American Government

by Wilson, James Q.

• ISBN13: 9780618043590
• ISBN10: 0618043594
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-12-19
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
About the Authors	xv
Part I The American System	1	(100)
The Study of American Government	2	(14)
What Is Political Power?	4	(1)
What Is Democracy?	5	(1)
Direct Versus Representative Democracy: Which Is Best?	6	(2)
How Is Power Distributed in a Democracy?	8	(3)
Four Theories of Who Governs	8	(3)
Political Change	11	(1)
Finding Out Who Governs	12	(4)
The Constitution	16	(32)
The Problem of Liberty	17	(5)
The Colonial Mind	18	(2)
The Real Revolution	20	(1)
Weaknesses of the Confederation	21	(1)
The Constitutional Convention	22	(3)
The Lessons of Experience	22	(1)
The Framers	23	(2)
The Challenge	25	(3)
The Virginia Plan	25	(1)
The New Jersey Plan	26	(1)
The Compromise	27	(1)
The Constitution and Democracy	28	(2)
Key Principles	28	(1)
Government and Human Nature	29	(1)
The Constitution and Liberty	30	(8)
The Antifederalist View	31	(4)
Need for a Bill of Rights	35	(1)
The Constitution and Slavery	36	(2)
The Motives of the Framers	38	(3)
Economic Interests at the Convention	38	(1)
Economic Interests and Ratification	39	(1)
The Constitution and Equality	39	(2)
Constitutional Reform---Modern Views	41	(7)
Reducing the Separation of Powers	41	(2)
Making the System Less Democratic	43	(1)
Who Is Right?	44	(4)
Federalism	48	(30)
Governmental Structure	50	(2)
Federalism: Good or Bad?	51	(1)
Increased Political Activity	52	(1)
The Founding	52	(3)
A Bold, New Plan	53	(1)
Elastic Language	54	(1)
The Debate on the Meaning of Federalism	55	(4)
The Supreme Court Speaks	56	(1)
Nullification	57	(1)
Dual Federalism	57	(1)
State Sovereignty	58	(1)
Federal-State Relations	59	(5)
Grants-in-Aid	60	(1)
Meeting National Needs	61	(1)
The Intergovernmental Lobby	62	(1)
Categorical Grants Versus Revenue Sharing	62	(2)
The Slowdown in ``Free'' Money	64	(2)
Rivalry Among the States	65	(1)
Federal Aid and Federal Control	66	(4)
Mandates	66	(2)
Conditions of Aid	68	(2)
A Devolution Revolution?	70	(2)
Block Grants for Entitlements	70	(1)
What's Driving Devolution?	71	(1)
Congress and Federalism	72	(6)
American Political Culture	78	(23)
Political Culture	80	(4)
The Political System	80	(3)
The Economic System	83	(1)
Comparing America with Other Nations	84	(4)
Political System	84	(1)
Economic System	85	(1)
The Role of Religion	86	(2)
The Sources of Political Culture	88	(4)
The Culture War	90	(2)
Mistrust of Government	92	(1)
Political Efficacy	93	(1)
Political Tolerance	94	(7)
Part II Opinions, Interests, and Organizations	101	(172)
Public Opinion	102	(26)
What Is Public Opinion?	104	(2)
The Origins of Political Attitudes	106	(6)
The Role of the Family	106	(1)
Religion	107	(2)
The Gender Gap	109	(1)
Schooling and Information	110	(2)
Cleavages in Public Opinion	112	(6)
Social Class	112	(2)
Race and Ethnicity	114	(3)
Region	117	(1)
Political Ideology	118	(7)
Consistent Attitudes	120	(1)
What Do Liberalism and Conservatism Mean?	120	(1)
Various Categories	121	(1)
Analyzing Consistency	122	(1)
Political Elites	123	(1)
Is There a ``New Class''?	124	(1)
Political Elites, Public Opinion, and Public Policy	125	(3)
Political Participation	128	(20)
A Closer Look at Nonvoting	129	(3)
The Rise of the American Electorate	132	(5)
From State to Federal Control	132	(3)
Voter Turnout	135	(2)
Who Participates in Politics?	137	(11)
Forms of Participation	137	(1)
The Causes of Participation	138	(3)
The Meaning of Participation Rates	141	(7)
Political Parties	148	(30)
Parties---Here and Abroad	150	(2)
Political Culture	152	(1)
The Rise and Decline of the Political Party	152	(5)
The Founding	152	(1)
The Jacksonians	153	(1)
The Civil War and Sectionalism	154	(2)
The Era of Reform	156	(1)
The National Party Structure Today	157	(4)
