsp. 70
Chapter Summaryp. 70
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 71
Politics on the Webp. 71
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 71
Chapter 3 Features
Our Liberties and Rights
Civil Libertiesp. 73
America at Odds: Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?p. 74
Introductionp. 75
The Constitutional Basis for Our Civil Libertiesp. 75
Freedom of Religionp. 77
America at odds Is America one Nation "Under God"?p. 82
Freedom of Expressionp. 85
Freedom of the Pressp. 88
Freedom of Assemblyp. 89
The Right to Privacyp. 90
America at odds Medical Microchips and Privacy Rightsp. 92
The Rights of the Accusedp. 93
Key Termsp. 97
Chapter Summaryp. 98
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 98
Politics on the Webp. 98
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 99
Chapter 4 Features
Civil Rightsp. 101
America at Odds: Should Same-Sex Couples Be Allowed to Marry?p. 102
Introductionp. 103
The Equal Protection Clausep. 103
African Americansp. 105
Womenp. 109
Hispanicsp. 112
Asian Americansp. 113
Immigrants' Rightsp. 114
America at odds Should Bilingual Education be Abolished?p. 114
Native Americansp. 115
America at odds Native American Gamingp. 117
Securing Rights for Other Groupsp. 118
Beyond Equal Protection-Affirmative Actionp. 120
Key Termsp. 125
Chapter Summaryp. 125
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 126
Politics on the Webp. 126
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 126
Chapter 5 Features
The Politics of Democracy
Interest Groupsp. 127
America at Odds: Should We Privatize Social Security?p. 128
Introductionp. 129
Interest Groups and American Governmentp. 129
America at odds Can We Control the "Mischiefs of Factions"?p. 131
How Do Interest Groups Differ from Political Parties?p. 131
Different Types of Interest Groupsp. 132
America at odds Taxing the Internetp. 136
How Interest Groups Shape Policyp. 138
Today's Lobbying Establishmentp. 143
Key Termsp. 146
Chapter Summaryp. 146
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 147
Politics on the Webp. 147
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 147
Chapter 6 Features
Political Partiesp. 149
America at Odds: Do Colleges Shun Conservative Views?p. 150
Introductionp. 151
A Short History of American Political Partiesp. 151
America's Political Parties Todayp. 154
America at odds Should Third-Party Candidates Debate?p. 155
Party Affiliationp. 157
What Do Political Parties Do?p. 159
America at odds Would Divided Government Be Better?p. 161
Third Parties and American Politicsp. 163
How American Political parties Are Structuredp. 166
Key Termsp. 169
Chapter Summaryp. 169
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 169
Politics on the Webp. 170
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 170
Chapter 7 Features
Public Opinion and Votingp. 171
America at Odds: Is Political Polling Good for Democracy?p. 172
Introductionp. 173
What Is Public Opinion?p. 173
How Do People Form Political Opinions?p. 174
Measuring Public Opinionp. 177
America at odds Should Exit Polls Be Outlawed?p. 179
Factors Affecting Voter Turnoutp. 183
America at odds A National Vote-By-Mail Systemp. 185
Why People Vote as They Dop. 186
Key Termsp. 193
Chapter Summaryp. 193
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 193
Politics on the Webp. 194
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 194
Chapter 8 Features
Campaigns and Electionsp. 195
America at Odds: Why All the Negative Campaigning?p. 196
Introductionp. 197
How We Nominate Candidatesp. 197
America at odds: Do National Conventions Serve Any Purpose Today?p. 201
The Modern Political Campaignp. 201
America at odds: Does Money Buy Votes?p. 207
How We Elect Candidatesp. 209
Key Termsp. 213
Chapter Summaryp. 213
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 214
Politics on the Webp. 214
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 214
Chapter 9 Features
Politics and the Mediap. 215
America at Odds: Do Media Monopolies Threaten a Free Press?p. 216
Introductionp. 217
The Role of the Media in a Democracyp. 217
The Candidates and Televisionp. 220
America at odds: Who Are the Real "Winners" In Expensive Campaigns?p. 225
Talk Radio-The Wild West of the Mediap. 225
The Question of Media Biasp. 226
Political News on the Webp. 229
Cyberspace and Political Campaignsp. 231
America at odds: Will the Internet Change Political Campaigning as We Know It?p. 232
Key Termsp. 234
Chapter Summaryp. 234
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 235
Politics on the Webp. 235
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 235
Chapter 10 Features
Institutions
Congressp. 237
America at Odds: Does Congress Have to Look Like America to Represent It?p. 238
Introductionp. 239
The Structure and Make-up of Congressp. 239
America at odds: Redistricting for Competitive Electionsp. 242
Congressional Electionsp. 244
America at odds: Are Term Limits the Cure for Congressional Careerism?p. 247
Congressional Leadershipp. 247
