Basics of American Politics

by Wasserman, Gary

• ISBN13: 9780205782031
• ISBN10: 0205782035
• Edition: 14th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-23
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Updated in a new 14th edition,The Basics of American Politicscovers all the terms and topics a reader will need to understand the nuts-and-bolts of American government and politics. Written to engage readers, and kept short to provide a flexible foundation, this book uses a dynamic game metaphor to engage readers in the basics of the American political system and the contact sport of politics. Beginning with a clear definition of politics, it introduces four governmental and four nongovernmental "players" who must abide by the "rules of the game" established by the Constitution and civil liberties. It ends by examining rival theories of who wins and who loses in American politics.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
What Is Politics?	p. 1
The First Day of Class	p. 2
Politics and Power	p. 3
Elites	p. 4
Authority: Legitimate Power	p. 4
The Need for Government	p. 6
What is Government?	p. 8
Making and Supporting Decisions	p. 9
The Study of Politics	p. 9
Political Science and Microsoft	p. 10
Why Give a Damn About Politics?	p. 11
What Is This Book About?	p. 13
Thought Questions	p. 14
Suggested Readings	p. 15
The Constitution: Rules of the Game	p. 17
The Second Day of Class	p. 18
Background to the Constitution	p. 19
The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)	p. 20
The Constitutional Convention	p. 21
The Framers	p. 22
Motives Behind the Constitution	p. 23
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists	p. 25
Ratification and the Bill of Rights	p. 26
Four Major Constitutional Principles	p. 27
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances	p. 28
Federalism	p. 30
The Debate over Modern Federalism	p. 32
Limited Government	p. 34
Judicial Review	p. 36
How Is the Constitution Changed?	p. 36
Amendments	p. 37
Judicial Interpretation	p. 38
Legislation	p. 38
Custom	p. 39
Why Has the Constitution Survived?	p. 39
Case Study: Federalism Caught in a Storm: The Katrina Disaster	p. 41
Wrap-Up	p. 44
Thought Questions	p. 45
Suggested Readings	p. 46
The Executive Branch: The Presidency and Bureaucracy	p. 47
The President and die Constitution	p. 50
The Electoral College	p. 51
Vice President	p. 52
History of the Presidency	p. 53
Types of Presidents	p. 56
Modern Presidents	p. 57
The Obama Presidency	p. 61
Presidential Hats	p. 62
Chief of State	p. 62
Chief Executive	p. 63
Chief Diplomat	p. 63
Commander-in-Chief	p. 64
Chief Legislator	p. 65
Party Leader	p. 67
The Public Presidency	p. 68
The Federal Bureaucracy	p. 70
Executive Office of the President	p. 70
The Cabinet Departments	p. 75
The Executive Agencies	p. 77
The Regulatory Commissions	p. 77
Problems of Bureaucracy	p. 78
Rise of the Civil Service	p. 80
Bureaucrats as Policymakers	p. 80
The President and the Bureaucracy	p. 81
Case Study: 9/11: A President's Trial By Fire	p. 84
Wrap-Up	p. 87
Thought Questions	p. 88
Suggested Readings	p. 88
The Legislative Branch: Congress	p. 91
Makeup of the Senate and House	p. 93
Role of the Legislator	p. 93
Who Are the Legislators?	p. 94
Malapportionment and Reapportionment	p. 97
Organization of the House of Representatives	p. 98
Organization of the Senate	p. 101
How Congress Works	p. 102
The Committee System	p. 104
How Committees Work	p. 104
Committee Chairs and the Seniority System	p. 106
Specialization and Reciprocity	p. 108
Major Committees in the House	p. 108
Major Committees in the Senate	p. 109
On the Floor, and Beyond	p. 111
Filibuster	p. 114
Presidential Veto	p. 114
The Budget Process	p. 116
