American Government and Politics Today, 2007-2008, Alternate Edition

by Schmidt, Steffen W.; Shelley, Mack C.; Bardes, Barbara A.

• ISBN13: 9780495007357
• ISBN10: 0495007358
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-05
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Go beyond the television newsrooms and the canned political speeches with AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY, 2007-2008, ALTERNATE EDITION. With up-to-date information and the inside track on public policy makers, this edition presents what you need to know about American politics in an easy-to-understand format. And, special sections on the impact of economics and foreign policy make this textbook particularly relevant in today's political climate.

Table of Contents

PART ONE THE AMERICAN SYSTEM
The Democratic Republic	1	(26)
What If . . . Citizens Were Required to Vote?	2	(1)
Politics and Government	3	(1)
Why Is Government Necessary?	3	(2)
The Need for Security	3	(1)
Limiting Government Power	4	(1)
Authority and Legitimacy	5	(1)
Democracy and Other Forms of Government	5	(3)
Types of Government	5	(1)
Direct Democracy as a Model	6	(1)
The Dangers of Direct Democracy	7	(1)
A Democratic Republic	7	(1)
What Kind of Democracy Do We Have?	8	(1)
Democracy for Everyone	8	(1)
Democracy for the Few	8	(1)
Democracy for Groups	9	(1)
Fundamental Values	9	(5)
Political Socialization	10	(1)
Liberty versus Order	10	(1)
Equality versus Liberty	11	(3)
Tensions over Big Government	14	(1)
Political Ideologies	14	(4)
Liberalism versus Conservatism	15	(1)
The Traditional Political Spectrum	15	(1)
``Classical'' Liberalism	15	(1)
Problems with the Traditional Political Spectrum	16	(1)
A Four-Cornered Ideological Grid	16	(1)
Other Ideologies	17	(1)
Ideology in the Islamic World	18	(1)
The Changing Face of America	18	(9)
The Aging of America	18	(1)
Our Growing Population	19	(1)
Ethnic Change	19	(3)
Why the Term Hispanic?	22	(1)
The Hispanic Vote in the 2006 Elections	23	(1)
Other Trends	23	(4)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
The Constitution	27	(50)
What If . . . Roe v. Wade Were Overturned?	28	(1)
The Colonial Background	29	(2)
Separatists, the Mayflower, and the Compact	29	(1)
More Colonies, More Government	30	(1)
British Restrictions and Colonial Grievances	31	(1)
The Colonial Response: The Continental Congresses	31	(1)
The First Continental Congress	31	(1)
The Second Continental Congress	31	(1)
Declaring Independence	32	(2)
The Resolution of Independence	32	(1)
July 4, 1776---The Declaration of Independence	32	(2)
The Rise of Republicanism	34	(1)
The Articles of Confederation: The First Form of Government	34	(3)
Accomplishments under the Articles	35	(1)
Weaknesses of the Articles	36	(1)
Shays' Rebellion and the Need for Revision of the Articles	36	(1)
Drafting the Constitution	37	(6)
Who Were the Delegates?	37	(1)
The Working Environment	37	(1)
Factions among the Delegates	38	(1)
Politicking and Compromises	38	(3)
Working toward Final Agreement	41	(2)
The Final Document	43	(1)
The Difficult Road to Ratification	44	(3)
The Federalists Push for Ratification	44	(2)
The March to the Finish	46	(1)
Did the Majority of Americans Support the Constitution?	46	(1)
The Bill of Rights	47	(1)
A ``Bill of Limits''	47	(1)
No Explicit Limits on State Government Powers	48	(1)
Altering the Constitution: The Formal Amendment Process	48	(3)
Many Amendments Proposed, Few Accepted	49	(1)
Limits on Ratification	50	(1)
The National Convention Provision	51	(1)
Informal Methods of Constitutional Change	51	(7)
Congressional Legislation	52	(1)
