We the People : An Introduction to American Politics

by Benjamin Ginsberg; insberg; owi

• ISBN13: 9780393973983
• ISBN10: 0393973980
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-01
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

Emphasizing the relevance of politics and government in everyday life, We the People provides tools to help students think critically about American government and politics. The Sixth Edition has been carefully updated to reflect most recent developments, including the ongoing conflict in Iraq and the 2006 midterm elections. Complemented by a rich package of multimedia tools for instructors and students, including a new video-clip DVD, We the People is now more pedagogically effective than ever.

Table of Contents

Preface	xxiii
PART I American Political Life
American Political Culture	2	(32)
What Americans Think about Government	6	(6)
Trust in Government	7	(3)
Political Efficacy	10	(2)
Citizens and Government	12	(3)
Citizenship	12	(1)
Citizenship and Political Knowledge	13	(1)
From Knowledge to Interest	14	(1)
Government	15	(6)
Forms of Government	15	(2)
Limiting Government	17	(1)
Access to Government: The Expansion of Participation	18	(2)
Influencing the Government Through Participation: Politics	20	(1)
American Political Culture: Conflict and Consensus	21	(9)
Liberty	22	(1)
Equality	23	(1)
Democracy	24	(1)
Does the System Uphold American Political Values?	25	(4)
Values and Government	29	(1)
The Citizen's Role	30	(1)
Summary	31	(1)
For Further Reading	31	(1)
Study Outline	32	(1)
Practice Quiz	32	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	33	(1)
Key Terms	33	(1)
The American Political Community	34	(43)
Expanding the American Political Community	36	(25)
Ethnicity and Race	37	(11)
Immigration and the American Political Community	48	(3)
Class	51	(2)
Gender	53	(6)
Religion	59	(2)
Participation in the American Political Community	61	(7)
Forms of Participation	61	(2)
Explaining Political Participation	63	(3)
Participation and American Political Values	66	(2)
Taking Part in the American Political Community: The Citizen's Role	68	(2)
Summary	70	(1)
For Further Reading	71	(1)
Study Outline	71	(1)
Practice Quiz	72	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	73	(1)
Key Terms	73	(4)
PART II Foundations
The Founding and the Constitution	77	(39)
The First Founding: Interests and Conflicts	79	(4)
British Taxes and Colonial Interests	80	(1)
Political Strife and the Radicalizing of the Colonists	81	(1)
The Declaration of Independence	82	(1)
The Articles of Confederation	82	(1)
The Second Founding: From Compromise to Constitution	83	(7)
International Standing and Balance of Power	83	(1)
The Annapolis Convention	84	(1)
Shays's Rebellion	85	(1)
The Constitutional Convention	86	(4)
The Constitution	90	(8)
The Legislative Branch	92	(2)
The Executive Branch	94	(1)
The Judicial Branch	94	(1)
National Unity and Power	95	(1)
Amending the Constitution	96	(1)
Ratifying the Constitution	96	(1)
Constitutional Limits on the National Government's Power	96	(2)
The Fight for Ratification	98	(6)
Federalists vs. Antifederalists	100	(3)
Reflections on the Founding	103	(1)
The Citizen's Role and the Changing Constitution	104	(7)
Amendments: Many are Called, Few are Chosen	104	(1)
The Case of the Equal Rights Amendment	105	(2)
Which were Chosen? An Analysis of the Twenty-seven	107	(4)
Reflections on Liberty, Equality, and Democracy	111	(1)
Summary	112	(1)
For Further Reading	113	(1)
Study Outline	113	(1)
Practice Quiz	114	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	115	(1)
Key Terms	115	(1)
Federalism	116	(34)
The Federal Framework	119	(11)
Federalism in the Constitution	119	(3)
The Development of Federalism	122	(2)
Restraining National Power with Dual Federalism, 1789-1937	124	(2)
Federalism and the Slow Growth of the National Government's Power	126	(3)
The Changing Role of the States	129	(1)
Who Does What? The Changing Federal Framework	130	(13)
Expansion of the National Government	131	(1)
Federal Grants	132	(2)
Cooperative Federalism	134	(2)
Regulated Federalism and National Standards	136	(3)
New Federalism and State Control	139	(2)
Is There a Right Answer?	141	(2)
Federalism and American Political Values	143	(2)
The Citizen's Role: Participation at Different Levels of the Federal System	145	(1)
