Politics in America, National Version

by Dye, Thomas R.; Gibson, Tucker; Robison, Clay

• ISBN13: 9780131534506
• ISBN10: 0131534505
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

"Politics in America, National Version," presents a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. It focuses on the struggle for power, describing the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas. This new edition includes the recent terrorist attacks on America, the " war on terror" , and its impact on the American psyche. The "National Version" of this book describes politics, the Constitution, the participants, the institutions, and the outcomes of our political system. For anyone interested in American politics, as well as those who are involved in the political arena, government, and policy-making.

Table of Contents

Preface	xvii
About the Authors	xxiii
PART I Politics
Politics: Who Gets What, When, and How	2	(22)
Politics and Political Science	3	(1)
Politics and Government	4	(2)
What Do You Think?
Can You Trust the Government?	6	(1)
The Purposes of Government	7	(1)
A Conflicting View
Sometimes It's Right to Disobey the Law	8	(1)
The Meaning of Democracy	9	(1)
What Do You Think?
What Government Programs Do You Support?	10	(1)
Compared to What?
Freedom and Democracy around the World	11	(2)
The Paradox of Democracy	13	(2)
Direct Versus Representative Democracy	15	(1)
Who Really Governs?	16	(2)
Up Close
Terrorism's Threat to Democracy	18	(2)
What Do You Think?
Is the American Government ``Of, By and For the People''?	20	(1)
Democracy in America	20	(1)
Summary Notes	21	(1)
Key Terms	21	(1)
Suggested Readings	22	(1)
Make It Real	23	(1)
Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict	24	(28)
Political Culture	25	(1)
Individual Liberty	26	(1)
Dilemmas of Equality	27	(3)
What Do You Think?
Beliefs about Fairness	30	(1)
Inequality of Income and Wealth	30	(1)
Compared to What?
Income and Inequality	31	(2)
Social Mobility	33	(1)
A Conflicting View
Success Is Determined by the Bell Curve	34	(1)
Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration	35	(4)
What Do You Think?
Could You Pass the Citizenship Test?	39	(1)
Ideologies: Liberalism and Conservatism	40	(2)
Across the USA
Liberalism and Conservatism	42	(1)
People in Politics
Bill O'Reilly, ``The No Spin Zone?''	43	(1)
People in Politics
Barbara Boxer, Defending Liberalism in Congress	44	(1)
Dissent in the United States	45	(2)
What Do You Think?
Are You a Liberal or a Conservative?	47	(3)
Summary Notes	50	(1)
Key Terms	51	(1)
Suggested Readings	51	(1)
Make It Real	51	(1)
PART II Constitution
The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power	52	(48)
Constitutional Government	53	(1)
The Constitutional Tradition	53	(2)
Troubles Confronting a New Nation	55	(3)
Consensus in Philadelphia	58	(1)
People in Politics
George Washington, Founder of a Nation	59	(1)
Conflict in Philadelphia	60	(3)
Resolving the Economic Issues	63	(1)
A Conflicting View
An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution	64	(1)
Protecting National Security	65	(2)
The Structure of the Government	67	(2)
Up Close
Why the Founders Created an Electoral College to Choose the President	69	(1)
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances	69	(1)
A Conflicting View
Let the People Vote on National Issues	70	(3)
Conflict over Ratification	73	(2)
People in Politics
James Madison and the Control of ``Faction''	75	(1)
A Bill of Rights	75	(1)
Compared to What?
Canada's Parliamentary System	76	(1)
A Conflicting View
Objections to the Constitution by an Anti-Federalist	77	(2)
Constitutional Change	79	(3)
Summary Notes	82	(1)
Key Terms	83	(1)
Suggested Readings	83	(1)
Make It Real	84	(1)
The Constitution of the United States	85	(15)
Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power	100	(30)
Indestructible Union, Indestructible States	101	(2)
Why Federalism? The Argument for a ``Compound Republic''	103	(1)
Compared to What?
The European Union	104	(3)
What Do You Think?
