Politics in America, 2012 Election Edition, Books a la Carte Edition, 10th Edition

See who gets what, when, and how in American politics

 

Politics in America examines the core foundations, institutions, behaviors, and policies of the American political system. The text views politics as a competition for resources.  It encourages students to personally evaluate government’s impact by raising controversial issues, dissecting the conflicts behind them, and asking what it means for democracy.   Often feisty and always stimulating, Politics in America engages students in a frank exploration of political power and encourages them to be involved in public affairs. 

 

This text features full integration with the New MyPoliSciLab.  MyPoliSciLab includes a wide array of resources to encourage students to look at American politics like a political scientist and analyze current political issues.  Political Explorer lets students play the role of a political scientist by investigating issues through interactive data.  Core Concept videos discuss the big ideas in each chapter and apply them to key political issues. Simulations allow students to experience how political leaders make decisions.

 

A better teaching and learning experience

This program provides a better teaching and learning experience—for you and your students. Here’s how:

0205950108 / 9780205950102  Politics in America Plus 2012 Election Edition, NEW MyPoliSciLab with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package

Package consists of:

 0205884032 / 9780205884032 Politics in America Plus 2012 Election Edition

0205949975 / 9780205949977 NEW MyPoliSciLab with Pearson eText - Access Card

1. Brief Table of Contents

2. Full Table of Contents

 

1. Brief Table of Contents

 

PART I: POLITICS

 

Chapter 1: Politics: Who Gets What, When, and How

Chapter 2: Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict

  

PART II: CONSTITUTION

 

Chapter 3: The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power

Chapter 4: Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power

  

PART III: PARTICIPANTS

 

Chapter 5: Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in Politics

Chapter 6: Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda?

Chapter 7: Political Parties: Organizing Politics

Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who Governs

Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More

 

PART IV: INSTITUTIONS

 

Chapter 10: Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill

Chapter 11: The President: White House Politics

Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics

Chapter 13: Courts: Judicial Politics

 

PART V: OUTCOMES

 

Chapter 14: Politics and Personal Liberty

Chapter 15: Politics and Civil Rights

Chapter 16: Politics and the Economy

Chapter 17: Politics and Social Welfare

Chapter 18: Politics and National Security

 

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2. Full Table of Contents

 

PART I: POLITICS

 

1. Who Gets What, When, and How

Politics and Political Science

Politics and Government

| What Do You Think? Can You Trust the Government?

The Purposes of Government

| Who’s Getting What? Is Government Getting Too Big?

| A Conflicting View: Sometimes It’s Right to Disobey the Law

The Meaning of Democracy

| Compared to What? Political Freedom or Economic Freedom

The Paradox of Democracy

Direct Versus Representative Democracy

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Confidence in American Institutions

Who Really Governs?

Democracy in America

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Candidate for Congress

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Do You Measure Freedom?

 

2. Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict

Political Culture

Individual Liberty

Dilemmas of Equality

| A Conflicting View: American Exceptionalism

Income Inequality and Social Mobility

| Who’s Getting What? Spreading the Wealth Around

| Compared to What? Income and Inequality

| Who’s Getting What? Getting Ahead in America

Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration

| What Do You Think? One American Identity or an America of Identities? The Smithsonian           

| What Do You Think? Does Immigration Help or Hurt America?

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Could You Pass the Citizenship Test?

Religion and Secularism in Politics                       

Ideologies: Liberalism and Conservatism

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Pundit Versus Pundit: Hannity & Maddow

Dissent in the United States

| What Do You Think? Got Grid? Conceiving of Culture

| A Constitutional Note: Natural Born Versus Naturalized Citizenship

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a City Council Member

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Can You Get Ahead in America? 

 

PART II: CONSTITUTION

 

3. The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power

Constitutional Government in America

Troubles Confronting a New Nation

Consensus and Conflict in Philadelphia

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: John Locke & Edmond Burke, British Advocates for Liberty

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: George Washington, Founder of a Nation

The Economy and National Security

| A Conflicting View: An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution

The Structure of the Government

| A Conflicting View: The Supremacy Clause at Work in the Curious Case of Cannabis

| Who’s Getting What? Should We Call a New Constitutional Convention?

