Rent 9780534571160 | Understanding American Government | Welch, Susan; Gruhl, John; Comer, John; Rigdon, Susan M.; Ambrosius, Margery M. @knetbooks.com

Summary Table of Contents

UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN GOVERNMENT is a mainstream text that reflects a diversity point of view. Focusing on the responsiveness of government, the text helps students understand the evolution and impact of important features of government. The book is a three-time winner of the annual award given by the women's caucus of APSA for coverage of women. Written in an engaging style and offering more research citations than any book on the market, UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN GOVERNMENT is readable and scholarly. This brief version of AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, Eighth Edition, excludes the four policy chapters. Otherwise, the books are identical, and share the same supplement package.

Preface	p. xiii
About the Authors	p. xx
The American System
American Democracy	p. 2
You are There: Is Politics Futile?	p. 2
The American People	p. 5
Cultural Diversity	p. 5
Immigration and Political Cleavage	p. 7
Economic and Geographic Diversity	p. 10
Diversity and Politics	p. 11
Am... MORE	p. 12
Political Culture	p. 13
American Democracy: The Core Values	p. 14
Individual Liberty	p. 15
Political Equality	p. 16
Majority Rule	p. 17
Minority Rights	p. 17
Economic Rights	p. 17
American Democracy in Practice	p. 17
Classical Democracy	p. 18
Pluralism	p. 18
Pluralism Reconsidered	p. 19
Conclusion: Is Government Responsive?	p. 20
Epilogue: What Will You Do?	p. 21
The Constitution	p. 24
You are There: The Case of the Confidential Tapes	p. 24
The Articles of Confederation	p. 27
National Government Problems	p. 27
State Government Problems	p. 28
The Constitution	p. 29
The Constitutional Convention	p. 29
American Diversity: Founding Mothers	p. 30
Features of the Constitution	p. 33
Motives of the Founders	p. 37
American Diversity: Did the Iroquois Influence the Founders?	p. 38
Ratification of the Constitution	p. 42
Changing the Constitution	p. 42
Conclusion: Does the Constitution Allow Government to Be Responsive?	p. 46
Epilogue: The President Complies	p. 47
Federalism and the Growth of Government	p. 52
You are There: Should the President Expand Federal Lands?	p. 52
Federal and Other Systems	p. 55
Federal Systems	p. 55
Unitary Systems	p. 56
Confederal Systems	p. 56
The Political Bases of Federalism	p. 56
The Constitutional Bases of Federalism	p. 57
Major Features of the System	p. 57
Interpretations of Federalism	p. 59
Federalism and the Growth of Government	p. 60
Early Nationalist Period	p. 60
Pre--Civil War Period	p. 61
The Civil War to the New Deal	p. 62
The New Deal	p. 62
From the New Deal to the Great Society	p. 65
New Federalism	p. 65
What Government Does Right: Responding to Disasters	p. 66
The New New Federalism	p. 67
The Practice of Federalism	p. 69
Federal-State Relations	p. 69
Interstate Relations	p. 72
State-Local Relations	p. 74
Conclusion: Is Federalism Responsive?	p. 74
Epilogue: Clinton Creates a New National Monument	p. 75
Links between People and Government
Public Opinion	p. 78
You are There: Should a Pollster Make Public Details of His Polls?	p. 78
Nature of Public Opinion	p. 80
Formation of Public Opinion	p. 81
Agents of Political Socialization	p. 82
Impact of Political Socialization	p. 86
Measuring Public Opinion	p. 86
Early Polling Efforts	p. 87
Emergence of Scientific Polling	p. 88
Polls and Politics	p. 88
How Informed Is Public Opinion?	p. 91
Public Opinion	p. 92
Ideology	p. 94
