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American Government

by: Wilson, James Q.

American Government

by: Wilson, James Q.

ISBN 13:
9780618043590
ISBN 10:
0618043594
Edition: 8th
Format: Hardcover
Copyright: 12/19/2000
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing
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Preface

xiii

About the Authors

Part I The American System

(100)

The Study of American Government

(14)

What Is Political Power?

(1)

What Is Democracy?

(1)

Direct Versus Representative Democracy: Which Is Best?

(2)

How Is Power Distributed in a Democracy?

(3)

Four Theories of Who Governs

(3)

Political Change

(1)

Finding Out Who Governs

(4)

The Constitution

(32)

The Problem of Liberty

(5)

The Colonial Mind

(2)

The Real Revolution

(1)

Weaknesses of the Confederation

(1)

The Constitutional Convention

(3)

The Lessons of Experience

(1)

The Framers

(2)

The Challenge

(3)

The Virginia Plan

(1)

The New Jersey Plan

(1)

The Compromise

(1)

The Constitution and Democracy

(2)

Key Principles

(1)

Government and Human Nature

(1)

The Constitution and Liberty

(8)

The Antifederalist View

(4)

Need for a Bill of Rights

(1)

The Constitution and Slavery

(2)

The Motives of the Framers

(3)

Economic Interests at the Convention

(1)

Economic Interests and Ratification

(1)

The Constitution and Equality

(2)

Constitutional Reform---Modern Views

(7)

Reducing the Separation of Powers

(2)

Making the System Less Democratic

(1)

Who Is Right?

(4)

Federalism

(30)

Governmental Structure

(2)

Federalism: Good or Bad?

(1)

Increased Political Activity

(1)

The Founding

(3)

A Bold, New Plan

(1)

Elastic Language

(1)

The Debate on the Meaning of Federalism

(4)

The Supreme Court Speaks

(1)

Nullification

(1)

Dual Federalism

(1)

State Sovereignty

(1)

Federal-State Relations

(5)

Grants-in-Aid

(1)

Meeting National Needs

(1)

The Intergovernmental Lobby

(1)

Categorical Grants Versus Revenue Sharing

(2)

The Slowdown in ``Free'' Money

(2)

Rivalry Among the States

(1)

Federal Aid and Federal Control

(4)

Mandates

(2)

Conditions of Aid

(2)

A Devolution Revolution?

(2)

Block Grants for Entitlements

(1)

What's Driving Devolution?

(1)

Congress and Federalism

(6)

American Political Culture

(23)

Political Culture

(4)

The Political System

(3)

The Economic System

(1)

Comparing America with Other Nations

(4)

Political System

(1)

Economic System

(1)

The Role of Religion

(2)

The Sources of Political Culture

(4)

The Culture War

(2)

Mistrust of Government

(1)

Political Efficacy

(1)

Political Tolerance

(7)

Part II Opinions, Interests, and Organizations

101

(172)

Public Opinion

102

(26)

What Is Public Opinion?

104

(2)

The Origins of Political Attitudes

106

(6)

The Role of the Family

106

(1)

Religion

107

(2)

The Gender Gap

109

(1)

Schooling and Information

110

(2)

Cleavages in Public Opinion

112

(6)

Social Class

112

(2)

Race and Ethnicity

114

(3)

Region

117

(1)

Political Ideology

118

(7)

Consistent Attitudes

120

(1)

What Do Liberalism and Conservatism Mean?

120

(1)

Various Categories

121

(1)

Analyzing Consistency

122

(1)

Political Elites

123

(1)

Is There a ``New Class''?

124

(1)

Political Elites, Public Opinion, and Public Policy

125

(3)

Political Participation

128

(20)

A Closer Look at Nonvoting

129

(3)

The Rise of the American Electorate

132

(5)

From State to Federal Control

132

(3)

Voter Turnout

135

(2)

Who Participates in Politics?

137

(11)

Forms of Participation

137

(1)

The Causes of Participation

138

(3)

The Meaning of Participation Rates

141

(7)

Political Parties

148

(30)

Parties---Here and Abroad

150

(2)

Political Culture

152

(1)

The Rise and Decline of the Political Party

152

(5)

The Founding

152

(1)

The Jacksonians

153

(1)

The Civil War and Sectionalism

154

(2)

The Era of Reform

156

(1)

The National Party Structure Today

157

(4)

National Conventions

159

(2)

State and Local Parties

161

(4)

The Machine

161

(2)

Ideological Parties

163

(1)

Solidary Groups

164

(1)

Sponsored Parties

164

(1)

Personal Following

165

(1)

The Two-Party System

165

(4)

Minor Parties

169

(3)

Nominating a President

172

(2)

Are the Delegates Representative of the Voters?