The Differences between the House and the Senatep. 251
The Legislative Processp. 253
Investigation and Oversightp. 255
The Budgeting Processp. 257
Key Termsp. 262
Chapter Summaryp. 262
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 263
Politics on the Webp. 263
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 263
Chapter 11 Features
The Presidencyp. 265
America at Odds: Should Presidents Be Able to Go to War on Their Own?p. 266
Introductionp. 267
Who Can Become President?p. 267
America at odds: A Foreign-Born President?p. 268
The President's Many Rolesp. 269
The President's Constitutional Powersp. 272
The President's Inherent Powersp. 275
The Expansion of Presidential Powersp. 275
America at odds: The President and Moral Politicsp. 277
Congressional and Presidential Relationsp. 282
The Organization of the Executive Branchp. 285
Key Termsp. 290
Chapter Summaryp. 291
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 291
Politics on the Webp. 292
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 292
Chapter 12 Features
The Bureaucracyp. 293
America at Odds: Should the Federal Bureaucracy Be Privatized?p. 294
Introductionp. 295
The Nature and Size of the Bureaucracyp. 295
How the Federal Bureaucracy Is Organizedp. 297
AMERICA at odds: Is the Civil Rights Commission Outdated?p. 303
How Bureaucrats Get Their Jobsp. 305
Regulatory Agencies: Are They the Fourth Branch of Government?p. 306
AMERICA at odds: Should Agencies Give More Weight to Compliance Costs?p. 308
Policymaking and the Iron Trianglep. 308
Curbing Waste and Improving Efficiencyp. 310
Key Termsp. 315
Chapter Summaryp. 315
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 316
Politics on the Webp. 316
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 316
Chapter 13 Features
The Judiciaryp. 317
America at Odds: Supreme Court Appointees: Does Partisan Ideology Matter?p. 318
Introductionp. 319
The Origins and Sources of American Lawp. 319
The Federal Court Systemp. 323
Federal Judicial Appointmentsp. 327
AMERICA at odds: Should Filibusters on Judicial Nominees be Banned?p. 330
The Courts as Policymakersp. 331
Ideology and the Courtsp. 335
AMERICA at odds: Should the Supreme Court Look to Foreign Laws for Guidance?p. 335
Assessing the Role of Federal Courtsp. 337
Key Termsp. 340
Chapter Summaryp. 340
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 341
Politics on the Webp. 341
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 341
Chapter 14 Features
Public Policy
Domestic Policyp. 343
America at Odds: Bringing Back the Draft?p. 344
Introductionp. 345
The Policymaking Processp. 345
Social-Welfare Policyp. 348
AMERICA at odds: What Should be Done About the Homeless Population?p. 353
Policies on Crime and Drugsp. 354
Economic Policyp. 355
AMERICA at odds: Do All Americans Pay Their Fair Share in Taxes?p. 359
Key Termsp. 362
Chapter Summaryp. 362
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 362
Politics on the Webp. 363
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 363
Chapter 15 Features
Foreign Policyp. 365
America at Odds: Should the United States Be the Global Cop?p. 366
Introductionp. 366
Who Makes U.S. Foreign Policy?p. 367
A Short History of American Foreign Policyp. 370
The War on Terrorismp. 374
America at odds: Can America go it Alone in the War on Terrorism?p. 377
Weapons Proliferation in an Unstable Worldp. 378
Iraq: From Dictatorship to Democracy?p. 383
China-The Next Superpower?p. 386
Freer World Trade and the WTOp. 387
America at odds: Globalization-Good, Bad, or Indifferent?p. 388
Should We Keep Supporting the United Nations?p. 389
Key Termsp. 391
Chapter Summaryp. 392
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 392
Politics on the Webp. 393
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 393
Chapter 16 Features
State and Local Politics
State and Local Politicsp. 395
America at Odds: Are Ballot Initiatives Good for Our Democracy?p. 396
Introductionp. 397
The U.S. Constitution and the State Constitutionsp. 397
Legislatures and Legislatorsp. 399
Direct Democracyp. 401
The State Executive Branchp. 403
A Typical State Court Systemp. 406
America at odds: Should All State Court Judges Be Appointed?p. 407
Local Governmentsp. 408
America at odds: Does More Money Equal Better Schools?p. 409
State and Local Government Revenuesp. 410
Devolution: Returning Responsibility to the Statesp. 411
Key Termsp. 413
Chapter Summaryp. 414
Resources for Further Study
Selected Readingsp. 414
Politics on the Webp. 415
Online Resources for This Chapterp. 415
Chapter 17 Features
The Constitution of the United Statesp. 1
The Declaration of Independencep. 9
Supreme Court Justices since 1900p. 11
Party Control of Congress since 1900p. 15
Information on U.S. Presidentsp. 16
Federalist Papers No. 10 and No. 51p. 19
How to Read Case Citations and Find Court Decisionsp. 25
Spanish Equivalents for Important Political Termsp. 27
Notesp. 1
Glossaryp. 1
Indexp. 1
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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