National Conventions	159	(2)
State and Local Parties	161	(4)
The Machine	161	(2)
Ideological Parties	163	(1)
Solidary Groups	164	(1)
Sponsored Parties	164	(1)
Personal Following	165	(1)
The Two-Party System	165	(4)
Minor Parties	169	(3)
Nominating a President	172	(2)
Are the Delegates Representative of the Voters?	172	(1)
Who Votes in Primaries?	173	(1)
Who Are the New Delegates?	174	(1)
Parties Versus Voters	174	(4)
Elections and Campaigns	178	(38)
Presidential Versus Congressional Campaigns	180	(3)
Running for President	181	(2)
Primary Versus General Campaigns	183	(8)
Two Kinds of Campaign Issues	185	(2)
Television, Debates, and Direct Mail	187	(4)
Money	191	(8)
The Sources of Campaign Money	191	(1)
Campaign Finance Rules	192	(2)
The Effects of the 1974 Reforms	194	(1)
Proposals for More Reform	195	(1)
Money and Winning	196	(3)
What Decides the Election?	199	(8)
Party	199	(2)
Issues, Especially the Economy	201	(2)
The Campaign	203	(1)
Finding a Winning Coalition	204	(3)
Election Outcomes	207	(5)
Party Realignments	208	(3)
Party Decline	211	(1)
The Effects of Elections on Policy	212	(4)
Interest Groups	216	(28)
Explaining Proliferation	217	(2)
The Birth of Interest Groups	219	(2)
Kinds of Organizations	221	(4)
Institutional Interests	221	(1)
Membership Interests	222	(1)
Incentives to Join	223	(2)
The Influence of the Staff	225	(1)
Interest Groups and Social Movements	225	(4)
The Environmental Movement	226	(1)
The Feminist Movement	226	(1)
The Union Movement	227	(2)
Funds for Interest Groups	229	(1)
Foundation Grants	229	(1)
Federal Grants and Contracts	229	(1)
Direct Mail	229	(1)
The Problem of Bias	230	(2)
The Activities of Interest Groups	232	(8)
Information	232	(1)
Public Support: The Rise of the New Politics	233	(3)
Money and PACs	236	(2)
The ``Revolving Door''	238	(1)
Trouble	239	(1)
Regulating Interest Groups	240	(4)
The Media	244	(29)
Journalism in American Political History	246	(5)
The Party Press	246	(1)
The Popular Press	247	(2)
Magazines of Opinion	249	(1)
Electronic Journalism	249	(2)
The Internet	251	(1)
The Structure of the Media	251	(4)
Degree of Competition	252	(1)
The National Media	253	(2)
Rules Governing the Media	255	(4)
Confidentiality of Sources	256	(1)
Regulating Broadcasting	256	(2)
Campaigning	258	(1)
The Effects of the Media on Politics	259	(2)
Government and the News	261	(2)
Prominence of the President	261	(1)
Coverage of Congress	262	(1)
Interpreting Political News	263	(10)
Are News Stories Slanted?	264	(2)
Why Do We Have So Many News Leaks?	266	(3)
Sensationalism in the Media	269	(2)
Government Constraints on Journalists	271	(2)
Part III Institutions of Government	273	(160)
Congress	274	(58)
The Evolution of Congress	279	(5)
The Powerful House	279	(1)
A Divided House	280	(1)
The Rise of a Powerful Speaker	280	(1)
The Revolt Against the Speaker	281	(1)
The Empowerment of Individual Members	282	(1)
The Return of Leadership	282	(1)
The Future?	282	(1)
The Evolution of the Senate	283	(1)
Who Is in Congress?	284	(5)
Sex and Race	284	(1)
Incumbency	284	(3)
Party	287	(2)
Getting Elected to Congress	289	(6)
Determining Fair Representation	290	(1)
Majority-Minority Districts	291	(1)
Winning the Primary	292	(3)
Do Members Represent Their Voters?	295	(3)
Representational View	295	(1)
Organizational View	296	(1)
Attitudinal View	296	(2)
Ideology and Civility in Congress	298	(1)
The Organization of Congress: Parties and Caucuses	298	(8)
Party Organization of the Senate	298	(2)
Party Structure in the House	300	(1)
The Strength of Party Structures	301	(1)
Party Unity	302	(2)
Caucuses	304	(2)
The Organization of Congress: Committees	306	(3)
The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices	309	(2)
Tasks of Staff Members	310	(1)
Staff Agencies	311	(1)
How a Bill Becomes Law	311	(8)
Introducing a Bill	312	(1)
