Annual Editions: American Government 06/07
, by Stinebrickner, BruceNote: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.
- ISBN: 9780073515991 | 007351599X
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 3/21/2006
This Thirty-Sixth edition of ANNUAL EDITIONS: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 06/07 provides convenient, inexpensive access to current articles selected from the best of the public press. Organizational features include: an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites; an annotated table of contents; a topic guide; a general introduction; brief overviews for each section; a topical index; and an instructor's resource guide with testing materials. USING ANNUAL EDITIONS IN THE CLASSROOM is offered as a practical guide for instructors. ANNUAL EDITIONS titles are supported by our student website, www.dushkin.com/online.
UNIT 1. Foundations of American Politics
Part A. Basic Documents
1. The Declaration of Independence, 1776, Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence,
This document formally announces that 13 former British colonies have become the free and independent United States of America. It eloquently identifies certain historic principles on which their claim to independence rests.
2. The Constitution of the United States, 1787, The Constitution of the U.S.,
The Constitution provides an organizational blueprint for the national government and for the federal relationship between the national government and the states. In addition, the first 10 amendments, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, spell out limits on what the government can do. A commentary accompanying the actual document provides a brief account of the writing of the Constitution and also notes some of its significant features.
3. The Size and Variety of the Union as a Check on Faction, James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 10, 1787
James Madison argues in support of the union of the 13 states under the new Constitution. According to Madison, a system of representative democracy governing a large territory and many people will help control the undesirable effects of “faction.”
4. Checks and Balances, James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 51, 1787
According to James Madison, both the separation of powers among three branches of government and the division of powers between the states and the central government will help preserve representative democracy under the new Constitution.
Part B. Contemporary Views and Values
5. Thinking About the Government, Geoffrey Nunberg, The American Prospect, May 2005
Geoffrey Nunberg discusses how, since the 1970s, Republicans and conservatives have produced successful rhetoric about “big government” and what Democrats and liberals should do in response.
6. Their Highbrow Hatred of Us, James Traub, The New York Times Magazine, October 30, 2005
James Traub reports the extent of anti-Americanism abroad, even among prominent citizens of close allies such as the United Kingdom. He also suggests what the United States might do to stem the anti-American tide.
7. The Rich and the Rest, Sam Pizzigati, The Futurist, July/August 2005
Sam Pizzigati addresses inequalities of wealth and income in the United States since the nineteenth century and the disproportionate consumption of resources by residents of wealthier countries around the world. He proposes a “Ten Times Rule” to reduce inequalities in the United States.
8. Taxing Work, Edward M. Welch, America, November 14, 2005
Edward Welch laments the tendency to shift taxes on wealth to taxes on work and argues that such a shift is contrary to Gospel values.
9. The Government Point, Jonah Goldberg, National Review, September 26, 2005
Jonah Goldberg discusses the problem of Big Government. He argues that just because it is desirable that government provide basic services such as fire protection there is no reason to expand the reach of government unnecessarily.
Part C. Constitutional and Legal Matters
10. On America’s Double Standard, Harold Hongju Koh, The American Prospect, October 2004
The author explores various facets of American exceptionalism in the areas of treaty obligations and human rights. He argues that the double standards so often practiced by the U.S. ultimately undermine universal values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
11. How To Treat a Captured Terrorist, Lee A. Casey and David B. Rivkin, Jr., National Review, July 4, 2005
On both legal and political grounds, the authors defend the Bush administration’s policy of housing unlawful combatants at Guantanamo and not extending to the Geneva Convention protections for POWs.
12. Option Four: A Compromise on Gay Marriage, Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, June 6, 2005
Ramesh Ponnuru suggests a compromise proposal relating to the gay marriage controversy: that individual states decide what government benefits gay couples receive, without according any legal standing to their relationships.
13. Hands Off Our Homes, The Economist, August 20, 2005
This selection reports the Supreme Court’s 2005 decision that enables local governments to take possession of private property more readily and describes public reaction to it.
14. Future Shock Awaiting the Court, Neil Munro, National Journal, October 8, 2005
Neil Munro explores the sorts of legal and constitutional issues that may well result from the development of new technological capacities in the foreseeable future.
UNIT 2. Structures of American Politics
Part A. The Presidency
15. George W. Bush, FDR, and History, Conrad Black, The American Spectator, April 2005
Conrad Black assesses the Bush presidency, compares it with the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, and concludes that George W. Bush is presiding over a successful and consequentialist presidency.