Social Welfare and the Proper Role of Government	p. 95
Social Issues	p. 96
Race	p. 97
Political Tolerance	p. 99
Trust in Government	p. 100
Conclusion: Is Government Responsive to Public Opinion?	p. 102
Epilogue: Luntz Eventually Reveals Loaded Questions	p. 104
News Media	p. 108
You are There: Should You Torpedo the Admiral?	p. 108
The Media State	p. 111
Roles of the Media	p. 111
Concentration of the Media	p. 112
Atomization of the Media	p. 114
Relationship between the Media and Politicians	p. 117
Symbiotic Relationship	p. 117
Adversarial Relationship	p. 121
Relationship between the Media and Recent Administrations	p. 123
Relationship between the Media and Congress	p. 125
Relationship between the Media and the Supreme Court	p. 126
Bias of the Media	p. 126
Political Bias	p. 127
Commercial Bias	p. 131
Impact of the Media on Politics	p. 137
Impact on the Public Agenda	p. 137
Impact on Political Parties and Elections	p. 138
Impact on Public Opinion	p. 141
Conclusion: Are the Media Responsive?	p. 142
Epilogue: Evans Pursued the Story	p. 144
Interest Groups	p. 152
You are There: Do You Make More Concessions, or Do You Fight?	p. 152
Group Formation	p. 155
Why Interest Groups Form	p. 155
Why People Join	p. 156
Who Joins?	p. 156
Have Americans Stopped Joining?	p. 156
Types of Interest Groups	p. 157
Private Interest Groups	p. 157
Public Interest Groups	p. 160
Tactics of Interest Groups	p. 166
Direct Lobbying Techniques	p. 166
Indirect Lobbying Techniques	p. 169
Protest and Civil Disobedience	p. 174
Success of Interest Groups	p. 176
Resources	p. 176
Competition and Goals	p. 178
Conclusion: Do Interest Groups Help Make Government Responsive?	p. 178
Epilogue: The Tobacco Industry Fights Back	p. 180
Political Parties	p. 184
You are There: Should You Endorse George W. Bush?	p. 184
What Are Political Parties?	p. 186
Development and Change in the Party System	p. 188
Preparty Politics: The Founders' Views of Political Parties	p. 188
First Party System: Development of Parties	p. 188
Second Party System: Rise of the Democrats	p. 188
Third Party System: Rise of the Republicans	p. 189
Fourth Party System: Republican Dominance	p. 190
Fifth Party System: Democratic Dominance	p. 190
Has the Fifth Party System Realigned?	p. 191
Characteristics of the Party System	p. 193
Two Parties	p. 193
Fragmentation	p. 194
Moderation	p. 194
Minor Parties in American Politics	p. 194
Party in the Electorate	p. 196
Party Identification	p. 196
Characteristics of Democrats and Republicans	p. 197
Party in Government	p. 198
Party Organization	p. 199
National Party Organization	p. 199
State and Local Party Organizations	p. 201
Big-City Party Organizations	p. 201
The Nominating Process	p. 203
Caucuses	p. 203
Conventions	p. 203
Primaries	p. 203
Conclusion: Do Political Parties Make Government More Responsive?	p. 206
Epilogue: McClain Endorses	p. 207
Elections	p. 210
You are There: To Package or Not?	p. 210
The American Electorate	p. 213
Early Limits on Voting Rights	p. 213
Blacks and the Right to Vote	p. 213
The Voting Rights Act and the Redistricting Controversy	p. 214
American Diversity: Blacks and Hispanics in Office	p. 215
What Government Does Right: The Voting Rights Act Enfranchises Millions	p. 216
Women and the Right to Vote	p. 217
American Diversity: Women in Office	p. 219
Other Expansions of the Electorate	p. 220
Voter Turnout	p. 220
Political Activism in the Nineteenth Century	p. 220
Progressive Reforms	p. 220
Recent Turnout	p. 221
Who Does Not Vote?	p. 221
Why Turnout Is Low	p. 222
Other Campaign Participation	p. 226
Presidential Nominating Campaigns	p. 228
Who Runs for President and Why?	p. 228