Study by Committees	313	(3)
Floor Debate---The House	316	(1)
Floor Debate---The Senate	317	(1)
Methods of Voting	318	(1)
Reforming Congress	319	(5)
Representative or Direct Democracy?	319	(1)
Proper Guardians of the Public Weal?	320	(1)
A Decisive Congress or a Deliberative One?	320	(1)
Imposing Term Limits	320	(2)
Reducing Powers and Perks	322	(2)
Ethics and Congress	324	(8)
The Presidency	332	(42)
Presidents and Prime Ministers	334	(1)
Divided Government	335	(2)
Does Gridlock Matter?	336	(1)
Is Policy Gridlock Bad?	336	(1)
The Evolution of the Presidency	337	(7)
Concerns of the Founders	337	(1)
The Electoral College	338	(1)
The President's Term of Office	338	(1)
The First Presidents	339	(3)
The Jacksonians	342	(1)
The Reemergence of Congress	342	(2)
The Powers of the President	344	(1)
The Office of the President	345	(5)
The White House Office	346	(2)
The Executive Office of the President	348	(1)
The Cabinet	349	(1)
Independent Agencies, Commissions, and Judgeships	350	(1)
Who Gets Appointed	350	(3)
Presidential Character	353	(1)
The Power to Persuade	354	(4)
The Three Audiences	355	(1)
Popularity and Influence	356	(1)
The Decline in Popularity	357	(1)
The Power to Say No	358	(4)
Veto	358	(2)
Executive Privilege	360	(2)
Impoundment of Funds	362	(1)
The President's Program	362	(3)
Putting Together a Program	362	(2)
Attempts to Reorganize	364	(1)
Presidential Transition	365	(6)
The Vice President	366	(1)
Problems of Succession	367	(2)
Impeachment	369	(2)
How Powerful Is the President?	371	(3)
The Bureaucracy	374	(28)
Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy	376	(1)
The Growth of the Bureaucracy	376	(4)
The Appointment of Officials	377	(1)
A Service Role	378	(1)
A Change in Role	379	(1)
The Federal Bureaucracy Today	380	(13)
Recruitment and Retention	381	(5)
Personal Attributes	386	(1)
Do Bureaucrats Sabotage Their Political Bosses?	387	(2)
Culture and Careers	389	(1)
Constraints	389	(3)
Agency Allies	392	(1)
Congressional Oversight	393	(2)
The Appropriations Committee and Legislative Committees	394	(1)
The Legislative Veto	394	(1)
Congressional Investigations	395	(1)
Bureaucratic ``Pathologies''	395	(2)
Reforming the Bureaucracy	397	(5)
The Judiciary	402	(31)
The Development of the Federal Courts	405	(6)
National Supremacy and Slavery	405	(2)
Government and the Economy	407	(2)
Government and Political Liberty	409	(2)
The Revival of State Sovereignty	411	(1)
The Structure of the Federal Courts	411	(3)
Selecting Judges	411	(3)
The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts	414	(3)
Getting to Court	417	(3)
Fee Shifting	418	(1)
Standing	418	(1)
Class-Action Suits	419	(1)
The Supreme Court in Action	420	(2)
The Power of the Federal Courts	422	(4)
The Power to Make Policy	423	(1)
Views of Judicial Activism	424	(2)
Legislation and the Courts	426	(1)
Checks on Judicial Power	426	(7)
Congress and the Courts	427	(2)
Public Opinion and the Courts	429	(4)
Part IV The Politics of Public Policy	433	(168)
The Policy-Making Process	434	(24)
Setting the Agenda	436	(3)
The Legitimate Scope of Government Action	436	(3)
Making a Decision	439	(2)
Majoritarian Politics: Distributed Benefits, Distributed Costs	441	(2)
Interest Group Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Concentrated Costs	443	(1)
Client Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Distributed Costs	443	(2)
Entrepreneurial Politics: Distributed Benefits, Concentrated Costs	445	(1)
The Case of Business Regulation	446	(7)
Majoritarian Politics	447	(1)
Interest Group Politics	448	(1)
Client Politics	449	(2)
Entrepreneurial Politics	451	(2)
Perceptions, Beliefs, Interests, and Values	453	(5)
Deregulation	455	(1)
Reducing Subsidies	455	(1)
The Limits of Ideas	456	(2)
Economic Policy	458	(20)
The Politics of Economic Prosperity	461	(1)
What Politicians Try to Do	461	(1)
