Rent 9780205746729 | American and Texas Government : Policy and Politics

Summary Table of Contents

Known for the extremely student-friendly, jargon-free style of the two books from which it was made, the new American and Texas Government: Policy and Politicsintroduces the essentials of American and Texas government in a way that any student can understand. Neal Tannahillrs"sAmerican GovernmentandTexas Governmentare offered together in one comprehensive and accessible text. This new version features the same public policy emphasis that shows students the impact that government has on their lives, and offers the wealth of useful study aids and... MORE

To the Instructor	p. xvii
To the Student	p. xxiii
American Government
Introduction Government, Politics, and the Policymaking Process	p. 1
Learning Outcomes	p. 1
The Importance of Government	p. 2
Government and Politics	p. 3
The Public Policy Approach	p. 5
Getting Involved: Government and You	p. 9
A Changing... MORE America in a Changing World	p. 13
Learning Outcomes	p. 13
Political Culture	p. 15
The International Environment	p. 17
The Demographic Environment	p. 18
Global Perspective: Immigration Policy and Politics in France	p. 22
The Economic Environment	p. 23
Conclusion: The Cultural, International, and Socioeconomic Context for Policymaking	p. 27
Getting Involved: A Changing Nation, Changing Communities	p. 28
The American Constitution	p. 33
Learning Outcomes	p. 33
The Background of the Constitution	p. 35
Constitutional Principles	p. 40
The Living Constitution	p. 47
Global Perspective: The British Parliamentary System	p. 49
The Constitution, Politics, and Public Policy	p. 52
Conclusion: The Constitutional Environment for Policymaking	p. 54
Getting Involved: Service Learning	p. 55
The Federal System	p. 59
Learning Outcomes	p. 59
The Constitutional Basis of Federalism	p. 61
Federal Grant Programs	p. 70
Global Perspective: Education Policy and Federalism in Germany	p. 73
Conclusion: Federalism and Public Policy	p. 75
Getting Involved: Federal Programs and You	p. 77
Public Opinion	p. 81
Learning Outcomes	p. 81
Political Socialization	p. 83
Measuring Public Opinion	p. 89
Political Knowledge	p. 94
Support for Democratic Principles	p. 95
Global Perspective: Civil Unions in Denmark	p. 98
Political Trust and Political Legitimacy	p. 99
Political Efficacy	p. 99
Political Philosophy	p. 100
Conclusion: Public Opinion and Public Policy	p. 106
Getting Involved: Family Politics	p. 107
Political Participation	p. 113
Learning Outcomes	p. 113
Forms of Participation	p. 114
Explaining Participation	p. 116
Patterns of Participation	p. 117
Nonvoters	p. 120
Trends in Voter Turnout	p. 121
Participation Rates in Comparative Perspective	p. 121
Increasing Voter Turnout	p. 123
Global Perspective: Compulsory Voting in Australia	p. 124
Participation Bias	p. 125
Conclusion: Political Participation and Public Policy	p. 127
Getting Involved: Registering to Vote	p. 128
The Media	p. 133
Learning Outcomes	p. 133
The Media Landscape	p. 135
Global Perspective: Government Control of the Media in Cuba	p. 137
Government Regulation of the News Media	p. 137
Covering the News	p. 141
Media Biases	p. 144
Conclusion: The Media and Public Policy	p. 145
Getting Involved: Favorite News and Information Links	p. 146
Interest Groups	p. 149
Learning Outcomes	p. 149
Why People Join Groups	p. 151
Types of Interest Groups	p. 152
Global Perspective: Church and State in Mexico	p. 156
Interest Group Tactics	p. 160
Getting Involved: Participating in a Student Group	p. 167
The Strength of Interest Groups	p. 168
Conclusion: Interest Groups and Public Policy	p. 170
Political Parties	p. 175
