Governing : An Introduction to Political Science

by Ranney, Austin

• ISBN13: 9780133262162
• ISBN10: 0133262162
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

In a comprehensive introduction to political processes and concepts, Ranney introduces the methods and consequences of political and government systems as they apply to the readers' own life experiences. A popular classic in the field, the Eighth Edition , provides accurate, current information on all major government and political developments ranging from local concerns to the global economy. Defines and illustrates politics, policies and government procedures with a clear connection to individual citizen's lives. Explores political psychology, socialization and culture, and examines modern political ideologies. Examines the international political economy and the different efforts for global peace. For individuals with an interest in the political policies, concepts and methods of the United States and other countries, as well as, a reference for those who need to refresh their knowledge of political systems.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Part One: Politics, Governments, and People
Politics in Human Life	1	(24)
What Is Politics?	1	(3)
``Politics'' in Everyday Conversation	1	(1)
Politics as Policy Making	2	(2)
Some Universal Characteristics of Politics	4	(14)
Politics Is Conflict	4	(1)
Group Conflict in Politics	5	(3)
Tactics of Political Action	8	(9)
Who Uses Which Tactics?	17	(1)
Some Characteristics of Political Conflict	18	(3)
Multiplicity	18	(1)
Opposition	19	(1)
Overlapping Memberships	20	(1)
Imperfect Mobilization	20	(1)
Politics and Government	21	(4)
For Further Reading	23	(1)
Notes	24	(1)
Governments and Governing	25	(20)
What Governments Do	25	(2)
In Primitive Societies	25	(1)
In ``Advanced/Industrialized'' Societies	26	(1)
What Is Government?	27	(1)
Government and Other Organizations	27	(1)
Government Defined	27	(1)
How Government Differs from Other Social Organizations	28	(3)
Comprehensive Authority	28	(1)
Involuntary Membership	29	(1)
Authoritative Rules	29	(1)
Legitimate Monopoly of Overwhelming Force	30	(1)
Highest Stakes	30	(1)
Basic Tasks and Tools of Government	31	(3)
Interest Articulation	31	(1)
Interest Aggregation	32	(1)
Coercion and Compromise	32	(2)
An Illustration: The American Conflict over Abortion	34	(5)
The ``Pro-life'' Side	35	(1)
The ``Pro-choice'' Side	35	(2)
Where Things Stand	37	(1)
Some Lessons for the Study of Governing	38	(1)
Nationalism and the Birth and Death of Nations	39	(6)
Nature of Nations	39	(2)
The Birth of Nations	41	(1)
The Death of Nations	41	(2)
For Further Reading	43	(1)
Notes	44	(1)
Political Psychology, Socialization, and Culture	45	(25)
Political Psychology: What Forms People's Political Beliefs and Behavior?	45	(10)
Biological Nature and Needs	45	(1)
Psychological Processes and Cognitive Maps	46	(2)
Group Memberships and Pressures to Conform	48	(7)
Political Socialization	55	(7)
Concept	55	(1)
Profile of the Developing Political Self	55	(3)
Agents of Socialization	58	(4)
Political Culture	62	(8)
Components	62	(2)
Some Differences Among Political Cultures	64	(3)
For Further Reading	67	(2)
Notes	69	(1)
Modern Political Ideologies	70	(23)
Nature of Ideologies	70	(4)
What Is an Ideology?	70	(1)
Intellectual Components of an Ideology	71	(2)
Types of Ideologies	73	(1)
Ideologies of Limits on Government	74	(5)
Constitutionalism and Classical Liberalism	74	(3)
Totalitarianism	77	(2)
Ideologies of Economic Control	79	(8)
Capitalism and Laissez Faire	79	(2)
Socialism	81	(6)
Political Ideologies, American Style	87	(6)
Modern American Liberalism	88	(1)
Modern American Conservatism	89	(2)
For Further Reading	91	(1)
Notes	92	(1)
Democracy and Authoritarianism: Principles and Models	93	(20)
Principles for a Working Definition of Democracy	94	(5)
Popular Sovereignty	94	(1)
Political Equality	95	(1)
Popular Consultation	96	(1)
Majority Rule	96	(3)
Models of Democracy	99	(6)
The Nature and Uses of Models in Social Science	99	(3)
Participatory and Accountable-Elites Models	102	(2)
Presidential and Parliamentary Models	104	(1)
Majoritarian and Consensual Modes	104	(1)
Authoritarianism and Dictatorship	105	(4)
Classifying Actual Governments	109	(1)