172

(1)

Who Votes in Primaries?

173

(1)

Who Are the New Delegates?

174

(1)

Parties Versus Voters

174

(4)

Elections and Campaigns

178

(38)

Presidential Versus Congressional Campaigns

180

(3)

Running for President

181

(2)

Primary Versus General Campaigns

183

(8)

Two Kinds of Campaign Issues

185

(2)

Television, Debates, and Direct Mail

187

(4)

Money

191

(8)

The Sources of Campaign Money

191

(1)

Campaign Finance Rules

192

(2)

The Effects of the 1974 Reforms

194

(1)

Proposals for More Reform

195

(1)

Money and Winning

196

(3)

What Decides the Election?

199

(8)

Party

199

(2)

Issues, Especially the Economy

201

(2)

The Campaign

203

(1)

Finding a Winning Coalition

204

(3)

Election Outcomes

207

(5)

Party Realignments

208

(3)

Party Decline

211

(1)

The Effects of Elections on Policy

212

(4)

Interest Groups

216

(28)

Explaining Proliferation

217

(2)

The Birth of Interest Groups

219

(2)

Kinds of Organizations

221

(4)

Institutional Interests

221

(1)

Membership Interests

222

(1)

Incentives to Join

223

(2)

The Influence of the Staff

225

(1)

Interest Groups and Social Movements

225

(4)

The Environmental Movement

226

(1)

The Feminist Movement

226

(1)

The Union Movement

227

(2)

Funds for Interest Groups

229

(1)

Foundation Grants

229

(1)

Federal Grants and Contracts

229

(1)

Direct Mail

229

(1)

The Problem of Bias

230

(2)

The Activities of Interest Groups

232

(8)

Information

232

(1)

Public Support: The Rise of the New Politics

233

(3)

Money and PACs

236

(2)

The ``Revolving Door''

238

(1)

Trouble

239

(1)

Regulating Interest Groups

240

(4)

The Media

244

(29)

Journalism in American Political History

246

(5)

The Party Press

246

(1)

The Popular Press

247

(2)

Magazines of Opinion

249

(1)

Electronic Journalism

249

(2)

The Internet

251

(1)

The Structure of the Media

251

(4)

Degree of Competition

252

(1)

The National Media

253

(2)

Rules Governing the Media

255

(4)

Confidentiality of Sources

256

(1)

Regulating Broadcasting

256

(2)

Campaigning

258

(1)

The Effects of the Media on Politics

259

(2)

Government and the News

261

(2)

Prominence of the President

261

(1)

Coverage of Congress

262

(1)

Interpreting Political News

263

(10)

Are News Stories Slanted?

264

(2)

Why Do We Have So Many News Leaks?

266

(3)

Sensationalism in the Media

269

(2)

Government Constraints on Journalists

271

(2)

Part III Institutions of Government

273

(160)

Congress

274

(58)

The Evolution of Congress

279

(5)

The Powerful House

279

(1)

A Divided House

280

(1)

The Rise of a Powerful Speaker

280

(1)

The Revolt Against the Speaker

281

(1)

The Empowerment of Individual Members

282

(1)

The Return of Leadership

282

(1)

The Future?

282

(1)

The Evolution of the Senate

283

(1)

Who Is in Congress?

284

(5)

Sex and Race

284

(1)

Incumbency

284

(3)

Party

287

(2)

Getting Elected to Congress

289

(6)

Determining Fair Representation

290

(1)

Majority-Minority Districts

291

(1)

Winning the Primary

292

(3)

Do Members Represent Their Voters?

295

(3)

Representational View

295

(1)

Organizational View

296

(1)

Attitudinal View

296

(2)

Ideology and Civility in Congress

298

(1)

The Organization of Congress: Parties and Caucuses

298

(8)

Party Organization of the Senate

298

(2)

Party Structure in the House

300

(1)

The Strength of Party Structures

301

(1)

Party Unity

302

(2)

Caucuses

304

(2)

The Organization of Congress: Committees

306

(3)

The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices

309

(2)

Tasks of Staff Members

310

(1)

Staff Agencies

311

(1)

How a Bill Becomes Law

311

(8)

Introducing a Bill

312

(1)

Study by Committees

313

(3)

Floor Debate---The House

316

(1)

Floor Debate---The Senate

317

(1)

Methods of Voting

318

(1)

Reforming Congress

319

(5)

Representative or Direct Democracy?