16. He’s Done, Laura Rozen, The American Prospect, December 2005
Laura Rozen argues that the positive impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Bush presidency is over. The Hurricane Katrina disaster, Americans’ growing doubts about the president’s rationale for going to war in Iraq, and their growing concerns about the prospects for establishing a stable regime in Iraq have all contributed to the end of the post-9/11 era of the Bush presidency.
17. Inside the Committee That Runs the World, David J. Rothkopf, Foreign Policy, March/April 2005
David Rothkopf describes the inner circles of the Bush administration’s national security policy-making group. Vice president Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld are among those discussed.
18. The Blame Game, Stephen M. Walt, Foreign Policy, November/December 2005
Stephen Walt describes who is blaming whom for what in the context of the on-going military activities in Iraq. He argues that ultimately President Bush should and will be held responsible for success or failure.
19. A Hot Line to Heaven, The Economist, December 18, 2004
This selection identifies five main ways that President Bush uses religious rhetoric and compares his use of such language to that of his predecessors.
20. Bush’s War on the Press, Eric Alterman, The Nation, May 9, 2005
Eric Alterman argues that the Bush administration has been seeking to undermine credibility of news media by secrecy, lies, and “fake news.”
Part B. Congress
21. Learning from Newt, Michael Crowley, The New Republic, January 24, 2005
Michael Crowley chronicles the tactics that Republican Newt Gingrich used to gain control of the House of Representatives for his party in 1994 and suggests that Democrats of today should try to learn from Gingrich’s success.
22. The Case for Congress, Lee H. Hamilton, The Wilson Quarterly, Spring 2004
Lee Hamilton defends Congress against a series of frequently voiced criticisms of the institution and of its individual members.
23. Being Like Bernie, John Nichols, The Nation, August 15/22, 2005
John Nichols describes the distinctive political style of Congressman Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the only socialist member of Congress.
Part C. The Judiciary
24. The Once and Future Supreme Court, David J. Garrow, American History, February 2005
David Garrow explains that the current justices of the Supreme Court differ greatly from their predecessors who served on the Court in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
25. Remote Control, Stuart Taylor, Jr., The Atlantic, September 2005
Stuart Taylor notes that today’s Supreme Court justices have different professional backgrounds than their predecessors, with the result being that contemporary justices have lost touch with the real world.
26. High Court, High Stakes, Bruce Ackerman, The American Prospect, August 2005
Bruce Ackerman argues that Justices Scalia and Thomas are neoconservative revolutionaries and that the Senate should not allow individuals like them to join the Supreme Court.
27. Ask Not, Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, August 8, 2005
Ramesh Ponnuru summarizes prevailing views about what sorts of questions may and may not be asked of Supreme Court nominees and argues that those views are flawed.
Part D. Bureaucracy
28. A New Personnel Policy: Big Plans on Back Burner, Tim Starks, CQ Weekly, October 24, 2005
Tim Starks reports that the Bush administration initiatives to overhaul personnel policies, mostly in the Department of Homeland Security, have not been implemented.
29. When Government Writes History, Ernest R. May, The New Republic, May 23, 2005
Ernest May, as historian and a consultant to the 9/11 Commission, explains how and why the 9/11 Commission’s final report was written as history, which is unusual for a government commission report.
UNIT 3. Process of American Politics
Part A. Political Parties and Voters
30. The Chieftains and the Church, Ted Halstead, The Atlantic, January/February 2004
Ted Halstead engages in what he calls “an intellectual audit” of America’s two major parties, and he arrives at an interesting distinction between the two parties that is reflected in the title of this selection.
31. Crisis of Faith, Andrew Sullivan, The New Republic, May 2 & 9, 2005
Andrew Sullivan distinguishes “conservatism of faith” and “conservatism of doubt,” two rival approaches that seem to be creating fundamental discord within the contemporary Republican party.
32. The Framing Wars, Matt Bai, The New York Times Magazine, July 17, 2005
Matt Bai focuses on the importance of how Republicans and Democrats frame their messages and suggests that in recent decades Republicans have been more adept in this crucial element of American political debate.
33. The Center No Longer Holds, Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson, The New York Times Magazine, November 20, 2005
The authors summarize conventional understandings of the importance of the median voter in explaining the behavior of Republicans and Democrats in seeking to win elections. They argue that those conventional understandings no longer seem to be operating in contemporary American politics.
34. The Grand Old Spending Party, Stephen Slivinski, USA Today, July 2005
Stephen Slivinski surveys what he calls "the Republican spending binge" that has occurred since George W. Bush became President in 2001. According to Slivinski, Republican members of Congress have also contributed to recent budgetary extravagance.