Surge of Democracy	110	(3)
For Further Reading	111	(1)
Notes	112	(1)
Part Two: Politics Outside Formal Governments
Public Opinion in Democratic Systems	113	(19)
Nature of Public Opinion	114	(9)
Definition	114	(1)
Dimensions of Public Opinion: Preference and Intensity	115	(1)
Measurement by Public Opinion Polls	116	(7)
Opinion Distributions in Western Democracies	123	(7)
What Concerns People?	123	(2)
Ideology	125	(2)
Domestic Policy: Economic and Social Responsibilities of Government	127	(3)
Foreign Policy	130	(1)
Conclusion	130	(2)
For Further Reading	131	(1)
Notes	131	(1)
Political Communication	132	(26)
Nature of Political Communication	133	(3)
What Is Communication?	133	(1)
Elements of Political Communication	134	(2)
Mass Communications Media	136	(10)
Television	136	(8)
Newspapers	144	(2)
Radio	146	(1)
Political Impact of Mass Communications	146	(9)
On Mass Publics	146	(5)
On Political and Governmental Leaders	151	(4)
Communications Revolutions, Past and Future	155	(3)
For Further Reading	156	(1)
Notes	157	(1)
The Electoral Process	158	(30)
Elections in Democratic Systems	158	(10)
Essential Characteristics of Free Elections	159	(1)
Qualifications for Voting	160	(2)
Nonvoting and Compulsory Voting	162	(3)
Nominations and Candidate Selection	165	(3)
Principal Democratic Electoral Systems	168	(9)
Single-Member-District Systems	168	(2)
Multi-Member-Proportional Systems	170	(3)
Political Effects of Electoral Systems	173	(2)
The German Hybrid	175	(2)
Apportionment of Electoral Districts	177	(2)
Problems	177	(1)
Procedures	178	(1)
Referendum Elections	179	(9)
Rationale	179	(1)
Organization	180	(1)
Results and Evaluation	181	(5)
For Further Reading	186	(1)
Notes	187	(1)
Voting Behavior	188	(14)
Intervening Variables in Voting Behavior	189	(13)
Party Identification	191	(4)
Issue Orientation	195	(2)
Candidate Orientation	197	(3)
For Further Reading	200	(1)
Notes	201	(1)
Political Parties and Party Systems	202	(26)
Political Parties in Democratic Systems	202	(6)
What Is a Political Party?	202	(1)
Party Identification and Membership	203	(3)
Principal Activities of Parties	206	(2)
Differences Among Parties in Democratic Systems	208	(7)
In the Nature and Role of Ideology	208	(4)
In Centralization	212	(1)
In Discipline	213	(1)
In Cohesion	214	(1)
Fractionalization of Democratic Party Systems	215	(5)
Measurement: Rae's Index of Fractionalization	215	(1)
Characteristics of the More Fractionalized Systems	216	(3)
Characteristics of the Less Fractionalized Systems	219	(1)
Authoritarian One-Party Systems	220	(8)
Monoparty Systems	220	(4)
Dominant Party Systems	224	(2)
For Further Reading	226	(1)
Notes	227	(1)
Part Three: Governmental Structures, Authorities, and Processes
The Legislative Process	228	(30)
Presidential And Parliamentary Democracies	228	(4)
Doctrine of Separation of Powers	229	(1)
Separation of Powers in Presidential Democracies	229	(1)
Fusion of Powers in Parliamentary Democracies	230	(1)
Crossing Boundaries	231	(1)
Functions of Legislatures	232	(4)
Statute Making	232	(1)
Constitution Making and Amending	232	(1)
Electoral Functions	233	(1)
Financial Functions	233	(1)
Quasi-Executive Functions	233	(1)
Quasi-Judicial Functions	234	(1)
Investigative Functions	235	(1)
Informational Functions	235	(1)
Structure and Procedures of Legislatures	236	(7)
Number of Houses	236	(1)
Main Steps in Handling Bills	237	(3)
Legislative Committees	240	(2)
Party Organization	242	(1)
Legislative Ways of Life	243	(6)
Party Soldiers	244	(2)
Independent Operators	246	(3)
Representative-Constituent Relationships	249	(3)
Mandate Theory	249	(1)
Independence Theory	249	(2)
American Attitudes toward Congress and Members of Congress	251	(1)
Changing Roles of Democratic Legislatures	252	(6)
``Transformative'' versus ``Arena'' Legislatures	253	(1)
Growth as Checkers, Revisers, and Overseers	253	(2)
For Further Reading	255	(1)
Notes	256	(2)
The Executive Process	258	(30)
What Is an Executive?	258	(1)
Executive as the Core of Government	258	(1)
Two Fundamental Executive Roles	259	(1)
Executive as Chief of State	259	(5)
Principal Types	259	(2)
Principal Functions	261	(2)
Separation and Mingling of Roles	263	(1)
President as Head of Government	264	(14)
Presidents and Prime Ministers	264	(1)
U.S. Presidential Roles	265	(8)