319

(1)

Proper Guardians of the Public Weal?

320

(1)

A Decisive Congress or a Deliberative One?

320

(1)

Imposing Term Limits

320

(2)

Reducing Powers and Perks

322

(2)

Ethics and Congress

324

(8)

The Presidency

332

(42)

Presidents and Prime Ministers

334

(1)

Divided Government

335

(2)

Does Gridlock Matter?

336

(1)

Is Policy Gridlock Bad?

336

(1)

The Evolution of the Presidency

337

(7)

Concerns of the Founders

337

(1)

The Electoral College

338

(1)

The President's Term of Office

338

(1)

The First Presidents

339

(3)

The Jacksonians

342

(1)

The Reemergence of Congress

342

(2)

The Powers of the President

344

(1)

The Office of the President

345

(5)

The White House Office

346

(2)

The Executive Office of the President

348

(1)

The Cabinet

349

(1)

Independent Agencies, Commissions, and Judgeships

350

(1)

Who Gets Appointed

350

(3)

Presidential Character

353

(1)

The Power to Persuade

354

(4)

The Three Audiences

355

(1)

Popularity and Influence

356

(1)

The Decline in Popularity

357

(1)

The Power to Say No

358

(4)

Veto

358

(2)

Executive Privilege

360

(2)

Impoundment of Funds

362

(1)

The President's Program

362

(3)

Putting Together a Program

362

(2)

Attempts to Reorganize

364

(1)

Presidential Transition

365

(6)

The Vice President

366

(1)

Problems of Succession

367

(2)

Impeachment

369

(2)

How Powerful Is the President?

371

(3)

The Bureaucracy

374

(28)

Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy

376

(1)

The Growth of the Bureaucracy

376

(4)

The Appointment of Officials

377

(1)

A Service Role

378

(1)

A Change in Role

379

(1)

The Federal Bureaucracy Today

380

(13)

Recruitment and Retention

381

(5)

Personal Attributes

386

(1)

Do Bureaucrats Sabotage Their Political Bosses?

387

(2)

Culture and Careers

389

(1)

Constraints

389

(3)

Agency Allies

392

(1)

Congressional Oversight

393

(2)

The Appropriations Committee and Legislative Committees

394

(1)

The Legislative Veto

394

(1)

Congressional Investigations

395

(1)

Bureaucratic ``Pathologies''

395

(2)

Reforming the Bureaucracy

397

(5)

The Judiciary

402

(31)

The Development of the Federal Courts

405

(6)

National Supremacy and Slavery

405

(2)

Government and the Economy

407

(2)

Government and Political Liberty

409

(2)

The Revival of State Sovereignty

411

(1)

The Structure of the Federal Courts

411

(3)

Selecting Judges

411

(3)

The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts

414

(3)

Getting to Court

417

(3)

Fee Shifting

418

(1)

Standing

418

(1)

Class-Action Suits

419

(1)

The Supreme Court in Action

420

(2)

The Power of the Federal Courts

422

(4)

The Power to Make Policy

423

(1)

Views of Judicial Activism

424

(2)

Legislation and the Courts

426

(1)

Checks on Judicial Power

426

(7)

Congress and the Courts

427

(2)

Public Opinion and the Courts

429

(4)

Part IV The Politics of Public Policy

433

(168)

The Policy-Making Process

434

(24)

Setting the Agenda

436

(3)

The Legitimate Scope of Government Action

436

(3)

Making a Decision

439

(2)

Majoritarian Politics: Distributed Benefits, Distributed Costs

441

(2)

Interest Group Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Concentrated Costs

443

(1)

Client Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Distributed Costs

443

(2)

Entrepreneurial Politics: Distributed Benefits, Concentrated Costs

445

(1)

The Case of Business Regulation

446

(7)

Majoritarian Politics

447

(1)

Interest Group Politics

448

(1)

Client Politics

449

(2)

Entrepreneurial Politics

451

(2)

Perceptions, Beliefs, Interests, and Values

453

(5)

Deregulation

455

(1)

Reducing Subsidies

455

(1)

The Limits of Ideas

456

(2)

Economic Policy

458

(20)

The Politics of Economic Prosperity

461

(1)

What Politicians Try to Do

461

(1)

The Politics of Taxing and Spending

462

(1)

Economic Theories and Political Needs

463

(3)

Monetarism

463

(1)

Keynesianism

464

(1)

Planning

464

(1)

Supply-Side Tax Cuts

464

(1)

Ideology and Theory

465

(1)

