American Government

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9780618221455
• ISBN10: 061822145X
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-12-19
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

This brief edition maintains the framework of the complete text, emphasizing the historical development of the American political system, who governs and to what end. Revisions include "Interpreting Political News" in Chapter 4, which addresses the shift in the media's focus after 9/11; new discussion on partisanship in Congress and polarity among the parties in Chapter 7; a refreshed look at the Electoral College in light of the 2000 election; an in-depth examination of terrorism, government response to it, and its affects on civil liberties in Chapter 11; and a look at the government's ability to act in a bipartisan manner in times of crisis. A section at the beginning of Chapter 4, "Why Do We Distrust the Federal Government?" includes discussion of how the 9/11 attacks have revived American confidence in government. Also in Chapter 4, "The Impact of the Media," raises the question of how talk radio, the Rush Limbaugh show in particular, has mobilized American Republican voters over the past several years. The Sixth Edition includes Internet references at the end of each chapter, complete coverage of the 2000 presidential election, and September 11.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
About the Author	xiii
What Should we Know About American Government?	1	(8)
The Meanings of Democracy	5	(1)
Representative Democracy	6	(2)
Suggested Readings	8	(1)
The Constitution	9	(25)
The Problem of Liberty	9	(1)
Human Nature	9	(2)
The Real Revolution	11	(1)
The Articles of Confederation	11	(1)
The Constitutional Convention	12	(7)
The Constitution and Democracy	19	(4)
The Constitution and Liberty	23	(3)
The Constitution and Slavery	26	(2)
Political Ideals or Economic Interests?	28	(1)
Liberty and Equality	29	(1)
A Recipe for Moderation	29	(2)
Summary	31	(1)
World Wide Web: The Constitution	32	(1)
Suggested Readings	32	(2)
Federalism	34	(24)
Governmental Structure	35	(2)
Federalism: Good or Bad?	37	(1)
The Founding	38	(1)
The Evolving Meaning of Federalism	39	(3)
The Division of Powers: Federal and State	42	(1)
Fiscal Federalism	43	(8)
Federal Aid and Federal Control	51	(3)
Federalism and Public Policy	54	(1)
Evaluating Federalism	55	(1)
Summary	56	(1)
World Wide Web: Federalism	57	(1)
Suggested Readings	57	(1)
Public Opinion and the Media	58	(39)
What Is Public Opinion?	60	(1)
Why Do We Distrust the Federal Government?	61	(2)
The Origins of Political Attitudes	63	(10)
Political Ideology	73	(4)
Political Elites and the New Class	77	(1)
The Impact of the Media	78	(3)
The Structure of the Media	81	(3)
Rules Governing the Media	84	(2)
Government and the News	86	(2)
Interpreting Political News	88	(1)
Are News Stories Slanted?	89	(5)
Summary	94	(1)
World Wide Web: Public Opinion and the Media	95	(1)
Suggested Readings	96	(1)
Political Parties and Interest Groups	97	(38)
Parties---Here and Abroad	97	(4)
The National Party Structure Today	101	(4)
State and Local Parties	105	(4)
The Two-Party System	109	(3)
Nominating a President	112	(3)
Do the Parties Differ?	115	(2)
Interest Groups and Political Parties	117	(2)
Kinds of Organizations	119	(3)
Funds for Interest Groups	122	(1)
The Problem of Bias	123	(1)
The Activities of Interest Groups	124	(6)
Regulating Interest Groups	130	(2)
Summary	132	(1)
World Wide Web: Political Parties and Interest Groups	133	(1)
Suggested Readings	133	(2)
Campaigns and Elections	135	(42)
Political Participation	136	(2)
Historical Voting Patterns	138	(3)
Explaining---and Improving---Turnout	141	(2)
Political Campaigns	143	(6)
The Effects of Campaigns	149	(5)
How to Win the Election	154	(3)
Election Outcomes	157	(6)
Modern Technology and Political Campaigns	163	(2)
Elections and Money	165	(6)
The Effects of Elections on Policy	171	(3)
Summary	174	(1)
World Wide Web: Campaigns and Elections	175	(1)
Suggested Readings	175	(2)
Congress	177	(41)
The Evolution of Congress	179	(2)
Who Is in Congress?	181	(3)
Getting Elected to Congress	184	(1)
The Organization of Congress: Parties and Interests	185	(6)
The Organization of Congress: Committees	191	(5)
The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices	196	(2)
How a Bill Becomes Law	198	(6)
How Members of Congress Vote	204	(3)
A Polarized Congress in an Unpolarized Nation	207	(1)
What It All Means	208	(1)
Ethics and Congress	209	(3)
The Power of Congress	212	(3)
Summary	215	(1)
World Wide Web: Congress	216	(1)
Suggested Readings	216	(2)
The Presidency	218	(37)
The Powers of the President	220	(1)
The Evolution of the Presidency	221	(4)
The Modern Presidency	225	(4)
Who Gets Appointed	229	(4)
Presidential Character	233	(4)
The Power to Say No	237	(2)
The President's Program	239	(2)
Presidential Transitions	241	(3)
The President and Public Policy	244	(8)
Summary	252	(1)
World Wide Web: The Presidency	253	(1)
Suggested Readings	253	(2)
The Bureaucracy	255	(25)
Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy	255	(1)
The Growth of the Bureaucracy	256	(4)
The Federal Bureaucracy Today	260	(12)
Congressional Oversight	272	(3)
Bureaucratic ``Pathologies''	275	(2)
Reinventing Government	277	(1)
Summary	278	(1)
World Wide Web: The Bureaucracy	279	(1)
Suggested Readings	279	(1)
The Judiciary	280	(32)
The Development of the Federal Courts	282	(5)
The Structure of the Federal Courts	287	(3)
The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts	290	(4)
Getting to Court	294	(4)
The Supreme Court in Action	298	(3)
The Power of the Courts	301	(5)
Checks on Judicial Power	306	(3)
Summary	309	(1)
World Wide Web: The Judiciary	310	(1)
Suggested Readings	310	(2)
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights	312	(35)
Freedom of Expression	316	(5)
Church and State	321	(4)
Crime and Due Process	325	(7)
Terrorism and Civil Liberties	332	(1)
Equal Protection of the Laws	333	(12)
Summary	345	(1)
World Wide Web: Policy Making	346	(1)
Suggested Readings	346	(1)
Politics and Public Policy	347	(13)
How the American System Affects Policy Making	348	(2)
How Things Get Done	350	(1)
Four Kinds of Political Coalitions	351	(6)
Some Cautionary Remarks	357	(1)
Summary	358	(1)
World Wide Web: Policy Making	359	(1)
Suggested Readings	359	(1)
American Government: Continuity and Change	360	(18)
Restraints on Growth	362	(2)
Relaxing the Restraints	364	(6)
Can or Should We Go Back to the Old Politics?	370	(1)
Should the Constitutional System Be Changed?	371	(7)
Appendix	378	(39)
References	417	(17)
Glossary	434	(15)
Credits	449	(2)
Index	451