The New American Democracy

by Fiorina, Morris P.; Peterson, Paul E.; Johnson, Bertram; Mayer, William G.

• ISBN13: 9780321416148
• ISBN10: 0321416147
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

With an emphasis on elections and their importance in our political system, Morris Fiorina and Paul Peterson's groundbreaking text offers a stimulating, analytical approach to American government that engages students as it gives them a unique understanding of their political system as it exists and functions today.

Table of Contents

To the Students	p. xxvii
To Our Colleagues	p. xxxv
Acknowledgments	p. xli
About the Authors	p. xliii
The Foundations of a New American Democracy
Democracy in the United States	p. 1
Elections in America	p. 3
Half-a-Million Elected Officials	p. 4
Nominating Candidates and Deciding Issues	p. 5
International Comparison: Elections in Other Democracies	p. 6
Government and Politics	p. 6
Types of Government	p. 8
Government by One Person	p. 8
Government by the Few	p. 8
Government by the Many	p. 9
Popular and Responsible Democracy in the United States	p. 10
The New American Democracy	p. 11
The Permanent Campaign	p. 11
Minorities and Elections	p. 16
Majorities and Elections	p. 19
Reform?	p. 20
Benefits of an Electoral Democracy: A Pretty Good Government	p. 21
Chapter Summary	p. 23
Key Terms	p. 23
Suggested Readings	p. 23
On the Web	p. 24
Establishing a Constitutional Democracy	p. 25
The Colonial and Revolutionary Era	p. 27
The Colonial Experience with Democracy	p. 27
Spread of Democratic Ideals During the Revolutionary War	p. 29
Theory of Rights and Representation	p. 31
Government After Independence	p. 33
Broadening Participation	p. 34
The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)	p. 34
Drafting and Adopting a New Constitution	p. 37
The Constitutional Convention	p. 37
A Government of Separated Powers	p. 39
The Bill of Rights	p. 43
The Anti-Federalist-Federalist Debate	p. 44
Amendments to the Constitution	p. 46
Election Connection: Amendments to the Constitution Have Extended Liberties and Tightened the Election Connection	p. 48
The Constitution: An Assessment	p. 48
A Step Backward?	p. 48
Achievements	p. 49
The Constitution Today	p. 50
International Comparison: Constitution-Making in Iraq	p. 51
Chapter Summary	p. 52
Key Terms	p. 52
Suggested Readings	p. 53
On the Web	p. 53
Election Voices: The Politics of the Death Penalty	p. 54
Federalism: Division of Power Among National, State, and Local Governments	p. 59
The Federalism Debate: It's New But It's Old	p. 61
Federalism in Context	p. 61
International Comparison: Great Britain and the United States: Unitary and Federal Governments	p. 62
Federalism and the Ratification of the Constitution	p. 63
Evolution of the Federalism Debate	p. 64
Dual Sovereignty and Nullification	p. 65
The Supreme Court and the Meaning of Dual Sovereignty	p. 67
The Commerce Clause and the Court-Packing Episode	p. 67
Necessary and Proper Clause	p. 70
State Sovereign Immunity	p. 71
Cooperative Federalism	p. 72
Spending Clause	p. 72
Categorical Grants	p. 74
Problems of Implementation	p. 75
Block Grants	p. 76
The Contemporary Debate	p. 79
Democratic Dilemma: Categorical or Block Grant: Which Is Better?	p. 80
Local Government	p. 81
The Number and Types of Local Governments	p. 82
Local Elections	p. 82
Popularity of Local Government	p. 83
Limits on Local Government	p. 84
State Government	p. 85