``Reaganomics''

465

(1)

The Machinery of Economic Policy Making

466

(3)

The Fed

467

(1)

Congress

468

(1)

Spending Money

469

(1)

The Budget

469

(2)

Reducing Spending

471

(1)

Levying Taxes

471

(7)

The Rise of the Income Tax

473

(5)

Social Welfare

478

(16)

Social Welfare in the United States

480

(9)

Majoritarian Welfare Programs: Social Security and Medicare

482

(4)

Reforming Majoritarian Welfare Programs

486

(1)

Client Welfare Programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children

487

(2)

Two Kinds of Welfare Politics

489

(5)

Majoritarian Politics

489

(3)

Client Politics

492

(2)

Civil Liberties

494

(26)

Politics, Culture, and Civil Liberties

496

(4)

Rights in Conflict

497

(1)

Policy Entrepreneurs

497

(2)

Cultural Conflicts

499

(1)

Interpreting and Applying the First Amendment

500

(3)

Speech and National Security

501

(2)

What Is Speech?

503

(4)

Libel

503

(1)

Obscenity

504

(2)

Symbolic Speech

506

(1)

Who Is a Person?

507

(1)

Church and State

508

(3)

The Free-Exercise Clause

508

(1)

The Establishment Clause

509

(2)

Crime and Due Process

511

(9)

The Exclusionary Rule

512

(1)

Search and Seizure

512

(4)

Confessions and Self-Incrimination

516

(1)

Relaxing the Exclusionary Rule

517

(3)

Civil Rights

520

(32)

The Black Predicament

522

(2)

The Campaign in the Courts

524

(8)

``Separate but Equal''

525

(2)

Can Separate Schools Be Equal?

527

(1)

Brown v. Board of Education

527

(5)

The Campaign in Congress

532

(5)

Women and Equal Rights

537

(4)

Sexual Harassment

539

(1)

Abortion

540

(1)

Affirmative Action

541

(7)

Equality of Results

541

(1)

Equality of Opportunity

542

(6)

Gays and the Supreme Court

548

(4)

Foreign and Military Policy

552

(32)

Kinds of Foreign Policy

554

(1)

The Constitutional and Legal Context

555

(5)

Presidential Box Score

556

(1)

Evaluating the Power of the President

557

(1)

Checks on Presidential Power

558

(2)

The Machinery of Foreign Policy

560

(1)

Foreign Policy and Public Opinion

561

(4)

Backing the President

563

(1)

Mass Versus Elite Opinion

564

(1)

Cleavages Among Foreign Policy Elites

565

(6)

How a Worldview Shapes Foreign Policy

566

(5)

The Use of Military Force

571

(1)

The Defense Budget

572

(4)

Total Spending

572

(3)

Choosing Weapons Systems

575

(1)

What Do We Buy with Our Money?

576

(4)

Personnel

576

(2)

Big-Ticket Items

578

(1)

Small-Ticket Items

579

(1)

Readiness

579

(1)

Bases

580

(1)

The Structure of Defense Decision-Making

580

(4)

Joint Chiefs of Staff

582

(1)

The Services

582

(1)

The Chain of Command

582

(2)

Environmental Policy

584

(17)

The American Context

586

(1)

Entrepreneurial Politics: Global Warming

587

(3)

Majoritarian Politics: Pollution from Automobiles

590

(2)

Interest Group Politics: Acid Rain

592

(2)

Client Politics: Agricultural Pesticides

594

(2)

The Environmental Uncertainties

596

(2)

The Results

598

(3)

Part V The Nature of American Democracy

601

(1)

Who Governs?

602

(2)

Four Kinds of Politics

604

(2)

Majoritarian Politics

604

(1)

Interest Group Politics

605

(2)

Client Politics

607

(2)

Entrepreneurial Politics

609

(2)

Competing Theories of Political Power

611

(1)

Marxist Theory

611

(1)

Elitist Theory

612

(1)

Bureaucratic Theory

613

(1)

Pluralist Theory

614

(2)

To What Ends?

616

(2)

Competing Interests

618

(1)

Restraints on the Growth of Government

618

(1)

Consequences of Activist Government

619

(1)

The Influence of Structure

620

(1)

The Influence of Ideas

621

Appendix

The Declaration of Independence

The Constitution of the United States

The Federalist No. 10

A21

The Federalist No. 51

A26

Presidents and Congresses, 1789-2000

A30

Glossary

Notes

Index

Photo Credits

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American Government

American Government

9780618043590

0618043594

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

American Government

American Government

9780618043590

0618043594

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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