The Politics of Power A Critical Introduction to American Government

by Katznelson, Ira; Kesselman, Mark; Draper, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780534601799
• ISBN10: 0534601790
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-11
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

THE POLITICS OF POWER provides a lively, comprehensive, critical perspective of the American political system by highlighting how political conflicts, institutions, and processes are influenced by deep inequalities generated by the country's political economy. Building on the coverage of all of the major topics typical of an American Government course the critical analysis in this text is based on the theme that American democracy is limited by fundamental inequalities in power and economic resources. Respected for its critical theme, THE POLITICS OF POWER also strives to be direct without being simplistic, engaging without being flippant, and critical without being cynical.

Table of Contents

PREFACE	XI
CHAPTER 1 DEMOCRACY'S CHALLENGE	1	(14)
Introduction	1	(3)
Democracy and Capitalism	4	(2)
Standards of Democracy	6	(4)
Political Change	10	(4)
Conclusion	14	(1)
PART I: AMERICAN POLITICAL ECONOMY	15	(58)
CHAPTER 2 GOVERNMENT, THE ECONOMY, AND THE POLITICS OF POWER	19	(32)
Introduction	19	(1)
The System of Capitalism	20	(7)
The Mobilization of Bias	27	(5)
Corporate Capitalism	32	(3)
Who Owns America's Private Government?	35	(6)
The Structure of Employment	41	(4)
Extreme Market Capitalism	45	(4)
Conclusion	49	(2)
CHAPTER 3 THE AMERICAN STATE AND CORPORATE CAPITALISM	51	(22)
Introduction	51	(2)
The First Wave of Expansion	53	(3)
The Second Wave of Expansion	56	(3)
A New Deal	59	(4)
The Golden Age of Capitalism	63	(3)
Reaganomics	66	(1)
Clintonomics	67	(2)
George W. Bush: Reaganomics on Steroids	69	(3)
Conclusion	72	(1)
PART II: PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION	73	(58)
CHAPTER 4 THE POWER OF OPINION	75	(26)
Introduction	75	(3)
Ignorance and Knowledge	78	(5)
Many Publics, Not Just One	83	(4)
Political Culture: Capitalism and Democracy	87	(3)
Political Culture: Religion and Race	90	(2)
Making and Using Opinion	92	(4)
Opinion, Policy, and the Conservative Drift	96	(3)
Conclusion	99	(2)
CHAPTER 5 POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: PARTIES, ELECTIONS, AND MOVEMENTS	101	(30)
Introduction	101	(1)
Turnout and American Voters	102	(3)
The Origins of the Two-Party System	105	(2)
Critical Elections and Party Decay	107	(6)
Money and Elections	113	(5)
The Rise and Fall of the New Deal Coalition	118	(9)
A Postelectoral Era?	127	(2)
Conclusion	129	(2)
PART III: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS	131	(106)
CHAPTER 6 THE PRESIDENCY: IMPERIAL OR IMPERILED?	135	(34)
Introduction	135	(5)
The Historical Presidency	140	(2)
The Imperial President	142	(6)
The Imperiled Presidency	148	(2)
Presidential Styles	150	(3)
The Exercise of Presidential Power	153	(13)
Conclusion	166	(3)
CHAPTER 7 CONGRESS	169	(34)
Introduction	169	(3)
The Origins of Two Legislative Chambers	172	(2)
The Historical Congress	174	(3)
Congressional Careers	177	(1)
Money and Congressional Elections	178	(2)
Safe Seats and Turnover	180	(1)
Members of Congress	181	(1)
The Legislative Process	182	(6)
The Senate	188	(4)
The House of Representatives	192	(5)
Congress, the Bureaucracy, and Interest Groups	197	(4)
Conclusion	201	(2)
CHAPTER 8 THE JUDICIARY	203	(34)
Introduction	203	(3)
A Dual Court System	206	(6)
The Supreme Court	212	(3)
The Supreme Court in History	215	(6)
The Modern Court: From Warren to Rehnquist	221	(10)
The Law and the Development of American Capitalism	231	(1)
Politics by Lawsuit	232	(3)
Conclusion	235	(2)
PART IV: PUBLIC POLICY	237	(92)
CHAPTER 9 FOREIGN POLICY	239	(28)
Introduction	239	(2)
American Foreign Policy before World War II	241	(2)
Cold War Rivalry	243	(2)
Global Expansion	245	(2)
A New Era of Globalization?	247	(2)
Whose Globalization?	249	(7)
The Military Establishment	256	(3)
The Shift to Unilateralism and Preemptive War	259	(6)
Conclusion	265	(2)
CHAPTER 10 THE WELFARE STATE	267	(28)
Introduction	267	(2)
The Three Legs of the American Welfare State	269	(2)
America's Distinctive Welfare State	271	(2)
The Historical Welfare State	273	(2)
The New Deal	275	(5)
Beyond the New Deal	280	(2)
The New Poverty	282	(3)
The Great Society Program	285	(4)
The Contemporary Welfare State	289	(4)
Conclusion	293	(2)
CHAPTER 11 ECONOMIC POLICY	295	(24)
Introduction	295	(3)
The Government and the Economy	298	(4)
Fiscal Policy	302	(2)
Taxes	304	(4)
Spending	308	(2)
Monetary Policy	310	(3)
Regulation	313	(4)
Conclusion	317	(2)
CHAPTER 12 DEMOCRACY'S FUTURE	319	(10)
Introduction	319	(2)
American Democracy in Theory and Practice	321	(2)
Capitalism and Democracy	323	(5)
Conclusion	328	(1)
Credits	329	(2)
Index	331