State Elections	p. 86
Variation in State Government Responsibilities	p. 86
Recent Developments at the State Level	p. 87
Chapter Summary	p. 89
Key Terms	p. 89
Suggested Readings	p. 90
On the Web	p. 90
American Political Culture	p. 91
International Comparison: Citizenship in Europe and United States	p. 94
Americans: A Contradictory People?	p. 94
Social Diversity	p. 95
A Nation of Immigrants Then	p. 96
A Nation of Immigrants Now	p. 100
Immigration as a Contemporary Issue	p. 101
Philosophical Unity	p. 103
American Individualism	p. 105
The Tension Between Individualism and Equality	p. 107
One Nation, Under God?	p. 108
Why a Liberal Political Culture?	p. 112
Traditional Explanations of American Liberalism	p. 112
Newer Explanations	p. 113
Chapter Summary	p. 115
Key Terms	p. 116
Suggested Readings	p. 116
On the Web	p. 116
Election Voices: The Immigration Issue	p. 117
The Ingredients of the New American Democracy
Public Opinion	p. 121
What Is Public Opinion?	p. 123
Sources of Public Opinion	p. 124
Socialization	p. 124
Personal Experiences	p. 124
Self-Interest	p. 125
Education	p. 125
Reference Groups	p. 125
The Media	p. 126
Measuring Public Opinion	p. 126
Sampling Error	p. 127
Selection Bias	p. 128
Measurement Error	p. 130
Characteristics of Public Opinion	p. 136
Public Opinion Is Uninformed	p. 136
Many of the Opinions Expressed in Polls Are Not Strongly Held	p. 138
Public Opinion Is Not Ideological	p. 139
Public Opinion Is Inconsistent	p. 141
Governing by Public Opinion?	p. 143
The Power of Public Opinion	p. 143
The Limits of Public Opinion: Gun Control	p. 144
Chapter Summary	p. 147
Key Terms	p. 147
Suggested Readings	p. 148
On the Web	p. 148
Individual Participation	p. 149
A Brief History of the Franchise in the United States	p. 151
Voting Rights in the Amendment Process	p. 151
How Voting Rights Spread	p. 153
Why People Participate: Costs and Benefits	p. 154
International Comparisons of Voter Turnout	p. 156
Election Connection: Nonvoters Who Actually Turned Out	p. 157
Personal Costs and Benefits: Registration	p. 158
Personal Costs and Benefits: Compulsion	p. 158
Other Personal Costs and Benefits	p. 159
Democratic Dilemma: Can Voters Speak for Those Who Abstain?	p. 160
Mobilization and Turnout	p. 160
Why Has American Turnout Declined?	p. 161
Declining Personal Benefits	p. 163
Declining Mobilization	p. 163
Declining Social Connectedness	p. 164
Who Votes and Who Doesn't?	p. 165
Is Low Turnout a Problem?	p. 166
Three Arguments: Why Low Turnout Is Not a Problem	p. 166
Three Arguments: Why Low Turnout Is a Problem	p. 167
Evaluating the Arguments	p. 169
Beyond the Voting Booth	p. 169
Chapter Summary	p. 171
Key Terms	p. 172
Suggested Readings	p. 172
On the Web	p. 172
Election Voices: Should Voting Be Compulsory?	p. 173
Interest-Group Participation in American Democracy	p. 177
Interest Groups in the United States	p. 179
Growth and Development of Groups	p. 180
The Nature and Variety of "Interest Groups"	p. 182
Forming and Maintaining Interest Groups	p. 182
The Free-Rider Problem	p. 184
Overcoming the Free-Rider Problem	p. 185
How Interest Groups Influence Government	p. 189
Lobbying	p. 189
Grassroots Lobbying	p. 191
Electioneering and PACs	p. 192
Persuading the Public	p. 194
Direct Action	p. 196
Litigation	p. 196
Why Groups Use Particular Tactics	p. 196
Democratic Dilemma: Strange Bedfellows: The Battle for Seattle, 1999	p. 197
How Influential Are Interest Groups?	p. 198