Presidential Actions	52	(1)
Judicial Review	52	(2)
Interpretation, Custom, and Usage	54	(4)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Appendix to Chapter 2: The Constitution of the United States	58	(19)
Federalism	77	(30)
What If . . . One State's Same-Sex Marriages Had to Be Recognized Nationwide?	78	(1)
Three Systems of Government	79	(1)
A Unitary System	79	(1)
A Confederal System	80	(1)
A Federal System	80	(1)
Why Federalism?	80	(3)
A Practical Solution	80	(1)
Other Arguments for Federalism	81	(1)
Arguments against Federalism	82	(1)
The Constitutional Basis for American Federalism	83	(4)
Powers of the National Government	83	(1)
Powers of the State Governments	84	(1)
Concurrent Powers	84	(1)
Prohibited Powers	85	(1)
The Supremacy Clause	86	(1)
Vertical Checks and Balances	86	(1)
Interstate Relations	87	(1)
Defining Constitutional Powers---The Early Years	87	(2)
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)	87	(1)
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)	88	(1)
States' Rights and the Resort to Civil War	89	(2)
The Shift Back to States' Rights	89	(1)
War and the Growth of the National Government	90	(1)
The Continuing Dispute over the Division of Power	91	(6)
Dual Federalism and the Retreat of National Authority	91	(1)
The New Deal and Cooperative Federalism	92	(2)
Methods of Implementing Cooperative Federalism	94	(3)
The Politics of Federalism	97	(3)
What Has National Authority Accomplished?	97	(2)
Federalism Becomes a Republican Issue	99	(1)
Federalism and the Supreme Court Today	100	(7)
Reining in the Commerce Power	100	(1)
State Sovereignty and the Eleventh Amendment	101	(1)
Tenth Amendment Issues	101	(1)
Other Federalism Cases	102	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
PART TWO CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Civil Liberties	107	(38)
What If . . . The Government Monitored All E-mail?	108	(1)
The Bill of Rights	109	(2)
Extending the Bill of Rights to State Governments	110	(1)
Incorporation of the Fourteenth Amendment	110	(1)
Freedom of Religion	111	(7)
The Separation of Church and State---The Establishment Clause	111	(6)
The Free Exercise Clause	117	(1)
Freedom of Expression	118	(8)
No Prior Restraint	119	(1)
The Protection of Symbolic Speech	119	(1)
The Protection of Commercial Speech	120	(1)
Permitted Restrictions on Expression	120	(2)
Unprotected Speech: Obscenity	122	(1)
Unprotected Speech: Slander	123	(1)
Campus Speech	124	(1)
Hate Speech on the Internet	125	(1)
Freedom of the Press	126	(2)
Defamation in Writing	126	(1)
A Free Press versus a Fair Trial: Gag Orders	126	(2)
Films, Radio, and TV	128	(1)
The Right to Assemble and to Petition the Government	128	(2)
Street Gangs	129	(1)
Online Assembly	130	(1)
More Liberties under Scrutiny: Matters of Privacy	130	(5)
Privacy Rights in an Information Age	130	(1)
Privacy Rights and Abortion	131	(2)
Privacy Rights and the ``Right to Die''	133	(1)
Privacy Rights versus Security Issues	134	(1)
The Great Balancing Act: The Rights of the Accused versus the Rights of Society	135	(3)
Rights of the Accused	135	(1)
Extending the Rights of the Accused	136	(2)
The Exclusionary Rule	138	(1)
The Death Penalty	138	(7)
Cruel and Unusual Punishment?	138	(1)
The Death Penalty Today	139	(1)
Time Limits for Death Row Appeals	140	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Civil Rights	145	(44)
What If . . . Illegal Immigrants Were Granted Citizenship?	146	(1)
African Americans and the Consequences of Slavery in the United States	147	(6)
Ending Servitude	148	(1)
The Civil Rights Acts of 1865 to 1875	148	(1)