How a Candidate Wins the Nomination	p. 229
American Diversity: Can an African American Be Elected President?	p. 230
Presidential Caucuses and Conventions	p. 231
Presidential Primaries	p. 232
Reforming the Nomination Process	p. 233
The National Conventions	p. 234
Independent and Third-Party Nominees	p. 237
The General Election Campaign	p. 237
Campaign Organization	p. 237
Images and Issues	p. 237
The Electoral College	p. 238
Campaign Strategies	p. 238
The Media Campaign	p. 241
Campaign Funding	p. 244
The Permanent Campaign	p. 244
Voting	p. 245
Party Loyalties	p. 245
Candidate Evaluations	p. 246
Issues	p. 247
Parties, Candidates, and Issues	p. 249
Conclusion: Do Elections Make Government Responsive?	p. 249
Epilogue: The Package Works	p. 250
Money and Politics	p. 254
You are There: To Accept or Not?	p. 254
The Development of Laws to Regulate Money and Politics	p. 256
Money in Nineteenth-Century American Politics	p. 257
Early Reforms	p. 257
The Role of Money in Election Campaigns	p. 258
Campaign Finance Laws	p. 258
Failures of the Campaign Finance Laws	p. 259
Sources of Campaign Funds	p. 263
The Impact of Campaign Money	p. 267
Does the Campaign Finance System Deter Good Candidates?	p. 267
Does Money Win Elections?	p. 267
Does Money Buy Favorable Policies?	p. 268
Campaign Money and Public Cynicism	p. 272
Conflicts of Interest	p. 273
Conclusion: Does the Influence of Money Make Government Less Responsive?	p. 275
Epilogue: Feingold Limits Campaign Donations	p. 277
Institutions
Congress	p. 280
You Are There: Should You Risk Your Career?	p. 280
Members and Constituencies	p. 283
Members	p. 283
Constituencies	p. 285
Congressional Campaigns and Elections	p. 286
The Advantages of Incumbency	p. 286
American Diversity: Women in Congress	p. 288
Unsafe at Any Margin?	p. 290
Challengers	p. 291
Campaigns	p. 292
Voting for Congress	p. 293
The Representative on the Job	p. 293
Informal Norms	p. 293
Working Privately and "Going Public"	p. 294
Voting by Members	p. 295
What Government Does Right: The GI Bill of Rights	p. 296
How Congress Is Organized	p. 299
How Congressional Organization Evolved	p. 299
Contemporary Leadership Positions	p. 300
Committees	p. 303
American Diversity: Minority Power in Congress	p. 306
Staff	p. 308
What Congress Does	p. 309
Lawmaking	p. 309
Overseeing the Federal Bureaucracy	p. 312
Budget Making	p. 313
Congress and the Public	p. 315
Conclusion: Is Congress Responsive?	p. 318
Epilogue: Margolies-Mezvinsky Supports the President and Loses Her Job	p. 319
The Presidency	p. 324
You are There: Stand by Your Man?	p. 324
The Growth of the Presidency	p. 327
Terms of Office	p. 328
Qualifications	p. 328
Rewards	p. 328
Tenure	p. 330
Succession	p. 330
Duties and Powers of Office	p. 332
Chief Executive	p. 332
Head of State	p. 335
Chief Diplomat	p. 336
Commander in Chief	p. 336
Presidential Staff and Advisors	p. 338
The Executive Office of the President	p. 339
The White House Office	p. 339
Office of the Vice President	p. 341
The President and the People	p. 345
The Personal Presidency	p. 345
Persuading the Public	p. 346
Public Opinion and Effectiveness in Office	p. 349
The President and Congress	p. 350
Party Leadership	p. 350
Divided Government	p. 351
Legislative Leadership	p. 353
Foreign Policy and Military Leadership	p. 355
Limits on Presidential Power	p. 357
What Makes an Effective President?	p. 360
Conclusion: Is the Presidency Responsive?	p. 362
Epilogue: "Every Step of the Way"	p. 362
The Bureaucracy	p. 366
You are There: Attacking AIDS	p. 366
Bureaucracy	p. 369
Nature of Bureaucracy	p. 369
Public and Private Bureaucracies	p. 369
Federal Bureaucracy	p. 372
Growth of the Bureaucracy	p. 372