Which Government Seems Closer to You?	107	(1)
A Conflicting View
The Dark Side of Federalism	108	(1)
The Original Design of Federalism	109	(3)
A Conflicting View
Don't Make Everything a Federal Crime!	112	(1)
The Evolution of American Federalism	112	(2)
Up Close
Historical Markers in the Development of American Federalism	114	(4)
Federalism Revived?	118	(2)
What Do You Think?
Should Violence Against Women Be a Federal Crime?	120	(1)
Money and Power Flow to Washington	120	(1)
Up Close
How Congress Set a National Drinking Age	121	(2)
A Conflicting View
Liberals, Conservatives, and Federalism	123	(2)
Coercive Federalism: Preemptions and Mandates	125	(1)
Up Close
Arnold: From Bodybuilder, to Superstar, to Governor	126	(2)
Summary Notes	128	(1)
Key Terms	128	(1)
Suggested Readings	129	(1)
PART III Participants
Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in Politics	130	(38)
Politics and Public Opinion	131	(1)
Up Close
Can We Believe the Polls?	132	(2)
Up Close
Abortion: The ``Hot-Button'' Issue	134	(3)
Socialization: The Origins of Political Opinions	137	(1)
Compared to What?
How ``Exceptional'' Is Opinion in America?	138	(2)
What Do You Think?
College Students' Opinions	140	(3)
Ideology and Opinion	143	(2)
Gender and Opinion	145	(1)
Race and Opinion	145	(2)
What Do You Think?
Do Gender Stereotypes Affect Voting?	147	(1)
Policy and Opinion	147	(2)
Individual Participation in Politics	149	(1)
Securing the Right to Vote	149	(1)
What Do You Think?
Should Government Leaders Pay More Attention to Public Opinion in Policy in Making?	150	(4)
Why Vote?	154	(2)
The Politics of Voter Turnout	156	(2)
Voters and Nonvoters	158	(1)
Compared to What?
Voter Turnout in Western Democracies	159	(1)
Nonvoting: What Difference Does It Make?	160	(1)
Protest as Political Participation	161	(1)
Up Close
How to Run for Office	162	(3)
Summary Notes	165	(1)
Key Terms	166	(1)
Suggested Readings	166	(1)
Make It Real	167	(1)
Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda	168	(30)
The Power of the Media	169	(2)
Up Close
The Generation Gap in News	171	(1)
Sources of Media Power	172	(2)
People in Politics
Stars of the Network News	174	(2)
The Business of the Media	176	(2)
The Politics of the News	178	(3)
What Do You Think?
Are the Media Biased?	181	(1)
A Conflicting View
Fox News: ``Fair and balanced''?	182	(1)
Mediated Elections	182	(4)
Freedom versus Fairness	186	(1)
Libel and Slander	187	(1)
People in Politics
Larry King Live	188	(1)
Politics and the Internet	188	(1)
Compared to What?
America's TV Culture in Perspective	189	(2)
Media Effects: Shaping Political Life	191	(1)
Up Close
The Media Age	192	(4)
Summary Notes	196	(1)
Key Terms	196	(1)
Suggested Readings	197	(1)
Political Parties: Organizing Politics	198	(40)
The Power of Organization	199	(1)
American Parties: A Historical Perspective	199	(5)
Up Close
The Donkey and the Elephant	204	(6)
Political Parties and Democratic Government	210	(2)
What Do You Think?
Which Party Does a Better Job?	212	(3)
Party Finances	215	(1)
Parties as Organizers of Elections	216	(3)
Up Close
Primaries 2004: Democrats Seek ``Electability''	219	(1)
Where's the Party?	220	(2)
National Party Conventions	222	(3)
Up Close
Democratic and Republican Platforms: Can You Tell the Difference?	225	(1)
Party Voters	226	(2)
Third Parties in the U.S. System	228	(2)
Across the USA
Democratic and Republican Party Strength in the States	230	(1)
Up Close
The Libertarian Party: A Dissenting Voice	231	(1)
Why the Two-Party System Persists	232	(1)
Up Close
The Rise and Fall of the Reform Party	233	(1)
Compared to What?
