American Democracy Now

by Harrison, Brigid; Harris, Jean; Tolchin, Susan

• ISBN13: 9780073526270
• ISBN10: 0073526274
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-12-15
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Summary

Harrison, American Democracy Now, applies a critical thinking framework to teaching American Government by asking students to "Inquire, Converse, and Participate". "Inquire" is about students asking the right questions, and not taking what they read, hear, or see at face value. "Converse" is getting students to the point where they can join in the conversation of democracy constantly going on around them as informed participants. "Participate" is about students getting involved or making a conscious decision not to get involved, and also about participation including many new activities related to technology blogging, online polling, social networking sites, and more.

Table of Contents

PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY Chapter 1: American Democracy: People, Politics, and Participation y shd u stdy am dem now? Or, Why Should You Study American Democracy Now? How Technology Has Changed Politics The Political Context Now What Government Does Types of Government The Origins of American Democracy Democracy's Origins in Popular Protest: The Influence of the Reformation and the Enlightenment The Modern Political Philosophy of Hobbes and Locke The Creation of the United States as an Experiment in Representative Democracy Political Culture and American Values Liberty Equality Capitalism Consent of the Governed Individual, Family, and Community The Changing Face of American Democracy A Population That Is Growing and on the Move An Aging Population A Changing Complexion: Race and Ethnicity in the United States Changing Households: American Families Today Why the Changing Population Matters for Politics and Government Ideology: A Prism for Viewing American Democracy Liberalism Conservatism Other Ideologies on a Traditional Ideological Spectrum: Socialism and Libertarianism Neoconservatism A Three-Dimensional Political Compass Civic Engagement: Acting on Your Views Chapter 2: The Constitution What Is a Constitution? The Constitution of the United States of America Mission of the Constitution A Key Foundational Structure: Separation of Powers with Integrated Checks and Balances Another Key Structure: The Federal System Essential Processes of the National Government The Creation of the United States of America Colonization and Governance of America British Rule Incites a Rebellion The Common Sense of Declaring Independence The State Constitutions The Articles of Confederation (17811789) Crafting the Constitution: Compromise, Ratification, and Quick Amendment Conflict and Compromise over Representative Democracy Conflict and Compromise over Slavery The FederalistAnti-Federalist Debate The Bill of Rights (1791): Establishing Civil Liberties The Constitution as a Living, Evolving Document Formal Amendment of the Constitution Interpretation by the U.S. Supreme Court Constitution of the United States Chapter 3: Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations An Overview of the U.S. Federal System Unitary System Confederal System Federal System Constitutional Distribution of Authority Concurrent Sovereign Authority National Sovereignty The Supreme Court's Interpretation of Delegated and Implied Powers State Sovereignty National Obligations to the States State-to-State Obligations: Horizontal Federalism New Judicial Federalism Evolution of the Federal System Dual Federalism Cooperative Federalism Centralized Federalism Conflicted Federalism Landmarks in the Evolution of Federalism: Key Constitutional Amendments Further Evolutionary Landmarks: Grants-in-Aid Federalism's Continuing Evolution: Mandates Today's Federalism: The Good, the Bad, and the Inevitable PART II: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES Chapter 4: Civil Liberties Civil Liberties in the American Legal System The Freedoms Protected in the American System The Historical Basis for American Civil Liberties: The Bill of Rights Incorporation of the Bill of Rights to Apply to the States Freedoms of Speech, Assembly, and the Press: First Amendment Freedoms in Support of Civic Engagement The First Amendment and Political Instability Freedom of Speech Freedom of Assembly and Redress of Grievances Freedom of the Press Freedoms of Religion, Privacy, and Criminal Due Process: Encouraging Inclusiveness and Community Engagement The First Amendment and Freedom of Religion The Right to Privacy The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments: Ensuring Criminal Due Process Freedoms in Practice: Controversy over the Second Amendment and the "Right to Bear Arms" Competing Interpretations of the Second Amendment Citizen Engagement: Fighting for a Safer Nation Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 America Perceived Intrusions on Free Speech and Assembly Perceived Intrusions on Criminal Due Process Perceived Discrimination Against Muslims Chapter 5: Civil Rights The Quest for Equality Under the Law Inherent Characteristics Suspect Classifications Slavery and Its Aftermath Slavery in the United States Reconstruction and the First Civil Rights Acts Backlash: Jim Crow Governmental Acceptance of Discrimination The Civil Rights Movement Fighting Back: Early Civil Rights Movements The End of Separate but Equal Incident on a Montgomery Bus Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Strategy of Civil Disobedience The Reaction to Civil Disobedience The Government's Response The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Other Civil Rights Legislation of the 1960s The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement The Movement for Women's Civil Rights The First Wave of the Women's Rights Movement The Second Wave of the Women's Rights Movement Other Civil Rights Movements Native Americans' Rights Citizens of Latin American Descent Citizens of Asian Descent Citizens with Disabilities Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Citizens Affirmative Action: Is It Constitutional? PART III: LINKAGES BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT Chapter 6: Political Socialization and Public Opinion Political Socialization and Civic Participation The Process of Political Socialization Participating in Civic Life Agents of Socialization Family The Media Schools Churches Peers Political and Community Leaders Demographic Characteristics Measuring Public Opinion The Origins of Measuring Public Opinion How Public Opinion Polls Are Conducted Types of Political Polls What Americans Think About Politics The Most Important Problem The Mood of the Nation Public Opinion about Government Chapter 7: Interest Groups The Value of Interest Groups Interest Groups and Civic Participation Pluralist Theory Elite Theory Key Functions of Interest Groups Downside of Interest Groups Who Joins Interest Groups, and Why? Patterns of Membership Motivations for Joining How Interest Groups Succeed Organizational Resources Organizational Environment Types of Interest Groups Economic Interest Groups Public and Ideological Interest Groups Foreign Governments Interest Group Strategies Direct Strategies Indirect Strategies Interest Groups, Politics, and Money: The Increasing Influence of Political Action Committees Examining Interest Groups in American Politics Chapter 8: Political Parties Parties Today and Their Functions Defining a Political Party How Parties Engage Individuals What Political Parties Do The Three Faces of Parties The Party in the Electorate The Party Organization The Party in Government Political Parties in U.S. History The First Party System: The Development of Parties, 1789-1828 The Second Party System: The Democrats'' Rise to Power, 1828-1860 The Third Party System: The Republicans'' Rise to Power, 1860-1896 The Fourth Party System: Republican Dominance, 1896-1932 The Fifth Party System: Democratic Dominance, 1932-1968 A New Party System? Two-Party Domination in U.S. Politics The Dualist Nature of Most Conflicts The Winner-Take-All Electoral System Continued Socialization to the Two-Party System Election Laws That Favor the Two-Party System The Two-Party System Today: In Decline or in Resurgence? The Party's Over The Party's Just Begun Third Parties in the United States Types of Third Parties