Rent 9780073403861 | We the People : A Concise Introduction to American Politics

Summary Table of Contents

This concise yet comprehensive book provides a positive, lively, future-oriented narrative introduction to American government and politics. "We the People" presents material with a currency and relevancy that captures the vivid world of real-life politics. In addition, the text challenges readers to think critically; by giving contextual understanding of major concepts and issues, it encourages them to think about the implications for society and themselves. "We the People" delves deeper into the basics than most brief books, and each of the 1... MORE

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Preface	p. XV
American Political Culture: Seeking a More Perfect Union	p. 1
Political Culture: The Core Principles of American Government	p. 3
America's Core Values: Liberty, Equality, and Self-Government	p. 6
Politics: The Resolution of Conflict	p. 17
Political Power: The Control of Policy	p. 23
The Concept of a Political System and This Book's Organization	p. 31
Summary	p. 33
Key Terms	p. 34
Suggested Readings	p. 34
List of Websites	p. 35
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 35
Additional Resources	p. 35
What We Love about America	p. R1-1
Constitutional Democracy: Promoting Liberty and Self-Government	p. 37
Before the Constitution: The Colonial and Revolutionary Experiences	p. 39
Negotiating Toward a Constitution	p. 45
Protecting Liberty: Limited Government	p. 51
Providing for Self-Government	p. 61
Constitutional Democracy Today	p. 69
Summary	p. 70
Key Terms	p. 71
Suggested Readings	p. 71
List of Websites	p. 72
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 72
Additional Resources	p. 72
The Mischiefs of Faction	p. R2-1
Federalism: Forging a Nation	p. 73
Federalism: National and State Sovereignty	p. 76
Federalism in Historical Perspective	p. 84
Federalism Today	p. 95
The Public's Influence: Setting the Boundaries of Federal-State Power	p. 105
Summary	p. 106
Key Terms	p. 107
Suggested Readings	p. 107
List of Websites	p. 108
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 108
Additional Resources	p. 108
The National Idea in American Politics	p. R3-1
Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights	p. 109
Freedom of Expression	p. 113
Freedom of Religion	p. 124
The Right of Privacy	p. 129
Rights of Persons Accused of Crimes	p. 132
Rights and the War on Terrorism	p. 144
The Courts and a Free Society	p. 147
Summary	p. 148
Key Terms	p. 149
Suggested Readings	p. 149
List of Websites	p. 150
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 150
Additional Resources	p. 150
A Constitutional Amendment to Ban Flag Burning	p. R4-1
Equal Rights: Struggling Toward Fairness	p. 151
The Struggle for Equality	p. 153
Equality Under the Law	p. 172
Equality of Result	p. 178
Persistent Discrimination: Superficial Differences, Deep Divisions	p. 186
Summary	p. 188
Key Terms	p. 189
Suggested Readings	p. 189
List of Websites	p. 190
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 190
Additional Resources	p. 190
Letter from Birmingham Jail	p. R5-1
Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People's Voice	p. 191
The Nature of Public Opinion	p. 193
Political Socialization: How Americans Learn Their Politics	p. 200
Frames of Reference: How Americans Think Politically	p. 205
The Influence of Public Opinion on Policy	p. 218
Summary	p. 220
Key Terms	p. 221
Suggested Readings	p. 221
List of Websites	p. 222
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 222
Additional Resources	p. 222
The Iraq Syndrome	p. R6-1
Political Participation and Voting: Expressing the Popular Will	p. 223
Voter Participation	p. 224
Conventional Forms of Participation Other Than Voting	p. 236
Unconventional Activism: Social Movements and Protest Politics	p. 242
Participation and the Potential for Influence	p. 245
Summary	p. 248
Key Terms	p. 249
Suggested Readings	p. 249
List of Websites	p. 250
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 250
Additional Resources	p. 250
Voter Participation and Electoral Competition	p. R7-1
Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter's Choice	p. 251
Party Competition and Majority Rule: The History of U.S. Parties	p. 253
Electoral and Party Systems	p. 262
Party Organizations	p. 271
The Candidate-Centered Campaign	p. 280
Parties, Candidates, and the Public's Influence	p. 286
Summary	p. 289
Key Terms	p. 290
Suggested Readings	p. 290
List of Websites	p. 291
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 291
Additional Resources	p. 291
GOP Has Lock on South, and Democrats Can't Find Key	p. R8-1
Interest Groups: Organizing for Influence	p. 293