The Ineffectiveness of the Civil Rights Laws	149	(2)
The End of the Separate-but-Equal Doctrine	151	(1)
Reactions to School Integration	151	(1)
An Integrationist Attempt at a Cure: Busing	152	(1)
The Civil Rights Movement	153	(2)
King's Philosophy of Nonviolence	153	(1)
Another Approach---Black Power	154	(1)
The Climax of the Civil Rights Movement	155	(4)
Civil Rights Legislation	155	(2)
Consequences of Civil Rights Legislation	157	(2)
Women's Struggle for Equal Rights	159	(7)
Early Women's Political Movements	160	(1)
Women's Suffrage Associations	160	(1)
The Modern Women's Movement	161	(3)
Women in Politics Today	164	(2)
Gender-Based Discrimination in the Workplace	166	(2)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964	166	(1)
Sexual Harassment	166	(1)
Wage Discrimination	167	(1)
Immigration, Hispanics, and Civil Rights	168	(3)
The Continued Influx of Immigrants	168	(1)
Illegal Immigration	169	(1)
Bilingual Education	170	(1)
Affirmative Action	171	(2)
The Bakke Case	172	(1)
Further Limits on Affirmative Action	172	(1)
State Ballot Initiatives	173	(1)
Special Protection for Older Americans	173	(1)
Age Discrimination in Employment	173	(1)
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967	174	(1)
Securing Rights for Persons with Disabilities	174	(2)
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990	174	(1)
Limiting the Scope and Applicability of the ADA	175	(1)
The Rights and Status of Gay Males and Lesbians	176	(1)
Growth in the Gay Male and Lesbian Rights Movement	176	(1)
State and Local Laws Targeting Gay Men and Lesbians	177	(1)
The Gay Community and Politics	177	(3)
Gay Men and Lesbians in the Military	178	(1)
Same-Sex Marriages	179	(1)
Child Custody and Adoption	180	(1)
The Rights and Status of Juveniles	180	(9)
Voting Rights and the Young	180	(1)
The Rights of Children in Civil and Criminal Proceedings	181	(8)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
PART THREE PEOPLE AND POLITICS
Public Opinion and Political Socialization	189	(30)
What If . . . Students Were Required to Pass a National Civics Exam?	190	(2)
Defining Public Opinion	192	(1)
How Public Opinion Is Formed: Political Socialization	193	(4)
Models of Political Socialization	193	(1)
The Family and the Social Environment	193	(2)
The Impact of the Media	195	(1)
The Influence of Political Events	196	(1)
Political Preferences and Voting Behavior	197	(6)
Demographic Influences	198	(5)
Election-Specific Factors	203	(1)
Measuring Public Opinion	203	(5)
The History of Opinion Polls	204	(1)
Sampling Techniques	205	(1)
Problems with Polls	205	(2)
Accuracy of the 2006 Polls	207	(1)
Technology and Opinion Polls	208	(2)
The Advent of Telephone Polling	208	(1)
Enter Internet Polling	209	(1)
Public Opinion and the Political Process	210	(9)
Political Culture and Public Opinion	210	(2)
Public Opinion about Government	212	(2)
Public Opinion and Policymaking	214	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Interest Groups	219	(30)
What If . . . Retired Government Employees Could Not Work for Interest Groups?	220	(1)
Interest Groups: A Natural Phenomenon	221	(2)
Interest Groups and Social Movements	222	(1)
Why So Many?	223	(1)
Why Do Americans Join Interest Groups?	223	(2)
Solidary Incentives	224	(1)
Material Incentives	224	(1)
Purposive Incentives	224	(1)
Types of Interest Groups	225	(9)
Economic Interest Groups	227	(5)
Environmental Groups	232	(1)
Public-Interest Groups	232	(1)
Other Interest Groups	233	(1)
Foreign Governments	234	(1)
What Makes an Interest Group Powerful?	234	(3)
Size and Resources	234	(2)
Leadership	236	(1)
Cohesiveness	237	(1)