The Politics of Taxing and Spending	462	(1)
Economic Theories and Political Needs	463	(3)
Monetarism	463	(1)
Keynesianism	464	(1)
Planning	464	(1)
Supply-Side Tax Cuts	464	(1)
Ideology and Theory	465	(1)
``Reaganomics''	465	(1)
The Machinery of Economic Policy Making	466	(3)
The Fed	467	(1)
Congress	468	(1)
Spending Money	469	(1)
The Budget	469	(2)
Reducing Spending	471	(1)
Levying Taxes	471	(7)
The Rise of the Income Tax	473	(5)
Social Welfare	478	(16)
Social Welfare in the United States	480	(9)
Majoritarian Welfare Programs: Social Security and Medicare	482	(4)
Reforming Majoritarian Welfare Programs	486	(1)
Client Welfare Programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children	487	(2)
Two Kinds of Welfare Politics	489	(5)
Majoritarian Politics	489	(3)
Client Politics	492	(2)
Civil Liberties	494	(26)
Politics, Culture, and Civil Liberties	496	(4)
Rights in Conflict	497	(1)
Policy Entrepreneurs	497	(2)
Cultural Conflicts	499	(1)
Interpreting and Applying the First Amendment	500	(3)
Speech and National Security	501	(2)
What Is Speech?	503	(4)
Libel	503	(1)
Obscenity	504	(2)
Symbolic Speech	506	(1)
Who Is a Person?	507	(1)
Church and State	508	(3)
The Free-Exercise Clause	508	(1)
The Establishment Clause	509	(2)
Crime and Due Process	511	(9)
The Exclusionary Rule	512	(1)
Search and Seizure	512	(4)
Confessions and Self-Incrimination	516	(1)
Relaxing the Exclusionary Rule	517	(3)
Civil Rights	520	(32)
The Black Predicament	522	(2)
The Campaign in the Courts	524	(8)
``Separate but Equal''	525	(2)
Can Separate Schools Be Equal?	527	(1)
Brown v. Board of Education	527	(5)
The Campaign in Congress	532	(5)
Women and Equal Rights	537	(4)
Sexual Harassment	539	(1)
Abortion	540	(1)
Affirmative Action	541	(7)
Equality of Results	541	(1)
Equality of Opportunity	542	(6)
Gays and the Supreme Court	548	(4)
Foreign and Military Policy	552	(32)
Kinds of Foreign Policy	554	(1)
The Constitutional and Legal Context	555	(5)
Presidential Box Score	556	(1)
Evaluating the Power of the President	557	(1)
Checks on Presidential Power	558	(2)
The Machinery of Foreign Policy	560	(1)
Foreign Policy and Public Opinion	561	(4)
Backing the President	563	(1)
Mass Versus Elite Opinion	564	(1)
Cleavages Among Foreign Policy Elites	565	(6)
How a Worldview Shapes Foreign Policy	566	(5)
The Use of Military Force	571	(1)
The Defense Budget	572	(4)
Total Spending	572	(3)
Choosing Weapons Systems	575	(1)
What Do We Buy with Our Money?	576	(4)
Personnel	576	(2)
Big-Ticket Items	578	(1)
Small-Ticket Items	579	(1)
Readiness	579	(1)
Bases	580	(1)
The Structure of Defense Decision-Making	580	(4)
Joint Chiefs of Staff	582	(1)
The Services	582	(1)
The Chain of Command	582	(2)
Environmental Policy	584	(17)
The American Context	586	(1)
Entrepreneurial Politics: Global Warming	587	(3)
Majoritarian Politics: Pollution from Automobiles	590	(2)
Interest Group Politics: Acid Rain	592	(2)
Client Politics: Agricultural Pesticides	594	(2)
The Environmental Uncertainties	596	(2)
The Results	598	(3)
Part V The Nature of American Democracy	601	(1)
Who Governs?	602	(2)
Four Kinds of Politics	604	(2)
Majoritarian Politics	604	(1)
Interest Group Politics	605	(2)
Client Politics	607	(2)
Entrepreneurial Politics	609	(2)
Competing Theories of Political Power	611	(1)
Marxist Theory	611	(1)
Elitist Theory	612	(1)
Bureaucratic Theory	613	(1)
Pluralist Theory	614	(2)
To What Ends?	616	(2)
Competing Interests	618	(1)
Restraints on the Growth of Government	618	(1)
Consequences of Activist Government	619	(1)
The Influence of Structure	620	(1)
The Influence of Ideas	621
Appendix	A1
The Declaration of Independence	A1
The Constitution of the United States	A4
The Federalist No. 10	A21
The Federalist No. 51	A26
Presidents and Congresses, 1789-2000	A30
Glossary	G1
Notes	N1
Index	I1
Photo Credits	C1