Part B. The Conduct of Elections
35. America Observed, Robert A. Pastor, The American Prospect, January 2005
Robert Pastor identifies “dysfunctional decentralization” as the central cause of problems in America’s election system and compares the various dimensions of the U.S.’s system with those of other countries.
36. Who Should Redistrict?, Dean E. Murphy, The New York Times Magazine, October 23, 2005
Dean Murphy explores the vexing question of who should draw the lines dividing state legislative and congressional districts and according to what criteria districts should be shaped.
37. A Dent That Counts, Richard Nadler, National Review, December 13, 2004
Richard Nadler reports the efforts of conservative “527 committees” to increase blacks’ and Hispanics’ support for Republican George W. Bush during the 2004 presidential election campaign and summarizes his own role in those partly successful efforts.
38. Vote or Else, Allison R. Hayward, The Weekly Standard, March 21, 2005
Allison Hayward proposes a system of mandatory voting in the United States and presents the merits of her proposal.
Part C. Interest Groups and Protests
39. Sugar Daddies, Jason Lee Steorts, National Review, July 18, 2005
Jason Steorts explains the way that the national government’s sugar loan program benefits sugar producers at the expense of American consumers. He attributes the protectionist program to the campaign contributions of the sugar lobby to politicians running for office.
40. New Heaven, New Earth, John Cochran, CQ Weekly, October 17, 2005
John Cochran reports the growing list of interests in which evangelical interest groups are becoming involved and focuses in particular on recent efforts by such groups to take up environmental causes.
41. Shorter Shrift For the Big Three, Adriel Bettelheim, CQ Weekly, November 14, 2005
Adriel Bettelheim reports that the lobbying efforts of major automakers are meeting with less success in Congress than in the past.
42. Postmodern Protests, Christina Larson, The Washington Monthly, March 2005
Christina Larson suggests that political marches and demonstrations are not judged the way they once were. Standards for evaluation have shifted from success in affecting government policies to the feeling of those who participated.
Part D. Media
43. Starting Over, Terry Eastland, The Wilson Quarterly, Spring 2005
Terry Eastland chronicles the rise and decline of traditional news media in the US and the role of so-called new media in that process. He also assesses prospects for the future of media in the United States.
44. The Media We Deserve, Mark Blitz, The Public Interest, Spring 2005
Mark Blitz analyzes the way that news media currently operate in the American political system and suggests the sort of news media that Americans deserve.
45. Essential Again, Marc Fisher, American Journalism Review, October/November 2005
Marc Fisher identifies the crucial role that traditional news media—newspapers, radio, and television—played in the immediate aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans.
46. What John Kerry Taught Us About Online Advertising, Michael Bassik, Campaigns and Elections, December 2004/January 2005
Michael Bassik describes the successful use of online advertising by presidential candidate John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign.
UNIT 4. Products of American Politics
Part A. Economic, Environmental, and Immigration Policy
47. The Tax-Cut Con, Paul Krugman, The New York Times Magazine, September 14, 2003
Paul Krugman says that a tax-cut crusade has dominated the last quarter-century of American politics. He examines the motives of those supporting that crusade and critically assesses its effects on American government both now and in the future.
48. Changing All the Rules, Bruce Barcott, The New York Times Magazine, April 4, 2004
Bruce Barcott details the working of clean air policies and regulations since the 1970 Clean Air Act and reports the big changes that the Bush administration has made in this area.
49. How to Curb Corporate Power, Ralph Nader, The Nation, October 10, 2005
Ralph Nader proposes reform legislation to rein in corporations and prevent corporate excesses. His proposal aims to ensure that companies serve the public good.
Part B. National and Homeland Security
50. Our Fractious Foreign Policy Debate, Fred Baumann, The Public Interest, Fall 2004
Fred Baumann argues that, even in the post-9/11 era, the Vietnam War continues to play a big role in contemporary American foreign policy making.
51. America’s Sticky Power, Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Policy, March/April 2004
Walter Russell Mead observes that the United States exercises more than one kind of power in the world today. He focuses on the importance of American economic might, which he calls “sticky power,” in anchoring the US’s position in global affairs.
52. Why War Is So Affordable, Murray Weidenbaum, USA Today, November 2005
Murray Weidenbaum places U.S. military spending in historical perspective and shows that the percentage of the nation’s GDP devoted to military spending has declined significantly and continuously since World War II.
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