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Understand American politics from past to present.
This version of Essentials of American Government, 2012 Election Edition includes all thirteen chapters from Gibson/Robison’s Government and Politics in the Lone Star State, 8/e at a lower price point than the two books packaged together. It is available only through the Pearson Custom Library (PCL). To order, click here http://www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com/?lib=40&act=listbooks#book:360.
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Karen O’Connor is the Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Founder and Director Emerita of the Women & Politics Institute at American University. Before coming to American University, Karen taught political science for seventeen years at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, where she was the first woman to receive the university’s highest teaching award. She has been recognized by several associations as the most outstanding woman in political science and public administration as well as by the Southern Political Science Association for her contributions to the discipline. From 2010-2012, she has been selected by The Irish Times as one of the top 100 Irish American lawyers in the United States.
Dubbed “the most quoted college professor in the land” by the Wall Street Journal, Larry J. Sabato bridges the gap between the ivory tower and the real world of politics. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Sabato has taught more than 15,000 students in his career at Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of Virginia. He has received every major teaching award at the University of Virginia, and in 2001, he was named the Thomas Jefferson Award winner. Dr. Sabato is the University Professor of Politics and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, founded in 1998 to improve civic education and the political process. Follow Larry’s Crystal Ball at www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball.
1. Brief Table of Contents
2. Full Table of Contents
PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT
Chapter 1: American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture
Chapter 2: The Constitution
Chapter 3: Federalism
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
Chapter 5: Civil Rights
PART II: INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT
Chapter 6: Congress
Chapter 7: The Presidency
Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy
Chapter 9: The Judiciary
PART III: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
Chapter 10: Public Opinion and the News Media
Chapter 11: Political Parties and Interest Groups
Chapter 12: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting
PART IV: PUBLIC POLICY
Chapter 13: Social and Economic Policy
Chapter 14: Foreign and Defense Policy
1. American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture
Roots of American Government: We the People
The Living Constitution
Types of Government
Functions of American Government
American Political Culture and the Basic Tenets of American Democracy
The Changing American Public
Explore Your World
Political Ideology
Toward Reform: People and Politics
Take a Closer Look
Infographic: Is the American Dream a Reality?
> MyPoliSciLab Video Series
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a City Council Member
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Do You Measure Freedom?
2. The Constitution
Roots of the New American Nation
The First Attempt at Government: The Articles of Confederation
The Miracle at Philadelphia: Writing the U.S. Constitution
Infographic: Who Were the Framers?
The U.S. Constitution
The Drive For Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Toward Reform: Methods Of Amending The U.S. Constitution
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are A Founder
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Long Did It Take To Ratify The Constitution?
3. The Federal System
Roots of the Federal System
Federalism and the Marshall Court
Dual Federalism: States’ Rights, the Civil War, and Reconstruction
Cooperative Federalism: The Growth of National Government
Infographic: How Has the Federal-State Relationship Evolved?
Federal Grants to State and Local Governments
Take A Closer Look
Toward Reform: Attempts to Balance National and State Power
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Judge
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Which States Win or Lose the Federal Aid Game?
4. Civil Liberties
Roots of Civil Liberties: The Bill of Rights
First Amendment Guarantees: Freedom of Religion
First Amendment Guarantees: Freedom of Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
The Second Amendment: The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Infographic: How Do States Restrict the Right the Bear Arms?
The Rights of Criminal Defendants
The Right to Privacy
Toward Reform: Civil Liberties and Combating Terrorism
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Police Officer
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Should the Government Apply the Death Penalty?
5. Civil Rights
Roots of Suffrage: 1800-1890
The Push For Equality, 1890-1954
The Civil Rights Movement
The Women’s Rights Movement
Other Groups Mobilize for Rights
Infographic: How Does the Government Regulate Gay Marriage?
Toward Reform: Civil Rights and Affirmative Action
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Mayor
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Are All Forms of Discrimination The Same?
6. Congress
Roots of the Legislative Branch of Government
The Members of Congress
Infographic: The House of Representatives
How Congress Is Organized
Powers of Congress
How Members Make Decisions
Toward Reform: Balancing Institutional Power
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are A Consumer Advocate
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Can Congress Get Anything Done?
7. The Presidency
Roots of the Office of President of the United States
Living Constitution
The Constitutional Powers of the President
A Closer Look
The Development and Expansion of Presidential Power
The Presidential Establishment
Infographic: What Does the West Wing Say about the Presidency?
Presidential Leadership and the Importance of Public Opinion
Toward Reform: The President as Policy Maker
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a First-Term President
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Influences a President's Public Approval?
8. The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy
Roots of the Federal Bureaucracy
The Modern Bureaucracy
Infographic: The Composition of the Federal Workforce
How The Bureaucracy Works
Toward Reform: Making Agencies Accountable
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are Head of FEMA
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Puts the 'Big' in Big Government?
9. The Judiciary
Roots of the Federal Judiciary
The Federal Court System
How Federal Court Judges Are Selected
Infographic: Who Are the Federal Judges?
The Supreme Court Today
Judicial Philosophy and Decision Making
Toward Reform: Power, Policy Making, and the Court
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Supreme Court Clerk
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Are the Activist Judges?
10. Public Opinion and the News Media
Roots of Public Opinion Research
Conducting and Analyzing Public Opinion Polls
Forming Political Opinions
Infographic: How Do Demographics Influence One’s Opinion of the Government?
Roots of the News Media in the United States
Rules Governing the News Media
How the News Media Cover Politics
Toward Reform: News Media Influence, News Media Bias, and Public Confidence
Shortcomings of Polling
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Polling Consultant
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Do Young People Think About Politics Today?
11. Political Parties and Interest Groups
Roots of the Two-Party System
Infographic: Are American Political Parties Polarized?
The Organization of American Political Parties
Activities Of American Political Parties
Party Identification
Roots of the American Interest Group System
What Do Interest Groups Do?
Toward Reform: Regulating Interest Groups and Lobbyists
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Lobbyist
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Which Party Governs Better?
12. Campaigns, Elections, and Voting
Roots of Modern Political Campaigns
Assembling a Campaign Staff
Raising Money
Infographic: How Has Campaign Financing Changed Over Time?
Reaching Voters
Presidential Elections
Congressional Elections
Toward Reform: Voter Choice and Turnout
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Campaign Strategist
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Votes—and Who Doesn't?
Roots of Public Policy: The Policy-Making Process
Health Policy Today
Income Security Policy
Fiscal Policy
Infographic: How Much Government Debt Is Too Much
Monetary Policy
Toward Reform: Recession and Economic Recovery
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Reserve Chair
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Is Health Care a Public Good?
14: Foreign and Defense Policy
Roots of U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy
The United States as a World Power
Foreign and Defense Policy Decision Making
Contemporary Challenges In Foreign and Defense Policy
Infographic: How Big Is the World’s Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons?
Toward Reform: New Challenges in American Foreign Policy
> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a President During a Foreign Policy Crisis
> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Much Does America Spend On Defense?
> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Declaration of Independence
> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Constitution of the United States
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 10
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 15
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 51
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 78
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Anti-Federalist No. 17
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Marbury v. Madison
> MyPoliSciLab Document: McCulloch v. Maryland
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Brown v. Board of Education
> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Gettysburg Address
> MyPoliSciLab Document: Washington’s Farewell Address
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