Letter to Instructors
Letter to Students
Digital Resources
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Career Opportunities: Political Science
Part I Foundations
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Enduring Democracy
Presidential Election Results 2024
Forms and Functions of Government
American Government and Politics
American Political Culture
Is American Democracy in Decline?
Chapter 2 The Founding and the Constitution
The Beginnings of a New Nation
The Constitutional Convention
Changing the Constitution
Chapter 3 Federalism
The History of American Federalism
Why Federalism? Advantages and Disadvantages
Chapter 4 Civil Liberties
The Bill of Rights: Origins and Evolution
Freedom of Religion and the Establishment Clause
The Right to Bear Arms and the Rights of the Criminally Accused
The Modern Right to Privacy
Chapter 5 Civil Rights, Equality, and Social Movements
The Struggle for Equality: Approaches and Tactics
The Struggle for Equality: Civil Rights Battles
The Struggle for Equality: Gender, Sex, and Sexuality
Continuing Struggles Over Equality in the Modern Era
Part II Institutions
Chapter 6 Congress
Article I and the Creation of Congress
The Structure and Organization of Congress
Oversight and Personnel Functions of Congress
Constituent Service: Helping People Back Home
Chapter 7 The Presidency
Who is eligible to be president, and how can he or she be removed under the Constitution?
The Evolution of the American Presidency
Express Powers and Responsibilities of the President
Implied Powers and Responsibilities of the President
Important Presidential Relationships
Chapter 8 The Federal Bureaucracy
What Does the Federal Bureaucracy Do?
The Development of the Federal Bureaucracy
Getting Control of the Growing Bureaucracy
The Organization of the Federal Bureaucracy
Chapter 9 The Judiciary
The Structure of the U.S. Legal System
The Adversarial System of Justice
Judicial Review and Its Implications
Electing and Appointing Judges
How a Case Proceeds Within the U.S. Supreme Court
Judicial Decision-Making and Debates Over the Exercise of Judicial Power
Part III Political Behavior
Chapter 10 Public Opinion
Public Opinion in American Politics
The Levels of Public Opinion
How Informed Is Public Opinion?
How Does Public Opinion Form?
How Is Public Opinion Measured?
Interpreting Public Opinion Data
Chapter 11 Interest Groups
Pluralism and the Interest-Group System
Interest Groups in Action
How Interest Groups Achieve Their Goals
Chapter 12 The Media and American Politics
The Media in American Politics
Historical Development of the Media
Criticisms of the News Media
Chapter 13 Political Parties and Voting
The Development of Political Parties in the United States
The Functions of Political Parties
Participation Beyond Voting
Chapter 14 Campaigns and Elections
American Presidential Elections in Historical Perspective
The General Election Campaign
Congressional Campaigns and Elections
Part IV Public Policy
Chapter 15 American Public Policy
An Overview of the Policy-Making Process
Theories and Practice in Economic Policy
The Welfare State and Programs for the Poor
The Social Security System and Health Care Policy
Appendix
Glossary
Endnotes
Index