Canada's Multiparty System	234	(1)
Summary Notes	235	(1)
Key Terms	236	(1)
Suggested Readings	237	(1)
Make It Real	237	(1)
Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who Governs	238	(44)
Elections in a Democracy	239	(2)
Power and Ambition	241	(1)
The Advantages of Incumbency	242	(2)
Campaign Strategies	244	(2)
Up Close
Dirty Politics	246	(2)
How Much Does It Cost to Get Elected?	248	(2)
Up Close
A Brief History of Money in Politics	250	(1)
Raising Campaign Cash	251	(2)
What Do Contributors ``Buy''?	253	(2)
What Do You Think?
Does Money Buy Influence in Washington?	255	(3)
Regulating Campaign Finance	258	(2)
The Presidential Campaign: The Primary Race	260	(1)
Up Close
New Ways to Evade Campaign Finance Reform	261	(5)
Up Close
Bush v. Gore, 2000	266	(1)
The Presidential Campaign: The General Election Battle	267
Up Close
Bush v. Kerry, 2004	258	(11)
The Voter Decides	269	(1)
What Do You Think?
Should We Scrap the Electoral College?	270	(2)
Across the USA
How the States Voted	272	(2)
Up Close
The Presidential Debates	274	(6)
Summary Notes	280	(1)
Key Terms	280	(1)
Suggested Readings	281	(1)
Make It Real	281	(1)
Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More	282	(34)
Interest-Group Power	283	(1)
Origins of Interest Groups	284	(1)
Up Close
Superlobby: The Business Roundtable	285	(2)
People in Politics
Marian Wright Edelman, Lobbying for the Poor	287	(1)
The Organized Interests in Washington	287	(5)
Up Close
The Christian Coalition: Organizing the Faithful	292	(1)
People in Politics
Ralph Nader, People's Lobbyist	293	(2)
Leaders and Followers	295	(1)
The Washington Lobbyists	296	(2)
Up Close
Washington's Most Powerful Lobbies	298	(1)
The Fine Art of Lobbying	299	(4)
Up Close
AARP: The Nation's Most Powerful Interest Group	303	(2)
PAC Power	305	(1)
Up Close
Emily's List	306	(1)
Up Close
Payback: Money and Medicare	307	(1)
Lobbying the Bureaucracy	307	(3)
Lobbying the Courts	310	(1)
Politics as Interest-Group Conflict	311	(2)
Summary Notes	313	(1)
Key Terms	314	(1)
Suggested Readings	315	(1)
Make It Real	315	(1)
PART IV Institutions
Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill	316	(54)
The Powers of Congress	317	(5)
Congressional Apportionment and Redistricting	322	(2)
Across the USA
Reapportionment, 2000	324	(4)
Getting to Capitol Hill	328	(4)
What Do You Think?
Why Do Voters Reelect Members of an Unpopular Congress?	332	(1)
Party Fortunes in Congress	333	(3)
Life in Congress	336	(3)
People in Politics
Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate	339	(2)
Home Style	341	(1)
Organizing Congress: Party and Leadership	342	(4)
People in Politics
Nancy Pelosi, Leading House Democrats	346	(1)
In Committee	347	(3)
People in Politics
``Ted'' Kennedy: Keeping Liberalism Alive in the U.S. Senate	350	(2)
On the Floor	352	(2)
Decision Making in Congress	354	(3)
Up Close
Polarization on Capitol Hill	357	(3)
Up Close
Tips on Lobbying Congress	360	(2)
A Conflicting View
Congress Can Act Responsibly on Occasion	362	(2)
People in Politics
Bill Frist, M.D., Leading the Senate	364	(1)
Congressional Ethics	365	(2)
Summary Notes	367	(1)
Key Terms	368	(1)
Suggested Readings	369	(1)
Make It Real	369	(1)
The President: White House Politics	370	(46)
Presidential Power	371	(1)
What Do You Think?