Summary	146	(2)
For Further Reading	148	(1)
Study Outline	148	(1)
Practice Quiz	148	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	149	(1)
Key Terms	149	(1)
Civil Liberties	150	(44)
The Bill of Rights: A Charter of Liberties	153	(3)
Nationalizing the Bill of Rights	156	(3)
The First Amendment and Freedom of Religion	159	(3)
Separation between Church and State	159	(2)
Free Exercise of Religion	161	(1)
The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech and the Press	162	(11)
Absolutely Protected Speech	162	(3)
Conditionally Protected Speech	165	(8)
The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms	173	(2)
Rights of the Criminally Accused	175	(7)
The Fourth Amendment and Searches and Seizures	176	(2)
The Fifth Amendment	178	(3)
The Sixth Amendment and the Right to Counsel	181	(1)
The Eighth Amendment and Cruel and Unusual Punishment	182	(1)
The Right to Privacy	182	(7)
The Future of Civil Liberties	189	(1)
The Citizen's Role	189	(2)
Summary	191	(1)
For Further Reading	191	(1)
Study Outline	192	(1)
Practice Quiz	192	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	193	(1)
Key Terms	193	(1)
Civil Rights	194	(42)
Civil Rights	197	(17)
Plessy v. Ferguson: ``Separate but Equal''	198	(1)
Racial Discrimination after World War II	198	(3)
Civil Rights after Brown v. Board of Education	201	(5)
The Civil Rights Acts	206	(8)
The Universalization of Civil Rights	214	(7)
Women and Gender Discrimination	215	(3)
Latinos and Asian Americans	218	(1)
Native Americans	219	(1)
Disabled Americans	220	(1)
Gays and Lesbians	220	(1)
Affirmative Action	221	(8)
The Supreme Court and the Burden of Proof	222	(4)
Referendums on Affirmative Action	226	(1)
Affirmative Action and American Political Values	226	(3)
The Citizen's Role	229	(1)
Summary	230	(1)
For Further Reading	231	(1)
Study Outline	231	(1)
Practice Quiz	232	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	233	(1)
Key Terms	233	(3)
PART III Politics
Public Opinion	236	(38)
Political Values	239	(16)
Fundamental Values	239	(2)
Forms of Disagreement	241	(2)
How Political Values are Formed	243	(2)
Influences on Our Political Values	245	(7)
From Political Values to Ideology	252	(3)
How We Form Political Opinions	255	(7)
Political Knowledge	256	(1)
The Influence of Political Leaders, Private Groups, and the Media	257	(5)
Measuring Public Opinion	262	(6)
Constructing Public Opinion from Surveys	263	(5)
Public Opinion, Political Knowledge, and the Importance of Ignorance	268	(1)
Public Opinion and Democracy	268	(1)
The Citizen's Role	269	(1)
Summary	270	(1)
For Further Reading	271	(1)
Study Outline	271	(1)
Practice Quiz	272	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	272	(1)
Key Terms	273	(1)
The Media	274	(38)
The Media Industry and Government	277	(11)
Types of Media	277	(2)
Organization and Ownership of the Media	279	(1)
Nationalization of the News	280	(3)
Regulation of the Broadcast Media	283	(3)
Freedom of the Press	286	(2)
News Coverage	288	(9)
Journalists	288	(3)
Sources of the News	291	(1)
The Power of Consumers	292	(5)
Media Power in American Politics	297	(8)
Shaping Events	297	(1)
The Sources of Media Power	298	(5)
The Rise of Adversarial Journalism	303	(2)
Media Power and Democracy	305	(2)
The Citizen's Role	307	(1)
Summary	308	(1)
For Further Reading	308	(1)
Study Outline	309	(1)
Practice Quiz	310	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	310	(1)
Key Terms	311	(1)
Political Parties	312	(42)
What Are Political Parties?	315	(1)
Outgrowths of the Electoral Process	315	(1)
Outgrowths of the Policymaking Process	316	(1)
The Two-Party System in America	316	(10)
Historical Origins	318	(3)
Electoral Alignments and Realignments	321	(2)
American Third Parties	323	(3)
Party Organization	326	(6)
National Convention	326	(3)
National Committee	329	(1)
Congressional Campaign Committees	330	(1)
State and Local Party Organizations	330	(2)
Parties and the Electorate	332	(4)
Group Affiliations	333	(3)
Parties and Elections	336	(7)
Recruiting Candidates	337	(1)
Nominations	337	(1)
Campaigns and High-Tech Politics	338	(3)
From Labor-Intensive to Capital-Intensive Politics	341	(2)
Parties and Government	343	(3)
Parties and Policy	343	(2)
Parties in Congress	345	(1)
President and Party	345	(1)
Parties and Democracy	346	(3)
The Citizen's Role	349	(1)
Summary	350	(1)