Subgovernments	p. 199
Issue Networks	p. 200
Interest Groups and Democratic Politics	p. 200
Chapter Summary	p. 203
Key Terms	p. 203
Suggested Readings	p. 203
On the Web	p. 204
Political Parties	p. 205
What Parties Do	p. 207
How Parties Contribute to Democratic Politics	p. 208
How Parties Detract from Democratic Politics	p. 209
The Balance Sheet	p. 212
Political Parties in American History	p. 213
The Party-Systems Interpretation of American History	p. 213
Democratic Dilemma: Is Gridlock Necessarily Bad?	p. 222
Two-Party and Multi-Party Systems	p. 223
How Strong Are American Parties Today?	p. 226
The Decline of Party Organizations	p. 227
The Revival of Party Organizations?	p. 228
Parties Versus Interest Groups	p. 230
Chapter Summary	p. 231
Key Terms	p. 231
Suggested Readings	p. 231
On the Web	p. 231
The Media	p. 233
Development of the Mass Media	p. 235
The Partisan Press and the Penny Press	p. 236
Newspapers and Magazines, 1865-1920	p. 237
Radio and Television	p. 238
The Contemporary Scene	p. 240
The New Media	p. 242
What Information Sources Do Americans Rely On?	p. 244
Media Effects	p. 247
Agenda Setting	p. 247
Priming and Framing	p. 248
Socialization	p. 249
How Strong Are Media Effects?	p. 250
Media Biases	p. 251
Ideological Bias	p. 251
Democratic Dilemma: Talk Radio-A Conservative Answer to the Liberal Press	p. 254
Selection Bias	p. 255
Professional Bias	p. 257
International Comparison: Al Jazeera-Questionable Sources?	p. 258
Prospects for Change	p. 258
The Media and Electoral Politics	p. 259
Campaign Coverage	p. 259
The Conventions	p. 260
The Presidential Debates	p. 262
Media Coverage of Government	p. 262
Emphasis on the President (and Other Personalities)	p. 262
Emphasis on Conflict	p. 263
Emphasis on the Negative	p. 264
The Response: Exaggerated Concern with the Press	p. 264
Chapter Summary	p. 264
Key Terms	p. 265
Suggested Readings	p. 265
On the Web	p. 266
Election Voices: Should Freedom of the Press Be Limited to Protect National Security?	p. 267
Campaigns and Elections
Electing the President	p. 272
Nominating a Presidential Candidate	p. 273
Evolution of the Nomination Process	p. 273
The Contemporary Nomination Process	p. 274
Election Connection: A 2004 Caucus Experience	p. 276
Financing Nomination Campaigns	p. 277
The Presidential Nomination Process in Action	p. 278
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Nomination Process	p. 279
Who Nominates the Vice-President?	p. 282
The General Election for President	p. 282
Financing the General-Election Campaign	p. 283
International Comparison: Campaign Financing in Other Democracies	p. 284
Spending in the General-Election Campaign	p. 285
The Electoral College	p. 285
Voting Behavior in Presidential Elections	p. 287
When Americans Decide	p. 287
How Americans Decide	p. 287
Limited Media Influence on Presidential Elections	p. 293
The Contemporary Presidential Election Scene	p. 294
The 1970s and 1980s: Republican "Lock"	p. 294
The 1990s: Democratic Resurgence	p. 296
The 2000 Election	p. 297
The 2004 Showdown	p. 298
Chapter Summary	p. 299
Key Terms	p. 299
Suggested Readings	p. 299
On the Web	p. 300
Election Voices: Is a National Primary the Best Way to Nominate Presidential Candidates?	p. 301
Choosing the Congress	p. 305
The Electoral Evolution of the Congress	p. 308
Reapportionment and Redistricting	p. 309
Democratic Dilemma: Why Not Senate Districts?	p. 311