Learning Outcomes	p. 175
The Party System	p. 176
Global Perspective: The Israeli Party System	p. 178
Party Organization	p. 179
Political Cycles and Party Realignment	p. 182
The Party Balance: Democrats, Republicans, and Independents	p. 183
Voting Patterns	p. 184
Issues Orientation	p. 189
Divided Government	p. 192
Conclusion: Political Parties and Public Policy	p. 195
Getting Involved: Party Politics at the Grassroots	p. 196
Elections	p. 199
Learning Outcomes	p. 199
Types of Elections	p. 200
Election Districts and Redistricting	p. 202
Election Campaigns	p. 206
Congressional Elections	p. 213
Global Perspective: Legislative Elections in Brazil	p. 215
Presidential Elections	p. 216
The Voters Decide	p. 236
Conclusion: Elections and Public Policy	p. 237
Getting Involved: In-Person Politics	p. 238
Congress	p. 245
Learning Outcomes	p. 245
Bicameralism	p. 247
Membership	p. 248
Organization	p. 254
Global Perspective: The Indian Parliament	p. 259
The Legislative Process	p. 261
Getting Involved: Sending E-Mail to Your U.S. Representative	p. 273
Conclusion: Congress and Public Policy	p. 273
The Presidency	p. 277
Learning Outcomes	p. 277
The Constitutional Presidency	p. 279
Presidential Powers	p. 286
Two Presidencies Thesis	p. 293
The Development of the Modern Presidency	p. 293
The Organization of the Presidency	p. 295
Global Perspective: The Russian Presidency	p. 298
Theories of Presidential Leadership	p. 300
Presidential Popularity	p. 304
The Presidency in Context	p. 306
Getting Involved: Why Do They Run?	p. 307
Conclusion: The Presidency and Public Policy	p. 308
The Federal Bureaucracy	p. 313
Learning Outcomes	p. 313
Organization of the Bureaucracy	p. 315
Personnel	p. 321
Rulemaking	p. 324
Politics and Administration	p. 325
Global Perspective: The Egyptian Bureaucracy	p. 330
Subgovernments and Issue Networks	p. 331
Conclusion: The Federal Bureaucracy and Public Policy	p. 333
Getting Involved: Working for Uncle Sam	p. 334
The Federal Courts	p. 339
Learning Outcomes	p. 339
Judicial Policymaking	p. 340
Political History of the Supreme Court	p. 341
The Federal Court System	p. 345
Global Perspective: Islamic Law in Nigeria	p. 356
Power, Politics, and the Courts	p. 360
Conclusion: The Courts and Public Policy	p. 362
Getting Involved: A Day in Court	p. 363
Economic Policymaking	p. 367
Learning Outcomes	p. 367
The Goals of Economic Policy	p. 369
Global Perspective: Healthcare in Canada	p. 373
Tax Revenues	p. 374
Budget Deficits and Surpluses	p. 381
Government Expenditures	p. 383
Fiscal Policymaking	p. 391
Monetary Policymaking	p. 393
Conclusion: Economic Policymaking	p. 393
Getting Involved: Tax Breaks for College Students	p. 397
Civil Liberties Policymaking	p. 401
Learning Outcomes	p. 401
The Constitutional Basis of Civil Liberaties Policymaking	p. 403
Civil Liberties Issues and Policies	p. 405
Global Perspective: Population Policy in China	p. 406
Getting Involved: Talking About Miranda	p. 425
Conclusion: Civil Liberties Policymaking	p. 426
Civil Rights Policymaking	p. 431
Learning Outcomes	p. 431
The Constitutional Basis of Civil Rights Policymaking	p. 432
Civil Rights Issues and Policies	p. 433
Global Perspective: Women's Rights in Saudi Arabia	p. 441
Getting Involved: Voices from the Past	p. 453
Conclusion: Civil Rights Policymaking	p. 453
Foreign and Defense Policymaking	p. 461
Learning Outcomes	p. 461
The International Community	p. 464
The Ends and Means of American Foreign and Defense Policy	p. 466
The History of American Foreign Policy	p. 470
Foreign Policy	p. 478
Defense Policy	p. 480
Global Perspective: Nuclear Weapons in Pakistan	p. 482
Conclusion: Foreign and Defense Policymaking	p. 484