Why the Bureaucracy Has Grown	p. 373
American Diversity: Women and Minorities in the Civil Service	p. 374
Types of Bureaucracy	p. 376
Bureaucratic Functions	p. 379
Making Policy	p. 379
Administering Policy	p. 384
Other Functions	p. 384
Expectations about the Federal Bureaucracy	p. 385
Responsiveness	p. 385
Neutral Competence	p. 385
Controlling the Bureaucracy	p. 388
President	p. 388
Congress	p. 389
Courts	p. 390
Interest Groups and Individuals	p. 390
Conclusion: Is the Bureaucracy Responsive?	p. 392
Epilogue: The Surgeon General Chooses Neutral Competence	p. 393
The Judiciary	p. 396
You are There: Is the President Immune?	p. 396
Development of the Courts' Role in Government	p. 398
Founding to the Civil War	p. 399
Civil War to the Depression	p. 402
Depression to the Present	p. 403
The Next Era	p. 405
Courts	p. 405
Structure of the Courts	p. 405
Jurisdiction of the Courts	p. 406
Judges	p. 407
Selection of Judges	p. 407
American Diversity: Do Women Judges Make a Difference?	p. 409
Tenure of Judges	p. 411
Qualifications of Judges	p. 412
Independence of Judges	p. 412
Access to the Courts	p. 412
Wealth Discrimination in Access	p. 413
Interest Group Help in Access	p. 413
Restrictions on Access	p. 414
Proceeding through the Courts	p. 414
Deciding Cases	p. 414
Interpreting Statutes	p. 414
Interpreting the Constitution	p. 416
Restraint and Activism	p. 417
Following Precedents	p. 418
Making Law	p. 418
Deciding Cases at the Supreme Court	p. 419
The Power of the Courts	p. 421
Use of Judicial Review	p. 421
What Government Does Right: The Justices Do Their Own Work	p. 422
Use of Political Checks against the Courts	p. 423
Conclusion: Are the Courts Responsive?	p. 425
Epilogue: The Court Allows the President to Be Sued and the Government to Be Disrupted	p. 426
Civil Liberties and Rights
Civil Liberties	p. 432
You Are There: Does Religious Liberty Include Animal Sacrifice?	p. 432
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights	p. 434
Individual Rights in the Constitution	p. 434
The Bill of Rights	p. 435
Freedom of Expression	p. 435
Freedom of Speech	p. 436
Freedom of the Press	p. 443
Libel and Obscenity	p. 445
Freedom of Religion	p. 447
Rights of Criminal Defendants	p. 455
Search and Seizure	p. 455
Self-Incrimination	p. 456
Counsel	p. 457
Jury Trial	p. 458
Cruel and Unusual Punishment	p. 459
Rights in Theory and in Practice	p. 460
Right to Privacy	p. 461
Birth Control	p. 461
Abortion	p. 461
Homosexuality	p. 465
Right to Die	p. 466
Conclusion: Are the Courts Responsive in Interpreting Civil Liberties?	p. 468
Epilogue: The First Amendment Protects Animal Sacrifice	p. 468
Civil Rights	p. 474
You Are There: Compromise or Continue to Fight?	p. 474
Race Discrimination	p. 477
Discrimination against African Americans	p. 477
American Diversity: Black Masters	p. 478
Overcoming Discrimination against African Americans	p. 481
Continuing Discrimination against African Americans	p. 490
Improving Conditions for African Americans?	p. 497
Discrimination against Hispanics	p. 499
Discrimination against Native Americans	p. 502
Sex Discrimination	p. 505
Discrimination against Women	p. 505
Discrimination against Men	p. 513
Affirmative Action	p. 513
Conclusion: Is Government Responsive in Granting Civil Rights?	p. 517
Epilogue: Hamer Continues to Fight	p. 518
The Declaration of Independence	p. 526
Constitution of the United States of America	p. 528
Federalist Paper 10	p. 538
Federalist Paper 51	p. 541
Glossary	p. 543
Spanish Equivalents for Important Political Terms	p. 553
Name Index	p. 557
Subject Index	p. 560
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