The Congressional Nomination Process	p. 311
Contemporary House Elections	p. 312
Party Decline	p. 313
Expanding Member Resources	p. 314
Growth in Importance of "Representative" Behavior	p. 314
Campaign Funds	p. 315
More Responsive Incumbents	p. 317
Contemporary Senate Elections	p. 318
Party Competition	p. 318
Uncontrolled Information	p. 319
Better Challengers	p. 319
High Ambitions	p. 320
National Forces in Congressional Elections	p. 320
National Forces in the 1990s: A New Era?	p. 321
Congressional Elections in the 2000s: Neck and Neck	p. 321
Election Connection: How Not to Be Reelected to Congress	p. 322
Why Have National Forces Grown Stronger?	p. 323
Do Congressional Elections Produce a Representative Body?	p. 324
Women	p. 326
Minorities	p. 326
Elections, Parties, and Group Representation	p. 328
Chapter Summary	p. 329
Key Terms	p. 329
Suggested Readings	p. 329
On the Web	p. 330
The Government
The Congress and Its Work	p. 331
Congress-The First Branch	p. 333
The Organization of Congress	p. 334
The Congressional Parties	p. 335
International Comparison: Congress in a Presidential System	p. 336
The Committee System	p. 339
Caucuses	p. 344
How a Bill Becomes a Law	p. 344
Evaluating Congress	p. 348
Criticisms of Congress	p. 348
Why Americans Like Their Members of Congress So Much More Than Congress Itself	p. 349
Chapter Summary	p. 351
Key Terms	p. 351
Suggested Readings	p. 351
On the Web	p. 352
Election Voices: An Explosion of Earmarks	p. 353
The Presidency: Powers and Practice	p. 357
Presidential Constituencies	p. 359
National Constituency	p. 359
Partisan Constituencies	p. 361
Partisan Support in Congress	p. 361
Democratic Dilemma: Is Divided Government Good or Bad?	p. 362
Separate Institutions Sharing Power	p. 363
The Power to Inform and Persuade	p. 363
The Veto Power	p. 366
The Appointment Power	p. 367
The Power to Recommend	p. 370
The President as Chief of State	p. 372
International Comparison: The Chief of State in Other Countries	p. 373
Inherent Executive Power	p. 376
The Impeachment Power	p. 377
Presidential Expectations and Presidential Performance	p. 378
Presidential Reputations	p. 379
Presidential Popularity	p. 379
Great Presidents	p. 380
Chapter Summary	p. 383
Key Terms	p. 383
Suggested Readings	p. 383
On the Web	p. 384
Election Voices: The Politics of U.S. Energy Policy	p. 385
The Bureaucracy	p. 389
The Role of the Bureaucracy	p. 391
The Bureaucracy Problem	p. 393
Impossibility of Tasks	p. 393
Difficulty Measuring Performance	p. 393
Expansionary Tendencies	p. 394
Slow to Change	p. 394
Red Tape	p. 394
American Bureaucracies: Particularly Political	p. 395
Difficult Beginnings	p. 396
Mountains of Patronage	p. 396
Advantages of the Spoils System	p. 398
Disadvantages of the Spoils System	p. 398
Erosion of the Spoils System	p. 399
Political Appointees Today	p. 400
International Comparison: Political Versus Professional Bureaucrats	p. 401
The President and the Bureaucracy	p. 402
The Cabinet	p. 403
Independent Regulatory Agencies	p. 405
Office of Management and Budget	p. 406
Congress and the Bureaucracy	p. 407
Senate Confirmations	p. 407
Agency Reorganization	p. 409
Legislative Detail	p. 410
Budgetary Control	p. 410
Election Connection: Congressional Legislation: A Matter of Detail	p. 411
Legislative Oversight	p. 412
Iron Triangles and Issue Networks	p. 412
Elections and the Bureaucracy	p. 414
Bureaucratic Secrecy	p. 415
Bureaucratic Coercion	p. 416