Interest Group Strategies	237	(5)
Direct Techniques	238	(2)
Indirect Techniques	240	(2)
Regulating Lobbyists	242	(2)
The Results of the 1946 Act	242	(1)
The Reforms of 1995	243	(1)
Recent Lobbying Scandals	243	(1)
Interest Groups and Representative Democracy	244	(5)
Interest Groups: Elitist or Pluralist?	244	(1)
Interest Group Influence	244	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Political Parties	249	(36)
What If . . . Parties Were Supported Solely by Public Funding?	250	(1)
What Is a Political Party?	251	(1)
A History of Political Parties in the United States	252	(8)
The Formative Years: Federalists and Anti-Federalists	253	(1)
The Era of Good Feelings	254	(1)
National Two-Party Rule: Democrats and Whigs	254	(1)
The Civil War Crisis	254	(1)
The Post--Civil War Period	255	(1)
The Progressive Interlude	256	(1)
The New Deal Era	256	(2)
An Era of Divided Government	258	(1)
Partisan Trends in the 2006 Elections	259	(1)
The Two Major U.S. Parties Today	260	(3)
The Parties' Core Constituents	260	(1)
Economic Beliefs	260	(2)
Cultural Politics	262	(1)
The 2004 Elections: Economics and National Security	263	(1)
The Three Faces of a Party	263	(7)
Party Organization	264	(1)
The National Party Organization	264	(3)
The State Party Organization	267	(1)
Local Party Machinery: The Grassroots	267	(2)
The Party-in-Government	269	(1)
Why Has the Two-Party System Endured?	270	(2)
The Historical Foundations of the Two-Party System	270	(1)
Political Socialization and Practical Considerations	270	(1)
The Winner-Take-All Electoral System	271	(1)
State and Federal Laws Favoring the Two Parties	272	(1)
The Role of Minor Parties in U.S. Politics	272	(4)
Ideological Third Parties	273	(2)
Splinter Parties	275	(1)
The Impact of Minor Parties	276	(1)
Mechanisms of Political Change	276	(9)
Realignment	278	(1)
Dealignment	279	(1)
Tipping	280	(1)
On to the Future	280	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Campaigns, Nominations, and Elections	285	(38)
What If . . . Spending Limits Were Placed on Campaigns?	286	(1)
Who Wants to Be a Candidate?	287	(3)
Why They Run	287	(2)
The Nomination Process	289	(1)
Who Is Eligible?	289	(1)
Who Runs?	289	(1)
The Twenty-First-Century Campaign	290	(2)
The Changing Campaign	290	(1)
The Professional Campaign	291	(1)
The Strategy of Winning	292	(1)
Candidate Visibility and Appeal	292	(1)
The Use of Opinion Polls	292	(1)
Focus Groups	293	(1)
Financing the Campaign	293	(2)
Regulating Campaign Financing	293	(1)
The Federal Election Campaign Act	294	(1)
Interest Groups and Campaign Money	295	(5)
PACs and Political Campaigns	295	(1)
Campaign Financing beyond the Limits	296	(3)
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002	299	(1)
Campaign Financing and the 2006 Elections	300	(1)
Running for President: The Longest Campaign	300	(5)
Reforming the Primaries	301	(1)
Types of Primaries	302	(1)
Front-Loading the Primaries	303	(2)
On to the National Convention	305	(1)
The Electoral College	305	(2)
The Choice of Electors	305	(1)
The Electors' Commitment	306	(1)
Criticisms of the Electoral College	306	(1)
How Are Elections Conducted?	307	(4)
Office-Block and Party-Column Ballots	307	(1)
Voting by Mail	308	(1)
Vote Fraud	308	(3)
Turning Out to Vote	311	(4)
The Effect of Low Voter Turnout	312	(1)
Is Voter Turnout Declining?	312	(1)
Factors Influencing Who Votes	313	(1)
Why People Do Not Vote	314	(1)
Legal Restrictions on Voting	315	(8)
Historical Restrictions	315	(2)
Current Eligibility and Registration Requirements	317	(1)
Extension of the Voting Rights Act	317	(6)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