Power and Problems of the U.S. President	273	(2)
Presidency of France	275	(2)
Other Presidencies	277	(1)
Prime Minister as Head of Government	278	(7)
Structure of the British Executive	278	(1)
Cabinet Status, Functions, and Powers	279	(2)
Prime Minister and Cabinet	281	(1)
Prime Ministers in Coalition Governments	282	(3)
Executive in Nondemocratic Systems	285	(3)
For Further Reading	285	(1)
Notes	286	(2)
The Administrative Process	288	(31)
Distinction Between Executives and Administrators	288	(2)
In Functions	288	(1)
In Selection and Tenure	289	(1)
What About ``Bureaucracy''?	289	(1)
Formal Status of Administrative Agencies	290	(10)
Size	290	(1)
Structure	291	(2)
Formal Administrative Functions	293	(1)
Regulating	294	(3)
Selection and Status of Administrators	297	(3)
Politics, Administration, and Policy Making	300	(9)
Dichotomy Between Politics and Administration	300	(3)
Policy Making by Administrators	303	(6)
``Administocracy'' in a Democracy: Problem and Solutions	309	(7)
The Problem: Making Administrators Responsible	309	(1)
Solutions	310	(6)
Conclusions	316	(3)
For Further Reading	317	(1)
Notes	317	(2)
Law and the Judicial Process	319	(30)
Rules People Live By	320	(2)
Moral Precepts	320	(1)
Customs	320	(1)
Laws	320	(2)
Types of Law	322	(3)
Classified by Source	322	(2)
Classified by Subject Matter	324	(1)
Court Structures in Democratic Nations	325	(11)
Special Judicial Functions	325	(2)
Two Basic Systems of Justice	327	(2)
Hierarchies of Appeal	329	(3)
Selection and Tenure of Judges	332	(3)
Official Relationships with Legislatures and Executives	335	(1)
Role of Judges in Governing	336	(13)
Mechanical View	337	(3)
Judicial Legislation	340	(3)
Judges in the Political Process	343	(4)
For Further Reading	347	(1)
Notes	348	(1)
Part Four: Public Policies and Their Impacts
Human Rights: Principles and Problems	349	(18)
Philosophical Foundations for Human Rights	349	(5)
Basic Terms	349	(1)
Evolving Idea of Human Rights	350	(4)
Rights Formally Guaranteed by Constitutions	354	(2)
Limitations on Government	354	(1)
Obligations of Government	355	(1)
Choices in the Implementation of Human Rights	356	(8)
Freedom versus Security	359	(2)
The Rights of Some versus Rights of Others	361	(3)
Human Rights in the Political Process	364	(3)
Human Rights Conflicts as Political Conflicts	364	(1)
Some Consequences	365	(1)
For Further Reading	366	(1)
Notes	366	(1)
Human Rights: Challenges and Responses	367	(37)
Conflict over Police Powers and Defendants' Rights	368	(7)
Crime and the Police	368	(3)
Rights of Defendants	371	(4)
Conflict over the Status of Women	375	(7)
Sexism: Meaning and Manifestations	375	(3)
The Women's Rights Movement	378	(4)
Conflict over the Status of African-Americans	382	(14)
Black America, Yesterday and Today	382	(1)
A Brief History of the Civil Rights Movement	383	(9)
African-American Rights in the 1980s: Antidiscrimination or Affirmative Action?	392	(4)
Apartheid in South Africa	396	(8)
Background	396	(1)
The Policy of Apartheid	397	(1)
``Bantustans''	398	(1)
The Passing of Apartheid	399	(3)
For Further Reading	402	(1)
Notes	403	(1)
Part Five: The International Political System
Politics Among Nations	404	(24)
Nature of International Politics	405	(3)
State System	405	(1)
Similarities to Domestic Politics	405	(1)
Differences from Domestic Politics	405	(3)
Characteristics of International Conflict	408	(7)
Some Goals of Nations' Foreign Policies	410	(5)
Making Foreign Policy	415	(13)
Choosing Goals, Methods, and Capabilities	415	(1)
Agencies and Officials	416	(1)
Some Methods of Foreign Policy	417	(10)
For Further Reading	427	(1)
Notes	427	(1)
The Quest for Peace in the Thermonuclear Age	428	(31)
The New World Order: Good News and Bad News	428	(5)
Good News: The Cold War Is Over	428	(1)
Bad News: Nuclear Weapons Are Proliferating	429	(4)
Approaches to Peace within the State System	433	(11)
Balance of Power	434	(1)
Collective Security	435	(3)
Disarmament	438	(2)
International Law	440	(4)
Approaches to Peace through the United Nations	444	(10)
Founding	445	(1)
Structure	445	(3)
Maintaining International Peace and Security	448	(1)
Changing United Nations	449	(5)
Does Humanity Have a Future?	454	(5)
For Further Reading	457	(1)
Notes	458	(1)
Photo Credits	459	(1)
Index	460