Agency Expansion	p. 416
Administrator Caution	p. 417
Compromised Capacity	p. 417
Muddling Through	p. 417
Chapter Summary	p. 419
Key Terms	p. 419
Suggested Readings	p. 419
On the Web	p. 420
Election Voices: The Politics of the New Department of Homeland Security	p. 421
The Courts	p. 425
State Courts	p. 427
State Trial Courts: The Judicial Workhorses	p. 427
Prosecuting State Cases	p. 429
An Independent and Powerful Federal Judiciary	p. 430
Tenure and Salary	p. 430
Judicial Review	p. 430
Three Theories of Constitutional Interpretation	p. 432
Judicial Review in Practice	p. 434
Statutory Interpretation	p. 436
The Federal Court System in Practice	p. 436
International Comparison: Statutory Interpretation in the United States and Britain	p. 437
District Courts	p. 437
Appeals Courts	p. 438
Specialized Courts	p. 439
Selection of Federal Judges	p. 439
Deciding to Prosecute	p. 440
Relations Between State and Federal Courts	p. 440
The Supreme Court	p. 442
The Politics of Supreme Court Appointments	p. 442
Election Connection: The Harriet Miers Nomination to the Supreme Court	p. 445
Stare Decisis	p. 446
Certs	p. 446
The Role of the Chief Justice	p. 447
The Role of the Solicitor General	p. 448
The Role of Clerks	p. 448
Supreme Court Decision Making	p. 449
Voting on the Supreme Court	p. 451
Checks on Court Power	p. 452
Constitutional Amendment	p. 452
Statutory Revision	p. 452
Nonimplementation	p. 453
Litigation as a Political Strategy	p. 454
Chapter Summary	p. 454
Key Terms	p. 455
Suggested Readings	p. 455
On the Web	p. 456
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Civil Liberties	p. 457
Origins of Civil Liberties in the United States	p. 459
Origins of the Bill of Rights	p. 459
Few Liberties Before the Civil War	p. 460
Applying the Bill of Rights to State Governments	p. 461
Freedom of Speech, Assembly, and Press	p. 462
Free Speech and Majoritarian Democracy	p. 462
From "Bad Tendency" to "Clear and Present Danger"	p. 463
Democratic Dilemma: Do Campus Speech Codes Unduly Restrict Free Speech?	p. 465
Fighting Words Doctrine	p. 466
Balancing Doctrine	p. 466
Fundamental Freedoms Doctrine	p. 467
Freedom of the Press	p. 468
Freedom of Association	p. 469
Limitations on Free Expression	p. 469
Freedom of Religion	p. 471
Establishment of Religion Clause	p. 471
Free Exercise of Religion Clause	p. 472
Establishment of Religion or Free Exercise?	p. 473
Law, Order, and the Rights of Suspects	p. 473
Election Politics and Criminal Justice	p. 474
International Comparison: United States Has Much Higher Murder, but Not Burglary, Rates Than Most Other Countries	p. 475
Search and Seizure	p. 475
Immunity Against Self-Incrimination	p. 477
Impartial Jury	p. 477
Legal Counsel	p. 478
Double Jeopardy	p. 478
Rights in Practice: Habeas Corpus	p. 479
Rights in Practice: The Plea Bargain	p. 479
The Right of Privacy	p. 480
Regulation of Sexual Behavior	p. 481
Abortion: Right to Life or Right to Choose?	p. 481
Privacy in the Information Age	p. 483
Chapter Summary	p. 484
Key Terms	p. 485
Suggested Readings	p. 485
On the Web	p. 486
Election Voices: School Choice: Vouchers and Charter Schools	p. 487
Civil Rights	p. 491
Origins of Civil Rights	p. 493
Conflict Over Civil Rights After the Civil War	p. 494
Early Court Interpretations of Civil Rights	p. 496
Blacks Get Electoral Power	p. 496
Awakening the Supreme Court to Civil Rights	p. 498
Redefining the Equal Protection Clause	p. 498