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

| Who’s Getting What? Can You Have Too Much Constitutional Democracy? Fixing the “California Crackup”

Conflict over Ratification

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: James Madison and the Control of ‘Faction”

Amending the Constitution   

| What Do You Think? Are There Still Anti-federalists?

| A Constitutional Note: How Democratic Was The Constitution Of 1787?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Founder

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Long Did It Take to Ratify the Constitution?

 

4. Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power

Why Federalism? The Argument for a “Compound Republic”

| Compared to What? The European Union

| A Conflicting View: The Dark Side of Federalism

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: The State of Sequoyah

The Original Design of Federalism

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Failed States’ Rights Doctrines

The Evolution of American Federalism

| What Do You Think? What Level of Government Does the Best Job?

Other Political Science Theories of Federalism

Federalism Revived?

Federalism and Direct Democracy

Money and Power Flow to Washington

Coercive Federalism: Preemptions and Mandates

| What Do You Think? Can a State Pass Its Own Immigration Laws?

| A Constitutional Note: How Is National and State Power Divided?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Judge

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Which States Win or Lose the Federal Aid Game?

 

PART III: PARTICIPANTS

 

5. Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in Politics

Politics and Public Opinion

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Can We Believe the Polls?

Socialization: The Origins of Political Opinions

| A Conflicting View: College Students’ Opinions

Ideology, Gender, Race, and Opinion

Policy and Opinion

Individual Participation in Politics

Securing the Right to Vote

 Voting and Nonvoting

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Is There a War On Voter Fraud? Or a War on Voting?

| Compared to What? Voter Turnout in Western Democracies

Protest as Political Participation

| A Constitutional Note: Who Can Vote?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are an Environmental Activist

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Do Young People Think about Politics Today?

 

6. Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda?

The Power of the Media

Sources of Media Power

The Business of the Media

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Jon Stewart

| Who’s Getting What? Do We Still Need to Fund Public Broadcasting?

The Politics of the Media

| What Do You Think? The Media Are Biased!

| What Do You Think? Fair and Balanced...Versus Lean Forward’

Mediated Elections

Freedom Versus Fairness

Politics and the Internet

Media Effects: Shaping Political Life

| A Constitutional Note: Can The FCC Ban Profanity From Airwaves?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Newspaper Editor

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Where Do You Get Your Political News?

 

7. Political Parties: Organizing Politics

The Power of Organization

Party Voters

American Parties: A Historical Perspective

| What Do You Think? The Appeal of The Republican and Democratic Parties

Political Parties and Democratic Government

| What Do You Think? Democratic And Republican Platforms: Can You Tell the Difference?

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Chairs of the DNC

| Who’s Getting What? Is There a Sex Bias in Who the Parties Nominate?

| A Conflicting View: Thinking Reform: Instant Runoff Elections

Where’s the Party?

| Who’s Getting What? Coopting a Major Party: The Tea Party

National Party Conventions

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: The Republican Nomination Fight, 2012: Romney Versus The Anti-Romneys

Third Parties in the U.S. System

Why the Two-Party System Persists

| Compared to What? Proportional Representation: Iraq

| A Constitutional Note: Political Parties and the Constitution

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Voter

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Which Party Governs Better?

 

8. Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who Governs

Elections in a Democracy

Power and Ambition

The Advantages of Incumbency

Campaign Strategies

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Just Folks

| What Do You Think? Dirty Politics

Campaign Finance

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Stephen Colbert, Superpacman

The Presidential Campaign

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Mitt Romney, Republican Presidential Nominee

| A Conflicting View: Should We Scrap the Electoral College?

The Voter Decides

| A Constitutional Note: Corporations Are Made From People

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Voting Registration Volunteer

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Is the Electoral College Democratic?

