The American Democracy

by Patterson, Thomas

• ISBN13: 9780073403878
• ISBN10: 0073403873
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-26
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

.The American Democracy is a comprehensive text is known for its engaging narrative and its positive presentation of the latest developments in scholarship and real-life politics. Through the use of narrative, The American Democracy weaves together theory, information, and examples in ways that highlight key points, make them easy to understand, and capture readers' interest..

Table of Contents

Part One: Foundations Chapter 1: American Political Culture: Seeking a More Perfect Union Political Culture: The Core Principles of American Government America's Core Values: Liberty, Equality, and Self-Government Politics: The Resolution of Conflict Political Power and Authority: The Control of Policy The Concept of a Political System and This Book's Organization Chapter 2: Constitutional Democracy: Promoting Liberty and Self-Government Before the Constitution: The Colonial and Revolutionary Experiences Negotiating Toward a Constitution Protecting Liberty: Limited Government Providing for Self-Government Constitutional Democracy Today Chapter 3: Federalism: Forging a Nation Federalism: National and State Sovereignty Federalism in Historical Perspective Federalism Today The Public's Influence: Setting the Boundaries of Federal-State Power Chapter 4: Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights Freedom of Expression Freedom of Religion The Right of Privacy Rights of Persons Accused of Crimes Rights and the War on Terrorism The Courts and a Free Society Chapter 5: Equal Rights: Struggling Toward Fairness The Struggle for Equality Equality Under the Law Equality of Result Persistent Discrimination: Superficial Differences, Deep Divisions Part Two: Mass Politics Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People's Voice The Nature of Public Opinion Political Socialization: How Americans Learn Their Politics Frames of Reference: How Americans Think Politically The Influence of Public Opinion on Policy Chapter 7: Political Participation: Activating the Popular Will Voter Participation Conventional Forms of Participation Other Than Voting Unconventional Activism: Social Movements and Protest Politics Participation and the Potential for Influence Chapter 8: Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter's Choice Party Competition and Majority Rule: The History of U.S. Parties Electoral and Party Systems Party Organizations The Candidate-Centered Campaign Parties, Candidates, and the Public's Influence Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Organizing Influence The Interest-Group System Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Through Official Contracts Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Through Public Pressure The Group System: Indispensable but Biased Chapter 10: The News Media: Communicating Political Images Historical Development: From the Nation's Founding to Today The Politics of News Attention to News Media and Public in the Internet Age Part Three: Governing Institutions Chapter 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests Congress as a Career: Election to Congress Congressional Leadership The Committee System How a Bill Becomes Law Congress's Policymaking Role Congress: Too Much Pluralism? Chapter 12: The Presidency: Leading the Nation Foundations of the Modern Presidency Choosing the President Staffing the Presidency Factors in Presidential Leadership Chapter 13: The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government Federal Administration: Form, Personnel, and Activities Development of the Federal Bureaucracy: Politics and Administration The Bureaucracy's Power Imperative Bureaucratic Accountability Reinventing Government Chapter 14: The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law The Federal Judicial System Federal Court Appointees The Nature of Judicial Decision Making Political Influences on Judicial Decisions Judicial Power and Democratic Government Part Four: Public Policy Chapter 15: Economic and Environmental Policy: Contributing to Prosperity The Public Policy Process Government as Regulator of the Economy Government as Protector of the Environment Government as Promoter of Economic Interests Fiscal Policy: Government as Manager of Economy, I Monetary Policy: Government as Manager of Economy, II Chapter 16: Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for Personal Security and Need Poverty in America: The Nature of the Problem The Politics and Policies of Social Welfare Education and Equality of Opportunity The American Way of Promoting the General Welfare Chapter 17: Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting the American Way The Roots of U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy The Military Dimension of the National Security Policy The Economic Dimension of National Security Policy A Challenging World Chapter 18: State and Local Politics: Maintaining Our Differences The Structure of State Government The Structure of Local Government State and Local Finance State and Local Policy The Great Balancing Act: Localism in a Large Nation Appendixes Glossary Notes Credits Index