Getting Involved: America in the Eyes of the World	p. 485
Texas Government
The People, Economy, and Political Culture of Texas	p. 493
Learning Outcomes	p. 493
The People of Texas	p. 494
Internet Research: Foreign-Born Residents	p. 498
The Texas Economy	p. 499
Political Culture	p. 504
National Perspective: Legal Prostitution in Nevada	p. 505
Getting Involved: Volunteering	p. 507
Conclusion: The Socioeconomic Context of Policymaking	p. 507
Let's Debate: Is Illegal Immigration Good or Bad for Texas?	p. 508
The Texas Constitution	p. 513
Learning Outcomes	p. 513
State Constitutions	p. 515
Getting Involved: Joining a Student Club or Organization	p. 516
Background of the Texas Constitution	p. 518
Constitutional Convention of 1875	p. 520
Overview of the Texas Constitution	p. 522
Internet Research: The Freedom of Worship Provision of the Texas Constitution	p. 523
Constitutional Change	p. 524
National Perspective: Gay Marriage in Massachusetts	p. 530
Individual Rights and the Texas Constitution	p. 531
Conclusion: The Constitutional Context of Policymaking in Texas	p. 532
Let's Debate: Gay Marriage	p. 533
The Federal Context of Texas Policymaking	p. 537
Learning Outcomes	p. 537
Role of the States in the Federal System	p. 538
National Perspective: Drilling for Oil in Alaska	p. 540
States, the Courts, and the Constitution	p. 541
Prison Overcrowding	p. 542
Getting Involved: Contacting Your Representative in Washington, DC	p. 543
States and Federal Law	p. 544
Federal Grant Programs	p. 547
Conclusion: The Federal System and the Policy Process	p. 553
Internet Research: Profile of a Grant	p. 554
Let's Debate: Does Texas Law Restrict Access to Abortion Too Much or Not Enough?	p. 555
Political Participation in Texas	p. 559
Learning Outcomes	p. 559
Voting Rights and Minority Participation	p. 560
Participation in Texas Politics	p. 564
National Perspective: Mail Voting in Oregon	p. 569
Internet Research: Tracking Election Turnout	p. 573
Conclusion: Participation and Policymaking	p. 574
Getting Involved: Become a Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar	p. 576
Let's Debate: Would the Adoption of the Initiative Process Enhance the Quality of Democracy in the State?	p. 577
Interest Groups in Texas	p. 581
Learning Outcomes	p. 581
Interest Groups in Texas Politics	p. 583
Internet Research: Profile of an Interest Group	p. 588
Getting Involved: Joining a Group	p. 591
Interest Group Tactics	p. 593
National Perspective: Campaign Contribution Limits in Minnesota	p. 596
Conclusion: Interest Groups and Policymaking	p. 599
Let's Debate: Would Public Funding of Elections Enhance the Quality of Democracy in the State?	p. 603
Political Parties in Texas	p. 607
Learning Outcomes	p. 607
The Party System	p. 608
National Perspective: Minor Parties in New York	p. 609
Party Organization	p. 610
History of the Texas Party System	p. 613
Internet Research: Political Parties in Texas	p. 614
The Party Balance	p. 617
Voting Patterns	p. 619
Interest Group-Political Party Alliances	p. 620
Issue Orientation	p. 621
The Impact of Partisan Change	p. 625
Getting Involved: Volunteer to Support Your Political Party	p. 626
The Future of Party Politics in Texas	p. 627
Conclusion: Political Parties and Policymaking	p. 629
Let's Debate: Do Religious Conservatives Have Too Much Influence in the Texas Republican Party?	p. 630
Texas Elections	p. 633
Learning Outcomes	p. 633
The Long Ballot	p. 635
Types of Elections	p. 636
National Perspective: The Open Primary in Louisiana	p. 641
Election Districts	p. 643
Redistricting	p. 643
Internet Research: Legislative Districts and State House Elections	p. 650
Money	p. 651
Campaigns	p. 654
The Voters Decide	p. 656
