A Novel Approach to Politics

by Van Belle, Douglas A.

• ISBN13: 9780872899995
• ISBN10: 0872899993
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-12-15
• Publisher: CQ PRESS

Summary

Students often complain that textbooks are boring, especially the door-stoppers in use for most survey courses. But they've never had a textbook like this. Just ask adopters of the first edition who are thanking Novel Approach for some of their best student evaluations to date. Van Belle and Mash deliver the core concepts and real-world political examples you expect from an introductory book, just in a way that your students will actually have fun reading and will retain after the exam. With enlightening, yet entertaining, references ranging from 1984 to The Dark Knight, students take away more from discussions of institutions, ideology, and economics because concepts are introduced using popular culture. Revisions to the second edition, in addition to a wealth of new and recent movies and books, include new features on major political theorists and expanded stand-alone institutional chapters on the legislature and the executive. Never fear-the textbook stuff is here too-chapter summaries, bolded key terms, and discussion questions.

Table of Contents

Introducing the Ancient Debate: The Ideal versus the Real

The Dollhouse

Fiction as a Tool for Exploring Politics

Utopias in Fiction and Politics

Ideologies

What Is Politics?

What Is Political Science?

Why Government? Security, Anarchy, and Some Basic Group Dynamics

a Model for the Emergence of Cooperation: Bobsville

Collective Action

Security

Power

Anarchy

The Context of Hierarchy

Alliances

Groups and Group Identities

Governing Society: We Know Who You Are

Leadership Benefits

The Panopticon

Collective Action, Revolution, and the Use of Force

Legitimacy and Government Control

GovernmentâÇÖs Role in the Economy: The Offer You CanâÇÖt Refuse

The Tragedy of the Commons

Karl Marx--Student of Capitalism?

Socialism

The Yin and Yang of Capitalism and Socialism

Structures and Institutions: Get off your #$*%&#g Ass and Build that #$*%&#g Bike

Structures or Institutions?

Human Nature and Political Institutions

The Reality of Political Institutions

Simgovernment

El Grande Loco Casa Blanca-The Executive (in Bad Spanish)

Oh Captain, My Captain

The Scorpion King on GrandpaâÇÖs Farm

Kings and Presidents

The Democratic Executive

The Confederacy of Dunces- The Legislative (Not in Bad Spanish)

a Dreary Discussion of Democratic Legislatures

Intermission

a Redundant Repetition of Our Theme

a Tired Attempt to Make it Interesting

a Dreary Bleakness in the Authoritarian Gloom

Brazil our Bureaucracy-Do we even need to Bother with the Jokes?

Bureaucracy, It Goes To Eleven

So What Is a Bureaucracy?

There Be Flaws in Yonder Bureaucracy, Obviously

Courts and Law: Politics behind the Gavel

Law and Politics

The Functions of Courts

Trial Courts and Appellate Courts

Legal Systems

Jurisprudence

Types of Law

Constitutional Courts

Not Quite Right, but Still Good: The Democratic Ideal in Modern Politics

ArrowâÇÖs Theorem

Democracy and the Liberal Ideal

An Economic Theory of Democracy

The Real versus the Ideal, Again

Media, Politics and Government: Talking Heads are Better than None

Reality and Beyond

The Whole China Charade

Your New Brain and the Creation of Reality

News Media and Politics

a Vast Conspiracy?

Understanding the Distortions Is the Key

International Politics: Apocalypse Now and Then

Causes of War

Back To Anarchy

World War I Was Unpleasant

Realism and War

Challenging the Realist Paradigm

was Confiscated for Your Protection

Political Culture: Sex & Agriculture, Getting Rucked Explains it All

Political Culture

Applying Political Culture

The Lastest and Bestest Chapter

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