How Would You Rate the Presidents?	372	(2)
Constitutional Powers of the President	374	(2)
People in Politics
George Bush and the War on Terrorism	376	(2)
Compared to What?
Mexican President Vicente Fox	378	(2)
Up Close
Sex, Lies, and Impeachment	380	(2)
Up Close
Watergate and the Limits of Presidential Power	382	(2)
Political Resources of the President	384	(3)
What Do You Think?
Should We Judge Presidents on Private Character or Performance in Office?	387	(1)
Personality Versus Policy	388	(1)
Chief Executive	389	(1)
People in Politics
John Kerry, War Hero, Anti-War Leader	390	(2)
Up Close
Contrasting Presidential Styles	392	(5)
Chief Legislator and Lobbyist	397	(4)
Global Leader	401	(5)
Commander-In-Chief	406	(2)
Up Close
George Bush and ``Operation Iraqi Freedom''	408	(2)
The Vice Presidential Waiting Game	410	(2)
People in Politics
Dick Cheney, Presidential Confidant	412	(1)
Summary Notes	413	(1)
Key Terms	414	(1)
Suggested Readings	414	(1)
Make It Real	415	(1)
The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics	416	(40)
Bureaucratic Power	417	(3)
What Do You Think?
How Would You Rate These Federal Agencies?	420	(2)
The Federal Bureaucracy	422	(1)
Up Close
Why Government Grows, and Grows, and Grows	423	(2)
Compared to What?
The Size of Government in Other Nations	425	(3)
Up Close
The Department of Homeland Security	428	(4)
People in Politics
Alan Greenspan, Managing the Nation's Economy	432	(1)
Bureaucracy and Democracy	433	(3)
Bureaucratic Politics	436	(2)
The Budgetary Process	438	(4)
The Politics of Budgeting	442	(1)
Up Close
Bureaucratic Budget Strategies	443	(1)
What Do You Think?
How Much Money Does the Government Waste?	444	(1)
Regulatory Battles	444	(2)
A Conflicting View
Bureaucratic Regulations Are Suffocating America	446	(2)
Regulating America	448	(1)
Congressional Constraints on the Bureaucracy	449	(1)
Up Close
How to Use the Freedom of Information Act	450	(2)
Interest Groups and Bureaucratic Decision Making	452	(1)
Judicial Constraints on the Bureaucracy	452	(1)
Summary Notes	453	(1)
Key Terms	454	(1)
Suggested Readings	455	(1)
Make It Real	455	(1)
Courts: Judicial Politics	456	(36)
Judicial Power	457	(2)
People in Politics
John Marshall and Early Supreme Court Politics	459	(2)
Up Close
William Jefferson Clinton Versus Paula Corbin Jones	461	(1)
Activism Versus Self-Restraint	462	(1)
People in Politics
Sandra Day O'Connor, Holding the Middle Ground	463	(2)
Structure and Jurisdiction of Federal Courts	465	(3)
Across the USA
Geographic Boundaries of Federal Courts	468	(1)
A Conflicting View
America Is Drowning Itself in a Sea of Lawsuits	469	(1)
The Special Rules of Judicial Decision Making	470	(3)
The Politics of Selecting Judges	473	(3)
Who Is Selected?	476	(1)
Up Close
The Confirmation of Clarence Thomas	477	(1)
Up Close
Women and the Courts	478	(1)
Supreme Court Decision Making	479	(2)
Politics and the Supreme Court	481	(3)
Up Close
Bush v. Gore, Majority and Dissenting Opinions	484	(1)
Bush v. Gore in the U.S. Supreme Court	485	(1)
Checking Court Power	486	(1)
What Do You Think?
