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AMERICAN GOVERNMENT is highly respected and trusted for its attention to research and issues of diversity as well as its award-winning team of authors. While covering the basic foundations and features of American Government, this text also moves beyond the nuts and bolts, to explain why and how important features of government have evolved, their impact on government and individuals, and why these features are controversial (if they are) and worth learning. More than just narrating facts and current issues, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT attempts to leave the students with an understanding of the why, so their knowledge can be applied long after the course is completed. AMERICAN GOVERNMENT is a three-time winner of the American Government Textbook Award for the Best Treatment of Women in Politics, by the Women's Caucus for Political Science.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface(p. xiii)
• About the Authors(p. xx)
• Part 1 The American System
• Chapter 1 American Democracy(p. 2)
• The American People(p. 5)
• Diversity and Politics(p. 11)
• Political Culture(p. 13)
• American Democracy: The Core Values(p. 14)
• American Democracy in Practice(p. 17)
• Conclusion: Is Government Responsive?(p. 20)
• Chapter 2 The Constitution(p. 24)
• The Articles of Confederation(p. 27)
• The Constitution(p. 29)
• Conclusion: Does the Constitution Allow Government to Be Responsive?(p. 46)
• Chapter 3 Federalism and the Growth of Government(p. 52)
• Federal and Other Systems(p. 55)
• The Political Bases of Federalism(p. 56)
• The Constitutional Bases of Federalism(p. 57)
• Federalism and the Growth of Government(p. 60)
• The Practice of Federalism(p. 69)
• Conclusion: Is Federalism Responsive?(p. 74)
• Part 2 Links between People and Government
• Chapter 4 Public Opinion(p. 78)
• Nature of Public Opinion(p. 80)
• Formation of Public Opinion(p. 81)
• Measuring Public Opinion(p. 86)
• How Informed Is Public Opinion?(p. 91)
• Public Opinion(p. 92)
• Conclusion: Is Government Responsive to Public Opinion?(p. 102)
• Chapter 5 News Media(p. 108)
• The Media State(p. 111)
• Relationship between the Media and Politicians(p. 117)
• Bias of the Media(p. 126)
• Impact of the Media on Politics(p. 137)
• Conclusion: Are the Media Responsive?(p. 142)
• Chapter 6 Interest Groups(p. 152)
• Group Formation(p. 155)
• Types of Interest Groups(p. 157)
• Tactics of Interest Groups(p. 166)
• Success of Interest Groups(p. 176)
• Conclusion: Do Interest Groups Help Make Government Responsive?(p. 178)
• Chapter 7 Political Parties(p. 184)
• What Are Political Parties?(p. 186)
• Development and Change in the Party System(p. 188)
• Characteristics of the Party System(p. 193)
• Party in the Electorate(p. 196)
• Party in Government(p. 198)
• Party Organization(p. 199)
• The Nominating Process(p. 203)
• Conclusion: Do Political Parties Make Government More Responsive?(p. 206)
• Chapter 8 Elections(p. 210)
• The American Electorate(p. 213)
• Voter Turnout(p. 220)
• Other Campaign Participation(p. 226)
• Presidential Nominating Campaigns(p. 228)
• The General Election Campaign(p. 237)
• Voting(p. 245)
• Conclusion: Do Elections Make Government Responsive?(p. 249)
• Chapter 9 Money and Politics(p. 254)
• The Development of Laws to Regulate Money and Politics(p. 256)
• The Role of Money in Election Campaigns(p. 258)
• The Impact of Campaign Money(p. 267)