 

9. Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More

Interest-Group Power

| Who’s Getting What? The Rent Seeking Society

The Organized Interests in Washington

Leaders and Followers

The Washington Lobbyists

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: The King of K Street

| The Game, the Rules, the Players AARP: The Nation’s Most Powerful Interest Group

PAC Power

| Who’s Getting What? Emily’s List

Lobbying the Bureaucracy and the Courts

Politics as Interest-Group Conflict

| Compared to What? Lobbying In Japan and Germany

| A Constitutional Note: Controlling the Effects of Interest Groups

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Lobbyist

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Can Interest Groups Buy Public Policy?

 

PART IV: INSTITUTIONS

 

10. Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill

The Powers of Congress

Congressional Apportionment and Redistricting

Life on Capitol Hill

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: “Who Is Paul Ryan?”

| What Do You Think? The Big Sort

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Leader Versus Leader

Party Fortunes in Congress

| What Do You Think? Why Do Voters Reelect Members of an Unpopular Congress?

In Committee

On the Floor

| What Do You Think? Should Senate Actions Be Thwarted By Filibusters?

Decision Making in Congress

Congressional Customs, Norms, and Ethics

| A Conflicting View: Taunting in Congress

| A Conflicting View: Congress Can Act Responsibly on Occasion

| Who’s Getting What? The Supercommittee

| Compared to What? The Parliamentary System        

| A Constitutional Note: Congress as the First Branch

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Consumer Advocate

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Can Congress Get Anything Done?

 

11. The President: White House Politics

Presidential Power

| What Do You Think? How Would You Rate the Presidents?”

Constitutional Powers of the President

| What Do You Think? The 25th Amendment in Popular Culture

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Sex, Lies, Politics, and Impeachment

| A Conflicting View: Watergate: The Limits of the Imperial Presidency?

Political Resources of the President

| What Do You Think? Are There Keys to the Presidency?

| Who’s Getting What? Big Government and Some “Change” on the Side?

Chief Executive

Chief Legislator and Lobbyist

Global Leader

| Compared to What? Parliaments, Ministers, and No Confidence

Commander-in-Chief

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Does Congress Really Rally Around the Flag?

The Vice-Presidential Waiting Game

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Scranton Joe

| A Constitutional Note: How Broad Is the “Executive Power”?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a First-Term President

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Influences the President’s Public Approval?

 

12. The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics

Bureaucratic Power

| What Do You Think? How Would You Rate These Federal Agencies?

The Federal Bureaucracy

| Compared to What? The Size of Government in Other Nations

| What Do You Think? Environment or Economy?

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Ben Bernanke—Managing the Nation’s Money

Bureaucracy and Democracy

| A Conflicting View: Do We Need a Government Postal Service?

Bureaucratic Politics

The Budget

| Who’s Getting What? How Much Money Does the Government Waste?

| A Conflicting View: Bureaucratic Regulations Are Suffocating America

Congressional Constraints on the Bureaucracy

Interest Groups and Bureaucratic Decision Making

Judicial Constraints on the Bureaucracy

| A Constitutional Note: Congress and the Budget

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are Head of FEMA

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Puts the ‘Big’ in Big Government?

 

13. Courts: Judicial Politics

Judicial Power

| The Game, The Rules, The Players: John Marshall and Early Supreme Court Politics

Activism Versus Self-Restraint

Structure and Jurisdiction of Federal Courts

| A Conflicting View: Tort Reform: America Is Drowning Itself in a Sea of Lawsuits

The Special Rules of Judicial Decision Making

The Politics of Selecting Judges

| What Do You Think? Should Supreme Court Nominees Reveal Their Views on Key Cases Before The Senate Votes To Confirm Them?

| What Do You Think? How Old Is Too Old to Judge?