Do You Have Confidence in the Supreme Court?	487	(3)
Summary Notes	490	(1)
Key Terms	491	(1)
Suggested Readings	491	(1)
PART V Outcomes
Politics and Personal Liberty	492	(44)
Power and Individual Liberty	493	(1)
Freedom of Religion	494	(8)
Freedom of Speech	502	(1)
Up Close
The American Civil Liberties Union	503	(3)
Up Close
We Can Burn the Flag But Not the Cross	506	(1)
Up Close
Political Correctness Versus Free Speech on Campus	507	(1)
Privacy, Abortion, and the Constitution	508	(3)
What Do You Think?
Should We Amend the Constitution to Ban Gay Marriages?	511	(1)
Obscenity and the Law	512	(1)
Up Close
Child Pornography	513	(1)
Freedom of the Press	514	(2)
Freedom of Assembly and Petition	516	(2)
The Right to Bear Arms	518	(1)
Rights of Criminal Defendants	519	(2)
What Do You Think?
Should Victims' Rights Be Added to the Constitution?	521	(1)
What Do You Think?
Are Persons Captured on the Battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq Entitled to the Protections of the U.S. Constitution?	522	(3)
A Conflicting View
Terrorism Requires Restrictions on Civil Liberties	525	(5)
A Conflicting View
The War on Drugs Threatens Individual Liberty	530	(1)
The Death Penalty	531	(3)
Summary Notes	534	(1)
Key Terms	535	(1)
Suggested Readings	535	(1)
Make It Real	535	(1)
Politics and Civil Rights	536	(40)
The Politics of Equality	537	(1)
Slavery, Segregation, and the Constitution	537	(4)
Equal Protection of the Laws	541	(1)
Up Close
African American Politics in Historical Perspective	542	(3)
The Civil Rights Acts	545	(1)
People in Politics
Martin Luther King, Jr., ``I Have a Dream''	546	(2)
Equality: Opportunity Versus Results	548	(3)
Affirmative Action in the Courts	551	(2)
Affirmative Action and ``Diversity'' in Higher Education	553	(3)
A Conflicting View
The Constitution Should Be Color-Blind	556	(1)
Hispanics in America	557	(2)
Hispanic Politics	559	(1)
Native Americans: Trails of Tears	560	(2)
Across the USA
Native American Peoples	562	(2)
The Rights of Disabled Americans	564	(2)
Gender Equality and the Fourteenth Amendment	566	(2)
Gender Equality in the Economy	568	(2)
Inequality and the Constitution	570	(2)
What Do You Think?
What Constitutes Sexual Harassment?	572	(1)
Summary Notes	573	(1)
Key Terms	574	(1)
Suggested Readings	575	(1)
Make It Real	575	(1)
Politics and the Economy	576	(28)
Politics and Economics	577	(1)
Economic Decision Making	577	(1)
People in Politics
Milton Friedman, In Defense of Free Markets	578	(3)
The Performance of the American Economy	581	(2)
Economic Globalization	583	(4)
What Do You Think?
Does Globalization Help or Hurt America?	587	(1)
Government Spending, Budget Priorities, and Debt	588	(1)
Up Close
Transfers and Entitlements Drive Government Spending	589	(3)
The Tax Burden	592	(1)
What Do You Think?
Should We Increase Government Services or Reduce Taxes?	593	(1)
Compared to What?
Tax Burdens in Advanced Democracies	594	(3)
Tax Politics	597	(1)
A Conflicting View
We Should Enact a Flat Tax	598	(4)
Summary Notes	602	(1)
Key Terms	602	(1)
Suggested Readings	603	(1)
Make It Real	603	(1)
Politics and Social Welfare	604	(16)
Power and Social Welfare	605	(1)
Poverty in the United States	605	(3)
Up Close
Who Are the Poor?	608	(1)
Social Welfare Policy	608	(1)
Up Close
Homelessness in America	609	(3)
Senior Power	612	(3)
Politics and Welfare Reform	615	(1)
What Do You Think?
How Should We Reform Social Security?	616	(3)
Up Close
Is Welfare Reform Working?	619	(1)
Health Care in America	620	(1)
Compared to What?