Other Powers of Congress	p. 118
Case Study: Controlling Global Warming-The House Climate Bill	p. 120
Wrap-Up	p. 125
Thought Questions	p. 126
Suggested Readings	p. 126
The Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court and the Federal Court System	p. 129
Federal Court System	p. 130
U.S. District Courts	p. 130
Courts of Appeals	p. 131
Special Federal Courts	p. 131
The Judges	p. 132
Jurisdiction	p. 134
U.S. Supreme Court	p. 135
The Final Authority?	p. 136
Early Years of the Court	p. 137
Judicial Review and National Supremacy	p. 137
The Court after the Civil War	p. 139
Modern Courts	p. 140
The Rehnquist Court (1986-2005)	p. 141
The Roberts Court (2005-)	p. 144
"The Least Dangerous Branch of Government?"	p. 146
Internal Limits on the Court	p. 146
External Limits on the Court	p. 148
Strengths of the Court	p. 149
The Court as a Political Player	p. 151
Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint	p. 151
Case Study: Separate but Equal?	p. 154
Wrap-Up	p. 157
Thought Questions	p. 158
Suggested Readings	p. 158
Civil Rights and Liberties: Protecting the Players	p. 161
What Are Civil Liberties and Rights?	p. 162
Expanding the Bill of Rights	p. 164
Civil Liberties: Protecting People from Government	p. 165
Freedom of Speech	p. 167
Freedom of Religion	p. 170
Right of Privacy	p. 171
Due Process Rights	p. 173
Civil Rights: Protecting People from People	p. 174
Which People Need Protection? Suspect Classifications	p. 175
Race as a Suspect Classification	p. 175
Is Sex Suspect?	p. 178
The Politics of Civil Liberties and Rights	p. 179
Judges	p. 179
The Justice Department	p. 180
"Private Attorneys General"	p. 180
Legal Strategies	p. 181
Obeying the Courts	p. 182
Public Opinion and Civil Liberties	p. 183
Case Study: Fighting Terror, Guarding Liberties	p. 185
Wrap-Up	p. 188
Thought Questions	p. 189
Suggested Readings	p. 190
Voters and Political Parties	p. 191
Voters	p. 192
Who Votes?	p. 192
Political Socialization	p. 194
Class and Voting	p. 195
Who Doesn't Vote?	p. 196
Explanations	p. 200
Political Parties	p. 202
Party Functions	p. 203
The Rise of Today's Parties	p. 204
Maintaining, Deviating, and Realigning Elections	p. 205
2004 and 2008: Whose Realignment?	p. 207
Polarizing the Parties: The Growth of Partisans	p. 208
View from the Inside: Party Organizations	p. 210
Machines-Old and New	p. 211
American Party Structure	p. 212
National Party Organization	p. 214
Fundraising	p. 215
The National Convention	p. 216
View from the Outside: The Two-Party System	p. 219
Causes of the Two-Party System	p. 219
But do the Two Parties Have a Future?	p. 220
Case Study: Triple O-Obarm's Online Operation	p. 222
Wrap-Up	p. 225
Thought Questions	p. 226
Suggested. Readings	p. 226
Interest Groups and the Media	p. 229
Interest Groups	p. 230
Types of Interest Groups	p. 231
Lobbying	p. 233
Campaign Contributions	p. 237
Do Group Interests Overwhelm the Public Interest?	p. 241
Media	p. 243
What Are the Media?	p. 244
What Do the Media Do?	p. 248
Media and the Marketplace of Ideas	p. 250
Media and Government	p. 253
Media and the Public	p. 254
Case Study: The Candidate: A Day in the Life...	p. 257
Wrap-Up	p. 260
Thought Questions	p. 261
Suggested Readings	p. 262
Who Wins, Who Loses: Pluralism versus Elitism	p. 263
Pluralism	p. 264
Examples of Pluralism	p. 265
Criticisms of Pluralist Theory	p. 266
Elite	p. 266
Elite Examples	p. 268
Criticisms of the Elite View	p. 269
The Debate	p. 270
Newer Views	p. 271
Wrap-Up	p. 273
Thought Questions	p. 274
Suggested Readings	p. 274
Appendix	p. 275
The Declaration of Independence	p. 275
The Constitution of the United States	p. 278
Glossary	p. 293
Index	p. 300
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