Getting Involved: Campaigning	p. 659
Conclusion: Elections and Policymaking	p. 659
Let's Debate: Should a Nonpartisan Commission, Rather Than the Legislature, Draw Legislative District Boundaries?	p. 661
The Texas Legislature	p. 665
Learning Outcomes	p. 665
Structure	p. 667
Membership	p. 671
National Perspective: Repealing Term Limits in Idaho	p. 675
Organization	p. 676
The Legislative Process	p. 679
Internet Research: Tracking Legislation Online	p. 684
Legislative Policymaking	p. 685
Getting Involved: Contacting Your State Legislators	p. 690
Conclusion: The Legislature and the Policymaking Process	p. 690
Let's Debate: Should the Texas Legislature Meet in Regular Session Every Year?	p. 692
The Executive Branch in Texas	p. 695
Learning Outcomes	p. 695
The Governor	p. 697
Getting Involved: Forming a Study Group	p. 699
The Executive Bureaucracy	p. 709
Internet Research: Profile of a State Agency	p. 713
National Perspective: California Addresses Global Warming	p. 718
Administrative Oversight	p. 720
Conclusion: The Executive Branch and the Policymaking Process	p. 722
Let's Debate: Should Texas Have a Cabinet System Rather Than the Plural Executive?	p. 724
The Judicial Branch in Texas	p. 727
Learning Outcomes	p. 727
Types of Legal Disputes	p. 728
Court Procedures	p. 730
The Texas Court System	p. 732
Internet Research: Shirley Neeley v. West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District	p. 738
Judges	p. 739
Judicial Selection	p. 740
National Perspective: Drug Courts in Florida	p. 747
Conclusion: The Judicial Branch and the Policymaking Process	p. 748
Getting Involved: Volunteer to Become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate	p. 749
Let's Debate: Should State Judges Be Elected or Appointed?	p. 751
City Government in Texas	p. 755
Learning Outcomes	p. 755
Legal Status of Texas Cities	p. 757
Forms of City Government	p. 759
Election Systems	p. 764
National Perspective: Municipal Elections in New York City	p. 766
Public Policies in Texas Cities	p. 768
Internet Research: Profile of a City Government	p. 769
Getting Involved: Contacting City Officials	p. 779
City Politics in Texas	p. 779
Conclusion: City Government and Policymaking	p. 782
Let's Debate: Should Cities Use Tax Money to Build Sports Stadiums?	p. 782
Texas Counties, School Districts, and Special Districts	p. 787
Learning Outcomes	p. 787
County Government	p. 789
School Districts	p. 800
Internet Research: Comparing School Districts	p. 806
Getting Involved: Helping a Child Learn	p. 808
National Perspective: School Choice in Cleveland, Ohio	p. 809
Special Districts	p. 811
Conclusion: Local Government and Public Policy	p. 814
Let's Debate: Do Basic Skills Tests, Such as Taas and Taks, Help or Harm Public Education?	p. 816
State Budget Policy in Texas	p. 819
Learning Outcomes	p. 819
Revenues	p. 820
Expenditures	p. 833
National Perspective: Universal Healthcare in Massachusetts	p. 836
Getting Involved: Appealing a Property Appraisal	p. 842
The Budget Process	p. 844
Internet Research: The Texas Sales Tax	p. 848
Conclusion: Budgetary Policymaking	p. 849
Let's Debate: Is the Texas Tax System Fair or Unfair?	p. 853
	p. 859
Learning Outcomes	p. 859
Crime Statistics	p. 860
Criminal Prosecution Process	p. 864
Capital Punishment	p. 869
National Perspective: Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Criminals in Kansas	p. 871
Juvenile Justice	p. 872
Corrections	p. 873
Conclusion: Criminal Justice Policymaking	p. 877
Let's Debate: Offender and Ex-Offender Voting Rights	p. 878
Appendix	p. 883
Glossary	p. 907
Photo Credits	p. 925
Index	p. 926
Practice Test	PT-1
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