For Further Reading	350	(1)
Study Outline	351	(1)
Practice Quiz	352	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	353	(1)
Key Terms	353	(1)
Campaigns and Elections	354	(46)
Elections in America	356	(13)
Voting Rights	357	(2)
Voter Participation	359	(3)
Types of Elections	362	(1)
The Criteria for Winning	363	(1)
Electoral Districts	363	(1)
The Ballot	364	(3)
The Electoral College	367	(2)
Election Campaigns	369	(5)
Advisers	369	(3)
Polling	372	(1)
The Primaries	372	(2)
Presidential Elections	374	(9)
The Convention	376	(3)
The General Election	379	(2)
The 1996 Election and Its Aftermath	381	(2)
Money and Politics	383	(5)
Sources of Campaign Funds	383	(3)
Campaign Finance Reform	386	(1)
Implications for Democracy	387	(1)
How Voters Decide	388	(3)
Partisan Loyalty	388	(1)
Issues	389	(1)
Candidate Characteristics	390	(1)
The Decline of Voting	391	(4)
Elections and Democracy	392	(3)
Elections and Equality	395	(1)
Elections and Liberty	395	(1)
The Citizen's Role	395	(1)
Summary	396	(1)
For Further Reading	396	(1)
Study Outline	397	(1)
Practice Quiz	398	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	399	(1)
Key Terms	399	(1)
Groups and Interests	400	(44)
The Character of Interest Groups	404	(7)
What Interests are Represented?	404	(1)
Organizational Components	405	(4)
The Characteristics of Members	409	(2)
The Proliferation of Groups	411	(4)
The Expansion of Government	411	(1)
The New Politics Movement and Public Interest Groups	412	(1)
Conservative Interest Groups	413	(2)
Strategies: The Quest for Political Power	415	(21)
Lobbying	415	(5)
Gaining Access	420	(3)
Using the Courts (Litigation)	423	(1)
Going Public	424	(5)
Using Electoral Politics	429	(7)
Groups and Interests: The Dilemma	436	(1)
The Citizen's Role	437	(1)
Summary	438	(1)
For Further Reading	439	(1)
Study Outline	440	(1)
Practice Quiz	440	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	441	(1)
Key Terms	441	(3)
PART IV Institutions
Congress	444	(48)
Congress: Representing the American People	447	(10)
House and Senate: Differences in Representation	447	(1)
Sociological vs. Agency Representation	448	(4)
The Electoral Connection	452	(3)
Direct Patronage	455	(2)
The Organization of Congress	457	(11)
Party Leadership in the House and the Senate	458	(4)
The Committee System: The Core of Congress	462	(3)
The Staff System: Staffers and Agencies	465	(1)
Informal Organization: The Caucuses	466	(2)
Rules of Lawmaking: How a Bill Becomes a Law	468	(5)
Committee Deliberation	468	(2)
Debate	470	(2)
Conference Committee: Reconciling House and Senate Versions of Legislation	472	(1)
Presidential Action	472	(1)
How Congress Decides	473	(8)
Constituency	473	(1)
Interest Groups	474	(2)
Party Discipline	476	(4)
Weighing Diverse Influences	480	(1)
Beyond Legislation: Other Congressional Powers	481	(2)
Oversight	481	(1)
Advice and Consent: Special Senate Powers	481	(1)
Impeachment	482	(1)
Congress and Democracy	483	(2)
The Citizen's Role	485	(2)
Summary	487	(1)
For Further Reading	488	(1)
Study Outline	488	(2)
Practice Quiz	490	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	490	(1)
Key Terms	491	(1)
The Presidency	492	(42)
The Constitutional Powers of the Presidency	495	(13)
The President as Head of State: Some Imperial Qualities	496	(4)
The Domestic Presidency: The President as Head of Government	500	(8)
Institutional Resources of Presidential Power	508	(6)
Patronage as a Tool of Management	508	(1)
The Cabinet	508	(1)
The White House Staff	509	(1)
The Executive Office of the President	510	(2)
The Vice Presidency	512	(1)
The First Lady	513	(1)
Political Resources of Presidential Power	514	(12)
Elections as a Resource	514	(1)
Party as a Presidential Resource	515	(3)
Groups as a Presidential Resource	518	(1)
Presidential Use of the Media	519	(2)
Public Opinion	521	(1)
Mass Popularity as a Resource (and a Liability)	522	(4)
The Presidency and Democracy	526	(3)
The Legislative Epoch, 1800-1933	527	(1)
The New Deal and the Presidency	528	(1)
A Presidential Constituency: Citizens and the President	529	(1)
Summary	530	(1)
For Further Reading	531	(1)
Study Outline	531	(1)
Practice Quiz	532	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	533	(1)
Key Terms	533	(1)
Bureaucracy in a Democracy	534	(42)
Bureaucracy and Bureaucrats	537	(11)
The Size of the Federal Service	539	(2)