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas	p. 499
Civil Rights After Brown	p. 500
Decline in Strength of the Civil Rights Movement	p. 503
Supreme Court No Longer Forges Ahead	p. 504
Affirmative Action	p. 505
Elections, Courts, and Civil Rights: An Appraisal	p. 507
Civil Rights of Other Minorities	p. 507
Latinos	p. 507
Asian Americans	p. 509
Gays and Lesbians	p. 510
Native Americans	p. 511
Women's Rights	p. 512
The Right to Equality Before the Law	p. 512
Initial Court Response to Women's Rights	p. 514
Discrimination in the Workplace	p. 515
Sexual Harassment	p. 515
Single-Sex Schools and Colleges	p. 515
The Future of Women's Rights	p. 516
Americans with Disabilities	p. 516
Chapter Summary	p. 518
Key Terms	p. 519
Suggested Readings	p. 519
On the Web	p. 520
Public Policy
Domestic Policy	p. 521
Types of Public Policy	p. 523
Stages of Policy Making	p. 523
Social Policy	p. 524
Social Insurance for Senior Citizens	p. 525
Public Assistance to Poor Families	p. 530
Education Policy	p. 535
Local Control	p. 536
Development of Public Education	p. 536
Contemporary Issues in Education Policy	p. 536
International Comparison: Student Learning and School Expenditures	p. 538
Politics of Education	p. 539
Regulation	p. 539
The Rise of Federal Regulation	p. 540
Justifications for Regulation	p. 540
Politics of Regulation	p. 543
Deregulation	p. 545
Chapter Summary	p. 546
Key Terms	p. 546
Suggested Readings	p. 547
On the Web	p. 547
Economic Policy	p. 549
Economic Growth and the Business Cycle	p. 551
Economic Conditions and Political Fortunes	p. 552
Fiscal Policy	p. 553
Use of the Budget Deficit	p. 554
Decline of Fiscal Policy	p. 555
Monetary Policy: The Federal Reserve System	p. 558
The Fed Chair	p. 559
Who Controls the Fed?	p. 560
The "T" Word: Taxes	p. 563
The Tax Burden	p. 564
The Tax Base	p. 565
Tax Progressivity	p. 566
Tax Reform	p. 567
The U.S. Economy: An International Comparison	p. 567
Taxes	p. 568
National Debt	p. 569
Employment Opportunities	p. 569
Inequality	p. 570
Chapter Summary	p. 571
Key Terms	p. 571
Suggested Readings	p. 572
On the Web	p. 572
Foreign and Defense Policy	p. 573
Elections, Presidents, and Foreign Policy	p. 575
Need for Fast Action	p. 575
Voters' Focus on Presidents	p. 575
Limited Role of Interest Groups	p. 578
Congressional Role	p. 579
Foreign Policy Responsibilities of the President and Congress	p. 579
War Power	p. 579
War Powers Resolution	p. 581
Treaty Power	p. 583
Foreign Policy Institutions: From Cold War to Homeland Defense	p. 584
The Cold War and the Post-Cold War World	p. 585
State Department	p. 587
Defense Department	p. 589
International Comparison: United States-Lucky in War	p. 590
Central Intelligence Agency	p. 592
National Security Council	p. 594
Ideals, Interests, and the Worldwide Campaign Against Terror	p. 595
Strategies for Nation Building	p. 595
Role of International Organizations	p. 597
Chapter Summary	p. 599
Key Terms	p. 600
Suggested Readings	p. 600
On the Web	p. 601
Election Voices: The U.S. Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict	p. 602
Appendices
The Declaration of Independence	p. 607
The Constitution of the United States of America	p. 610
The Federalist No. 10	p. 624
The Federalist No. 51	p. 629
Presidents of the United States of America	p. 632
Glossary	p. 633
Endnotes	p. 643
Name Index	p. 679
Subject Index	p. 683
Photo Credits	p. 701
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.