The Media and Cyberpolitics	323	(30)
What If . . . The Media Had to Reveal All of Their Sources?	324	(1)
The Media's Functions	325	(3)
Entertainment	325	(1)
Reporting the News	326	(1)
Identifying Public Problems	326	(1)
Socializing New Generations	326	(1)
Providing a Political Forum	327	(1)
Making Profits	327	(1)
A History of the Media in the United States	328	(5)
The Rise of the Political Press	328	(1)
The Development of Mass-Readership Newspapers	328	(1)
The Popular Press and Yellow Journalism	329	(1)
The Age of the Electromagnetic Signal	329	(1)
The Revolution in the Electronic Media	330	(1)
Talk-Show Politics and Satellite Radio	331	(1)
The Internet, Blogging, and Podcasting	332	(1)
The Primacy of Television	333	(1)
The Increase in News-Type Programming	333	(1)
Television's Influence on the Political Process	333	(1)
The Media and Political Campaigns	334	(7)
Advertising	335	(2)
Management of News Coverage	337	(1)
Going for the Knockout Punch---Presidential Debates	337	(2)
Political Campaigns and the Internet	339	(1)
The Media's Impact on the Voters	339	(2)
The Role of the Media in the 2006 Elections	341	(1)
The Media and the Government	341	(2)
Prepackaged News	341	(1)
The Media and the Presidency	342	(1)
Setting the Public Agenda	342	(1)
Government Regulation of the Media	343	(5)
Controlling Ownership of the Media	343	(2)
Government Control of Content	345	(2)
The Public's Right to Media Access	347	(1)
Bias in the Media	348	(5)
Do the Media Have a Partisan Bias?	348	(1)
A Commercial Bias?	349	(4)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
PART FOUR POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
The Congress	353	(36)
What If . . . Nonpartisan Panels Drew Congressional Districts?	354	(1)
Why Was Congress Created?	355	(1)
The Functions of Congress	356	(3)
The Lawmaking Function	356	(1)
The Representation Function	356	(1)
Service to Constituents	357	(1)
The Oversight Function	358	(1)
The Public-Education Function	358	(1)
The Conflict-Resolution Function	359	(1)
The Powers of Congress	359	(1)
Enumerated Powers	359	(1)
The Necessary and Proper Clause	360	(1)
House-Senate Differences	360	(2)
Size and Rules	361	(1)
Debate and Filibustering	361	(1)
Prestige	362	(1)
Congresspersons and the Citizenry: A Comparison	362	(2)
Congress after the 2006 Elections	363	(1)
Congressional Elections	364	(3)
Candidates for Congressional Elections	364	(2)
The Power of Incumbency	366	(1)
Party Control of Congress after the 2006 Elections	366	(1)
Congressional Apportionment	367	(3)
Gerrymandering	367	(1)
Redistricting after the 2000 Census	368	(1)
``Minority-Majority'' Districts	369	(1)
Constitutional Challenges	369	(1)
Changing Directions	370	(1)
Perks and Privileges	370	(2)
Permanent Professional Staffs	370	(1)
Privileges and Immunities under the Law	371	(1)
Congressional Caucuses: Another Source of Support	371	(1)
The Committee Structure	372	(3)
The Power of Committees	372	(1)
Types of Congressional Committees	373	(1)
The Selection of Committee Members	374	(1)
The Formal Leadership	375	(3)
Leadership in the House	375	(2)
Leadership in the Senate	377	(1)
How Members of Congress Decide	378	(1)
The Conservative Coalition	379	(1)
``Crossing Over''	379	(1)
How a Bill Becomes Law	379	(2)
How Much Will the Government Spend?	381	(8)
Preparing the Budget	381	(1)
Congress Faces the Budget	382	(1)
Budget Resolutions	383	(6)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
The President	389	(34)
What If . . . There Were No Executive Privilege?	390	(1)
Who Can Become President?	391	(1)
The Process of Becoming President	392	(1)
