American Government

Acclaimed for the scholarship of its prominent authors and the clarity of its narrative,American Governmentsets the standard for public policy coverage while maintaining focus on three fundamental topics: the institutions of American government; the historical development of governmental procedures, actors, and policies; and who governs in the US and to what end. TheEssentialsversion maintains the structure of the main text but replaces the policy chapters with one brief chapter on the policymaking process. This thoroughly updated edition reflects both foreign and domestic events that currently affect US politics--including a discussion of the effects of 9/11 on American foreign policy and national security--combined with the latest scholarship in the field. Coverage of the most recent domestic issues includes the 2004 term Congressional elections, the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, and the George W. Bush presidency. Enhanced coverage of the process of government, such as the workings of Congress and the implementation of law. To augment the chapter summary and help students synthesize and think critically about what they learn,Revisiting the Enduring Questionsappear at the end of each chapter as mini-essays and expand on the classic questions about democracy posed at the beginning of the chapter. Suggested web links help students research US politics.

The American System
The Study of American Government What Is Political Power? What Is Democracy? Direct Versus Representative Democracy: Which Is Best? How Is Power Distributed in a Democracy? Political Change Finding Out Who Governs
The Constitution The Problem of Liberty The Constitutional Convention The Challenge The Constitution and Democracy The Constitution and Liberty The Motives of the Framers Constitutional Reform: Modern Views
Federalism Governmental Structure The Founding The Debate on the Meaning of Federalism Federal-State Relations Federal Aid and Federal Control A Devolution Revolution? Congress and Federalism
American Political Culture Political Culture Comparing America with Other Nations The Sources of Political Culture Mistrust of Government Political Efficacy Political Tolerance
Opinions, Interests, and Organizations
Public Opinion What Is Public Opinion? The Origins of Political Attitudes Cleavages in Public Opinion Political Ideology Political Elites, Public Opinion, and Public Policy
Political Participation A Closer Look at Nonvoting The Rise of the American Electorate Who Participates in Politics?
Political Parties Parties--Here and Abroad The Rise and Decline of the Political Party The National Party Structure Today State and Local Parties The Two-Party System Minor Parties Nominating a President Parties Versus Voters
Elections and Campaigns Presidential Versus Congressional Campaigns Primary Versus General Campaigns Money What Decides the Election? The Effects of Elections on Policy
Interest Groups Explaining Proliferation The Birth of Interest Groups Kinds of Organizations Interest Groups and Social Movements Funds for Interest Groups The Problem of Bias The Activities of Interest Groups Regulating Interest Groups
The Media Journalism in American Political History The Structure of the Media Rules Governing the Media The Effects of the Media on Politics Government and the News Interpreting Political News
Institutions of Government
Congress Congress Versus Parliament The Evolution of Congress Who Is in Congress? Do Members Represent Their Voters? Ideology and Civility in Congress The Organization of Congress: Parties and Caucuses The Organization of Congress: Committees The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices How a Bill Becomes Law Reducing Powers and Perks Ethics and Congress
The Presidency Presidents and Prime Ministers Divided Government The Evolution of the Presidency The Powers of the President The Office of the President Who Gets Appointed Presidential Character The Power to Persuade The Power to Say No The President's Program Presidential Transition How Powerful Is the President?
The Bureaucracy Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy The Growth of the Bureaucracy The Federal Bureaucracy Today Congressional Oversight Bureaucratic "Pathologies" Reforming the Bureaucracy
The Judiciary The Development of the Federal Courts The Structure of the Federal Courts The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts Getting to Court The Supreme Court in Action The Power of the Federal Courts Checks on Judicial Power
The Politics of Public Policy
The Policy-Making Process Setting the Agenda Making a Decision Majoritarian Politics: Distributed Benefits, Distributed Costs Interest Group Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Concentrated Costs Client Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Distributed Costs Entrepreneurial Politics: Distributed Benefits, Concentrated Costs The Case of Business Regulation Perceptions, Beliefs, Interests, and Values
Economic Policy The Politics of Economic Prosperity The Politics of Taxing and Spending Economic Theories and Political Needs The Machinery of Economic Policy Making Spending Money The Budget Reducing Spending Levying Taxes
Social Welfare Social Welfare in the United States Two Kinds of Welfare Politics
Civil Liberties Politics, Culture, and Civil Liberties Interpreting and Applying the First Amendment What Is Speech? Who Is a Person? Church and State Crime and Due Process
Civil Rights The Black Predicament The Campaign in the Courts The Campaign in Congress Racial Profiling Women and Equal Rights Affirmative Action Gays and the Supreme Court
Foreign and Military Policy Kinds of Foreign Policy The Constitutional and Legal Context The Machinery of Foreign Policy Foreign Policy and Public Opinion Cleavages Among Foreign Policy Elites The Use of Military Force The Defense Budget The Structure of Defense Decision-Making Spending for the War on Terrorism
Environmental Policy The American Context Entrepreneurial Politics: Global Warming Majoritarian Politics: Pollution from Automobiles Interest Group Politics: Acid Rain Client Politics: Agricultural Pesticides The Environmental Uncertainties The Results
The Nature of American Democracy
Who Governs? To What Ends? Restraints on the Growth of Government Relaxing the Restraints The New System Consequences of Activist Government The Influence of Structure The Influence of Ideas
Appendix
The Declaration of Independence The Constitution of the United States The Federalist No. 10 The Federalist No. 51 Presidents and Congresses, 1789–2002
Glossary
Notes
Index Credits
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