Supreme Court Decision Making

| A Conflicting View: No Class at the Wal-Mart

Politics and the Supreme Court

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: John Roberts, Chief Justice

Checking Court Power

| A Constitutional Note: The Power of Judicial Review

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Supreme Court Clerk

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Are the Activist Judges?

 

PART V: OUTCOMES

 

14. Politics and Personal Liberty

Power and Individual Liberty

Freedom of Religion

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Are We One Nation “Under God”?

Freedom of Speech and the Press

| Who’s Getting What? Political Correctness Versus Free Speech on Campus

Privacy, Abortion, and the Constitution

Freedom of Assembly and Petition

Protecting Property Rights

| Who’s Getting What? What Gets Took in a Taking?

The Right to Bear Arms

| What Do You Think? Guns on Campus

Rights of Criminal Defendants

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: When Is Your Privacy Not Yours?

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: The Trial of Osama Bin Laden

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Litigators for the Powerless at the ACLU

| Compared To What? The Death Penalty around the World

| A Constitutional Note : The Origins of the Bill of Rights

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Police Officer

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Should the Government Apply the Death Penalty?

 

15. Politics and Civil Rights

The Irony of Equality

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: African American Politics in Historical Perspective

Equal Protection of the Laws

The Civil Rights Acts

Equality: Opportunity Versus Results

| Who’s Getting What? The Stonewall Riots

| What Do You Think? Affirmative Action

| Compared to What? Outsourcing Diversity

| A Conflicting View: The Constitution Should Be Color-Blind

Hispanics in America

| The Game, The Rules, The Players: Cesar Chavez, Mobilizing Latino Farmworkers

American Indians: Trail of Tears

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Governing ‘Domestic Dependent Nations’

The Rights of Disabled Americans

Gender Equality and the Politics of Sexual Orientation

| A Constitutional Note: The 14th Amendment

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Mayor

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Are All Forms of Discrimination the Same?

 

16. Politics and the Economy

Politics and Economics

| The Game, The Rules, The Players: How Washington Dealt with the Financial Crisis

Economic Decision Making

Measuring the Performance of the American Economy

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: “It’s the Economy, Stupid”

Government Spending, Deficits, and Debt

| What Do You Think? How Can We Bring Deficits Down?

The Tax Burden

| Compared to What? Tax Burdens in Advanced Democracies

Tax Politics

| A Conflicting View: We Should Enact a Flat Tax

| Who's Getting What? Who Pays the Income Tax?

| A Constitutional Note: The Constitution and Private Property

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Reserve Chair

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Broke the Economy?

 

17. Politics and Social Welfare

Power and Social Welfare

Poverty in the United States

| Who’s Getting What? Who Are the Poor?

Social Welfare Policy

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Making Policy at the Street Level

| Who’s Getting What? Are You Eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit?

Senior Power

Politics and Welfare Reform

| What Do You Think? Is Welfare Reform Working?

Health Care in America

| Compared to What? Health and Health Care Costs in Advanced Democracies

Obama’s Health Care Transformation

Challenges to PPACA

| A Constitutional Note: Rights Versus Entitlements

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are an OMB Staffer

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Is Health Care a Public Good?

 

18. Politics and National Security

Power Among Nations

The Legacy of the Cold War

Nuclear Threats

| A Conflicting View: We Should Defend Ourselves against a Ballistic Missile Attack

The War on Terrorism

| What Do You Think? When Should The United States Use Military Force?

The War in Iraq

| The Game, the Rules, the Players: Operation Desert Storm

The War in Afghanistan

| A Constitutional Note: Congress Versus the Commander-In-Chief

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a President During a Foreign Policy Crisis

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Much Does America Spend on Defense?

 

> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Declaration of Independence

> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Constitution of the United States

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 10

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 15

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 51

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Federalist No. 78

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Anti-Federalist No. 17

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Marbury v. Madison

> MyPoliSciLab Document: McCulloch v. Maryland

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Brown v. Board of Education

> MyPoliSciLab Document: The Gettysburg Address

> MyPoliSciLab Document: Washington’s Farewell Address