Bureaucrats	541	(7)
The Organization of the Executive Branch	548	(12)
The Clientele Agencies	551	(2)
Agencies for Maintenance of the Union	553	(4)
The Regulatory Agencies	557	(1)
Agencies for Redistribution	558	(2)
Can the Bureaucracy be Reduced?	560	(3)
Termination	561	(1)
Devolution	562	(1)
Privatization	563	(1)
Can Bureaucracy Be Controlled?	563	(7)
The President as Chief Executive	564	(4)
Congress and Responsible Bureaucracy	568	(2)
Citizens and Bureaucracy	570	(2)
Summary	572	(1)
For Further Reading	573	(1)
Study Outline	573	(1)
Practice Quiz	574	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	574	(1)
Key Terms	575	(1)
The Federal Courts	576	(42)
The Legal System	579	(4)
Cases and the Law	579	(2)
Types of Courts	581	(2)
Federal Jurisdiction	583	(7)
The Lower Federal Courts	583	(1)
The Appellate Courts	584	(1)
The Supreme Court	584	(1)
How Judges are Appointed	585	(3)
Controlling the Flow of Cases	588	(2)
The Power of the Supreme Court: Judicial Review	590	(18)
Judicial Review of Acts of Congress	590	(1)
Judicial Review of State Actions	591	(1)
Judicial Review and Lawmaking	592	(2)
How Cases Reach the Supreme Court	594	(6)
The Supreme Court's Procedures	600	(5)
Explaining Supreme Court Decisions	605	(3)
Judicial Power and Politics	608	(3)
Traditional Limitations on the Federal Courts	608	(1)
Two Judicial Revolutions	609	(1)
The Judiciary: Liberty and Democracy	610	(1)
The Citizen's Role	611	(1)
Summary	612	(1)
For Further Reading	613	(1)
Study Outline	614	(1)
Practice Quiz	615	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	615	(1)
Key Terms	616	(2)
PART V Policy
Government and the Economy	618	(40)
Techniques of Control: The Tools of Making Policy	621	(10)
Promotional Techniques	623	(2)
Regulatory Techniques	625	(5)
Redistributive Techniques	630	(1)
Goals: Substantive Uses of Economic Policy	631	(19)
Policies for Public Order and Private Property	632	(1)
Making and Maintaining a National Market Economy	633	(8)
Maintaining a Capitalist Economy	641	(9)
Reflections on the Role of Government	650	(1)
The Citizen's Role: What Level of Government for Economic Policies?	651	(2)
Summary	653	(1)
For Further Reading	654	(1)
Study Outline	654	(1)
Practice Quiz	655	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	656	(1)
Key Terms	656	(2)
Social Policy	658	(40)
The Welfare State	662	(10)
The History of the Welfare System	663	(1)
Foundations of the Welfare State	664	(4)
Welfare Reform	668	(2)
How do we pay for the Welfare State?	670	(2)
Who Gets What from Social Policy?	672	(9)
The Elderly	672	(2)
The Middle Class	674	(1)
The Working Poor	675	(1)
The Nonworking Poor	676	(1)
Minorities, Women, and Children	676	(5)
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty	681	(7)
Education Policies	682	(2)
Employment and Training Programs	684	(2)
Health Policies	686	(2)
Housing Policies	688	(1)
The Welfare State and American Values	688	(3)
The Citizen's Role	691	(2)
Summary	693	(1)
For Further Reading	693	(1)
Study Outline	694	(1)
Practice Quiz	695	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	695	(1)
Key Terms	696	(2)
Foreign Policy and Democracy	698
The Players: The Makers and Shapers of Foreign Policy	701	(5)
Who Makes Foreign Policy?	701	(2)
Who Shapes Foreign Policy?	703	(2)
Putting It Together	705	(1)
The Values in American Foreign Policy	706	(4)
Legacies of the Traditional System	707	(1)
The Great Leap to World Power	708	(2)
The Instruments of Modern American Foreign Policy	710	(11)
Diplomacy	710	(1)
The United Nations	711	(1)
The International Monetary Structure	712	(2)
Economic Aid	714	(1)
Collective Security	715	(3)
Military Deterrence	718	(3)
Roles Nations Play	721	(10)
Choosing a Role	722	(2)
Foreign Policy Values for America Today	724	(7)
The Citizen's Role	731	(1)
Summary	732	(2)
For Further Reading	734	(1)
Study Outline	734	(1)
Practice Quiz	735	(1)
Critical Thinking Questions	736	(1)
Key Terms	736
Appendix	A1
The Declaration of Independence	A3
The Articles of Confederation	A6
The Constitution of the United States of America	A10
Amendments to the Constitution	A17
The Federalist Papers	A24
Presidents and Vice Presidents	A30
Immigration to the United States by Place of Origin, 1820-1989	A32
Glossary of Key Terms	A37
Endnotes	A49
Illustration Credits	A71
Answer Key for Practice Quizzes	A72
Index	A73