The Interest-Group System	p. 297
Inside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Through Official Contacts	p. 307
Outside Lobbying: Seeking Influence Through Public Pressure	p. 314
The Group System: Indispensable but Biased	p. 319
Summary	p. 323
Key Terms	p. 324
Suggested Readings	p. 324
List of Websites	p. 325
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 325
Additional Resources	p. 325
The Lobbying Game Today	p. R9-1
The News Media: Communicating Political Images	p. 327
Historical Development: From Partisanship to Objective Journalism	p. 330
The Politics of America's News Media	p. 333
The News Media as Link: Roles the Press Can and Cannot Perform	p. 345
Organizing the Public in the Media Age	p. 354
Summary	p. 355
Key Terms	p. 356
Suggested Readings	p. 356
List of Websites	p. 356
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 357
Additional Resources	p. 357
To Publish, or Not to Publish	p. R10-1
Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests	p. 359
Congress as a Career: Election to Congress	p. 361
Congressional Leadership	p. 372
The Committee System	p. 383
How a Bill Becomes Law	p. 386
Congress's Policymaking Role	p. 392
Congress: Too Much Pluralism?	p. 401
Summary	p. 402
Key Terms	p. 403
Suggested Readings	p. 404
List of Websites	p. 404
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 405
Additional Resources	p. 405
Running for Congress, Staying in Congress	p. R11-1
The Presidency: Leading the Nation	p. 407
Foundations of the Modern Presidency	p. 410
Choosing the President	p. 417
Staffing the Presidency	p. 428
Factors in Presidential Leadership	p. 433
Summary	p. 446
Key Terms	p. 447
Suggested Readings	p. 447
List of Websites	p. 448
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 448
Additional Resources	p. 448
Presidential Power	p. R12-1
The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government	p. 449
Federal Administration: Form, Personnel, and Activities	p. 451
Development of the Federal Bureaucracy: Politics and Administration	p. 460
The Bureaucracy's Power Imperative	p. 465
Bureaucratic Accountability	p. 469
Reinventing Government?	p. 479
Summary	p. 482
Key Terms	p. 483
Suggested Readings	p. 484
List of Websites	p. 484
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 485
Additional Resources	p. 485
Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Unprepared	p. R13-1
The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law	p. 487
The Federal Judicial System	p. 489
Federal Court Appointees	p. 499
The Nature of Judicial Decision Making	p. 503
Political Influences on Judicial Decisions	p. 507
Judicial Power and Democratic Government	p. 513
Summary	p. 523
Key Terms	p. 524
Suggested Readings	p. 524
List of Websites	p. 525
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 525
Additional Resources	p. 526
Judicial Interpretation	p. R14-1
Economic and Environmental Policy: Contributing to Prosperity	p. 527
The Public Policy Process	p. 529
Government as Regulator of the Economy	p. 534
Government as Protector of the Environment	p. 543
Government as Promoter of Economic Interests	p. 551
Fiscal Policy: Government as Manager of the Economy, I	p. 553
Monetary Policy: Government as Manager of Economy, II	p. 564
Summary	p. 569
Key Terms	p. 570
Suggested Readings	p. 570
List of Websites	p. 571
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 571
Additional Resources	p. 572
Global Warming	p. R15-1
Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for Personal Security and Need	p. 573
Poverty in America: The Nature of the Problem	p. 576
The Politics and Policies of Social Welfare	p. 580
Education as Equality of Opportunity	p. 593
The American Way of Promoting the General Welfare	p. 601
Summary	p. 602
Key Terms	p. 603
Suggested Readings	p. 603
List of Websites	p. 604
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 604
Additional Resources	p. 604
Welfare Reform	p. R16-1
Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting the American Way	p. 605
The Roots of U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy	p. 607
The Military Dimension of National Security Policy	p. 617
The Economic Dimension of National Security Policy	p. 625
A New World	p. 636
Summary	p. 637
Key Terms	p. 638
Suggested Readings	p. 638
List of Websites	p. 639
Politics in Theory and Practice	p. 639
Additional Resources	p. 640
The Preemptive War Doctrine	p. R17-1
Appendixes
The Declaration of Independence	p. A-1
The Constitution of the United States of America	p. A-5
Glossary	p. G-1
Notes	p. N-1
Credits	p. C-1
Index	p. I-1
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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