Faultlines Debating the Issues in American Politics

by Canon, David T.; Coleman, John J.; Mayer, Kenneth R.

• ISBN13: 9780393912067
• ISBN10: 039391206X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-23
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

In each chapter, two or more readings present opposing perspectives on contemporary political issues. Most of the readings are new, and most address current issues such as healthcare reform and economic policy. Headnotes in every chapter put the readings into a broader political context, and each chapter concludes with discussion questions that encourage students to think critically about the readings and the issues they raise.

Author Biography

David T. Canon is professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His teaching and research interests focus on American political institutions and racial representation. He is the author of several books, including the introductory text American Politics Today (with William Bianco), now in its second edition, and Race, Restricting, and Representation: The Unintended Consequences of Black Majority Districts (winner of the Richard F. Fenno Prize). He recently finished a term as the Congress editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly. John J. Coleman is professor and chair of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His teaching and research interests focus on political party coalitions, factions, and organizations; elections and campaign finance; and the intersection of politics and economic policy. He is the author or editor of five books, including Party Decline in America: Policy, Politics, and the Fiscal State, and numerous articles on topics such as political parties, legislative-executive relations, campaign finance, and the politics of economic policy. Kenneth R. Mayer is professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with research interests in the presidency, campaign finance, and election administration. He is the author of With the Stroke of a Pen: Executive Orders and Presidential Power (winner of the Richard E. Neustadt Award), The Political Economy of Defense Contracting, and The Dysfunctional Congress? The Individual Roots of an Institutional Dilemma (with David Canon). In 2006, he was the inaugural Fulbright-ANU Distinguished Chair in Political Science at the Australian National University and won University of Wisconsin System teaching award.

Table of Contents

Political Culture: What Does It Mean to Be an American?	p. 1
What Does It Mean to Be an American?	p. 3
What Does It Mean to Be an American?	p. 9
The Three Political Cultures	p. 14
Constructing the Government: Should the Constitution Be Fundamentally Changed?	p. 27
The Ratification Referendum: Sending the Constitution to a New Convention for Repair	p. 29
We	p. 39
Federalism: Nullifying Health Care Reform	p. 55
States of Anarchy: America's Long, Sordid Affair with Nullification	p. 57
Arizona House Concurrent Resolution 2014: A Concurrent Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Arizona; Relating to Health Care Services	p. 61
Can the States Nullify Health Care Reform?	p. 63
The Health Care Freedom Act: Questions & Answers	p. 66
Civil Liberties: Corporate and Labor Spending in Campaigns and the First Amendment	p. 72
The Decision That Threatens Democracy	p. 73
Citizens United We Stand	p. 82
Congress: Pork-Barrel Politics	p. 88
Corporate Welfare and Earmarks, from Cato Handbook for Policymakers	p. 89
Inhofe: Earmarks Are Good for Us	p. 94
Earmarks Are a Model, Not a Menace	p. 98
The Presidency: Is Obama a Transformational President?	p. 103
The Honeymooners	p. 105
Change Won't Come Easy	p. 112
An Exceptional Debate	p. 120
Bureaucracy: Policy ôCzarsö and Presidential Control of the Bureaucracy	p. 131
Presidential Use of White House ôCzarsö	p. 133
Examining the History and Legality of Executive Branch Czars	p. 139
Czar Wars	p. 146
The Federal Judiciary: Interpreting the Constitution-Originalism or a Living Constitution?	p. 154
Common-Law Courts in a Civil-Law System: The Role of the United States Federal Courts in Interpreting the Constitution and Laws	p. 156
Our Democratic Constitution	p. 164
The Mass Media: The Future of Political Journalism	p. 178
Future of Journalism	p. 180
Goodbye to the Age of Newspapers (Hello to a New Era of Corruption)	p. 189
How to Save the News	p. 198
Elections and Voting: Voter Identification	p. 211
The Historical Context of Voter Photo-ID Laws	p. 211
Requiring Identification by Voters	p. 219
Is There a Middle Ground in the Voter ID Debate?	p. 225
Political Parties: Red America versus Blue America-Are We Polarized?	p. 229
What Culture Wars? Debunking the Myth of a Polarized America	p. 231
How Divided Are We?-and Morris P. Fiorina's Letter in Response to Wilson	p. 235
Tea Minus Zero	p. 249
Groups and Interests: Was Madison Right?	p. 258
The Alleged Mischiefs of Faction, from The Governmental Process	p. 261
The Scope and Bias of the Pressure System, from The Semisovereign People	p. 269
The Hyperpluralism Trap	p. 274
Politics and Policy: How Should We Address Global Warming?	p. 283
Climate Change	p. 285
Mr. Gore, Your Solution to Global Warming Is Wrong	p. 291
Government and the Economy: Bailing Out Wall Street	p. 301
Wall Street's Bailout Hustle	p. 303
Written Testimony before the Congressional Oversight Panel	p. 314
Government and Society: Health Care Reform	p. 324
Address to Congress on Health Care Reform	p. 326
Grading Health Reform: Experts Assess Whether the Bill Delivers on Its Promises	p. 334
Repeal: Why and How Obamacare Must Be Undone	p. 341
Foreign Policy: The National Security Strategy of the United States	p. 352
The National Security Strategy of the United States	p. 353
The National Security Strategy of the United States	p. 357
Acknowledgments	p. 367
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