• Conflicts of Interest(p. 273)
• Conclusion: Does the Influence of Money Make Government Less Responsive?(p. 275)
• Part 3 Institutions
• Chapter 10 Congress(p. 280)
• Members and Constituencies(p. 283)
• Congressional Campaigns and Elections(p. 286)
• The Representative on the Job(p. 293)
• How Congress Is Organized(p. 299)
• What Congress Does(p. 309)
• Conclusion: Is Congress Responsive?(p. 318)
• Chapter 11 The Presidency(p. 324)
• The Growth of the Presidency(p. 327)
• Terms of Office(p. 328)
• Duties and Powers of Office(p. 332)
• Presidential Staff and Advisors(p. 338)
• The President and the People(p. 345)
• The President and Congress(p. 350)
• Limits on Presidential Power(p. 357)
• What Makes an Effective President?(p. 360)
• Conclusion: Is the Presidency Responsive?(p. 362)
• Chapter 12 The Bureaucracy(p. 366)
• Bureaucracy(p. 369)
• Federal Bureaucracy(p. 372)
• Bureaucratic Functions(p. 379)
• Expectations about the Federal Bureaucracy(p. 385)
• Controlling the Bureaucracy(p. 388)
• Conclusion: Is the Bureaucracy Responsive?(p. 392)
• Chapter 13 The Judiciary(p. 396)
• Development of the Courts' Role in Government(p. 398)
• Courts(p. 405)
• Judges(p. 407)
• Access to the Courts(p. 412)
• Deciding Cases(p. 414)
• The Power of the Courts(p. 421)
• Conclusion: Are the Courts Responsive?(p. 425)
• Part 4 Civil Liberties and Rights
• Chapter 14 Civil Liberties(p. 432)
• The Constitution and the Bill of Rights(p. 434)
• Freedom of Expression(p. 435)
• Rights of Criminal Defendants(p. 455)
• Right to Privacy(p. 461)
• Conclusion: Are the Courts Responsive in Interpreting Civil Liberties?(p. 468)
• Chapter 15 Civil Rights(p. 474)
• Race Discrimination(p. 477)
• Sex Discrimination(p. 505)
• Affirmative Action(p. 513)
• Conclusion: Is Government Responsive in Granting Civil Rights?(p. 517)
• Part 5 Public Policies
• Chapter 16 Economic Policy(p. 526)
• Types of Economic Systems(p. 529)
• Regulating the Economy(p. 531)
• The Budget in the Economy(p. 538)
• Postwar Boom and Bust(p. 547)
• The American Economy in the Twenty-First Century(p. 554)
• Conclusion: Is Our Economic Policy Responsive?(p. 557)
• Chapter 17 Social Welfare and Health Policy(p. 562)
• What Are Social Welfare Policies?(p. 565)
• Evolution of Social Welfare Policies(p. 565)
• Social Welfare for Everyone(p. 566)
• Social Welfare for the Poor(p. 569)
• Social Welfare for the Well-Off(p. 578)
• Federal Health Care Programs(p. 580)
• Conclusion: Are Social Welfare Programs Responsive?(p. 587)
• Chapter 18 Regulation and Environmental Policy(p. 592)
• Development of Regulation(p. 595)
• The Regulatory Process(p. 599)
• Cycles of Regulation(p. 605)
• Regulatory Politics and Environmental Protection(p. 612)
• Benefits and Costs of Regulation(p. 623)
• Conclusion: Is Regulation Responsive?(p. 625)
• Chapter 19 Foreign Policy(p. 630)
• Foreign Policy Goals(p. 633)
• Making Foreign Policy in a Democracy(p. 634)
• Changing Approaches to U.S. Foreign Policy(p. 641)
• Military Instruments of Foreign Policy(p. 652)
• Economic Instruments of Foreign Policy(p. 657)
• Conclusion: Is Our Foreign Policy Responsive?(p. 667)
• Appendix A The Declaration of Independence(p. 672)
• Appendix B Constitution of the United States of America(p. 674)
• Appendix C Federalist Paper 10(p. 684)
• Appendix D Federalist Paper 51(p. 687)
• Glossary(p. 689)
• Spanish Equivalents for Important Political Terms(p. 699)
• Name Index(p. 703)
• Subject Index(p. 706)