The Many Roles of the President	393	(13)
Head of State	393	(1)
Chief Executive	394	(3)
Commander in Chief	397	(1)
Chief Diplomat	398	(3)
Chief Legislator	401	(4)
Other Presidential Powers	405	(1)
The President as Party Chief and Superpolitician	406	(3)
The President as Chief of Party	406	(1)
The President's Power to Persuade	406	(1)
Constituencies and Public Approval	407	(2)
Special Uses of Presidential Power	409	(1)
Emergency Powers	409	(1)
Executive Orders	409	(1)
Executive Privilege	410	(1)
Abuses of Executive Power and Impeachment	410	(2)
The Executive Organization	412	(3)
The Cabinet	412	(2)
The Executive Office of the President	414	(1)
The Vice Presidency	415	(8)
The Vice President's Job	416	(1)
Presidential Succession	416	(1)
The Twenty-fifth Amendment	417	(1)
When the Vice Presidency Becomes Vacant	418	(5)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
The Bureaucracy	423	(28)
What If . . . The Public Graded Federal Bureaucracies?	424	(1)
The Nature of Bureaucracy	425	(2)
Public and Private Bureaucracies	425	(1)
Models of Bureaucracy	426	(1)
Bureaucracies Compared	426	(1)
The Size of the Bureaucracy	427	(2)
The Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy	429	(7)
Cabinet Departments	431	(1)
Independent Executive Agencies	431	(3)
Independent Regulatory Agencies	434	(2)
Government Corporations	436	(1)
Staffing the Bureaucracy	436	(4)
Political Appointees	436	(2)
History of the Federal Civil Service	438	(2)
Modern Attempts at Bureaucratic Reform	440	(4)
Sunshine Laws before and after 9/11	440	(1)
Sunset Laws	441	(1)
Privatization	442	(1)
Incentives for Efficiency and Productivity	442	(2)
Helping Out the Whistleblowers	444	(1)
Bureaucrats as Politicians and Policymakers	444	(3)
The Rulemaking Environment	445	(1)
Negotiated Rulemaking	445	(1)
Bureaucrats Are Policymakers	446	(1)
Congressional Control of the Bureaucracy	447	(4)
Ways Congress Does Control the Bureaucracy	447	(1)
Reasons Why Congress Cannot Easily Oversee the Bureaucracy	447	(4)
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
The Courts	451
What If . . . Supreme Court Justices Had Term Limits?	452	(1)
The Common Law Tradition	453	(1)
Sources of American Law	454	(1)
Constitutions	454	(1)
Statutes and Administrative Regulations	455	(1)
Case Law	455	(1)
The Federal Court System	455	(6)
Basic Judicial Requirements	456	(1)
Types of Federal Courts	456	(3)
Specialized Federal Courts and the War on Terrorism	459	(1)
Parties to Lawsuits	459	(1)
Procedural Rules	460	(1)
The Supreme Court at Work	461	(3)
Which Cases Reach the Supreme Court?	462	(1)
Deciding Cases	462	(1)
Decisions and Opinions	463	(1)
The Selection of Federal Judges	464	(4)
Judicial Appointments	464	(2)
Partisanship and Judicial Appointments	466	(1)
The Senate's Role	467	(1)
Policymaking and the Courts	468	(5)
Judicial Review	469	(1)
Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint	469	(1)
Strict versus Broad Construction	470	(1)
Ideology and the Rehnquist Court	470	(3)
What Checks Our Courts?	473
Executive Checks	473	(1)
Legislative Checks	473	(1)
Public Opinion	474	(1)
Judicial Traditions and Doctrines	475
Key Terms
Chapter Summary
Selected Print and Media Resources
Appendix A The Declaration of Independence	1	(2)
Appendix B How to Read Case Citations and Find Court Decisions	3	(1)
Appendix C Federalist Papers Nos. 10, 51, and 78	4	(8)
Appendix D Justices of the United States Supreme Court since 1900	12	(3)
Appendix E Party Control of Congress since 1900	15	(1)
Appendix F Spanish Equivalents for Important Terms in American Government	16
Glossary	1	(1)
Index	1