Health and Health Care Costs in Advanced Democracies	621	(3)
Politics and Health Care Reform	624	(1)
What Do You Think?
Should We Enact a National Health Care System Covering All Americans?	625	(3)
Summary Notes	628	(1)
Key Terms	629	(1)
Suggested Readings	629
Politics and National Security	620
Power among Nations	631	(2)
The Legacy of the Cold War	633	(5)
Nuclear Threats	638	(4)
When to Use Military Force?	642	(1)
A Conflicting View
We Should Defend Ourselves against a Ballistic Missile Attack	643	(2)
Up Close
The Use of Force: Operation Desert Storm	645	(1)
People in Politics
Colin Powell, An American Journey	646	(1)
The War on Terrorism	647	(4)
Compared to What?
World Opinion about America's War against Terrorism	651	(1)
Military Force Levels	651	(3)
Summary Notes	654	(1)
Key Terms	655	(1)
Suggested Readings	655	(1)
Make It Real	655
Appendix
The Declaration of Independence	1	(1)
The Federalist, No. 10, James Madison	2	(3)
The Federalist, No. 51, James Madison	5	(3)
Presidents and Vice Presidents	8	(1)
Supreme Court Justices	9	(2)
Presidential Elections and Voting	11	(4)
Party Control of Congress	15
Glossary	1	(1)
Notes	1	(1)
Photo Credits	1	(1)
Index	1

Excerpts

Politics is an activity by which people try to get more of whatever there is to get. It is not about the pursuit of liberty as much as it is about the struggle over the allocation of values in society. Simply put, it is about "who gets what, when, and how." By using Lasswell's classic definition of politics as the unifying framework,Politics in America, Sixth Edition,strives to present a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Politics consists of all of the activities--reasonable discussion, impassioned oratory, campaigning, balloting, fund raising, advertising, lobbying, demonstrating, rioting, street fighting, and waging war--by which conflict is carried on. Managing conflict is the principal function of the political system and power is the ultimate goal. By examining the struggle for power--the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas--Politics in America, Sixth Edition,introduces students to the politics that is the basis for our democracy. Why Politics in America? Instructors teaching the Introductory American Government course find engaging their students to be the most difficult task facing them.Politics in America, Sixth Edition,is written to be lively and absorbing, reflecting the teaching philosophy thatstimulating students' interest in politics and public affairs is the most important goal of an introductory course.Interesting examples and controversial debates spark students' interest and keep them connected to the material. The struggle for power in society is not a dull topic, and textbooks should not make it so. Politics in America, Sixth Edition,strives for a balanced presentation, but "balanced" does not mean boring. It does not mean the avoidance of controversy. Liberal and conservative arguments are set forth clearly and forcefully. Race and gender are given particular attention, not because it is currently fashionable to do so, but because American politics has long been driven by these factors. As in previous editions, the trademark of this book continues to be its desire to pull students into the debate that is our political system. Organization Part I, "Politics," begins with Lasswell's classic definition of politics and proceeds to describe the nature and functions of government and the meaning of democracy. It poses the question. How democratic is the American political system? It describes the American political culture: its contradictions between liberty and conformity, political equality and economic inequality, equality of opportunity and inequality of results, the role of ideology--liberalism and conservatism, thus laying the groundwork for understanding the struggle over who gets what. Part II, "Constitution," describes the politics of constitution making--deciding how to decide. It describes how the struggle over the U.S. Constitution reflected the distribution of power in the new nation. It focuses on the classic arguments of the Founders for limiting and dividing governmental power and the structural arrangements designed to accomplish this end. Part III, "Participants," begins by examining individual participation in politics--the way people acquire and hold political opinions and act on them through voting and protest activity. It examines the influences of family, school, gender, race, and the role of media in shaping political opinion. It describes how organization concentrates power--to win public office in the case of party organizations, and to influence policy in the case of interest groups. It assesses the role of personal ambition in politics and the role of money. Part IV, "Institutions," describes the various governmental arenas in which the struggle for power takes place--the Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, the courts. More import