Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Election Edition / Edition 11

by Karen O'Connor, Larry Sabato, Alixandra Yanus

Overview

Understand American politics from past to present

Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Election Edition explores how the origins of American government affect the issues facing the United States today. This streamlined and flexible text offers the strongest coverage of history and current events. This approach encourages students to study present political structures and behaviors in full constitutional and historical context. The text helps students learn how our government evolved and how they can become more informed citizens. Most importantly, it encourages them to discover that politics can be–and most often is–a good thing. 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:

• Personalize Learning–The New MyPoliSciLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals. MyPoliSciLab is now compatible with BlackBoard!
• Engage Students–The stunning visual design engages students in the text.
• Improve Critical Thinking– Learning objectives in every chapter help students focus on important topics.
• Analyze Current Events–Coverage of the 2012 elections keeps the study of politics relevant and shows how political scientists look at the development of the American political system.
• Support Instructors– A full supplements package including the Class Preparation Tool in the New MyPoliSciLab is available.

Note: This is a standalone book if you want the book/access card order the ISBN below:

0205950019 / 9780205950010 Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform Plus MyPolisciLab with Pearson eText, 2012 Election Edition Package consists of: 0205883990 / 9780205883998 Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Election Edition 0205949975 / 9780205949977 NEW MyPoliSciLab with Pearson eText — Valuepack Access Card

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780205883998
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	12/21/2012
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Karen O’Connor is the Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Founder and Director Emerita of the Women & Politics Institute at American University. Before coming to American University, Karen taught political science for seventeen years at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, where she was the first woman to receive the university’s highest teaching award. She has been recognized by several associations as the most outstanding woman in political science and public administration as well as by the Southern Political Science Association for her contributions to the discipline. From 2010-2012, she has been selected by The Irish Times as one of the top 100 Irish American lawyers in the United States.

Dubbed “the most quoted college professor in the land” by the Wall Street Journal, Larry J. Sabato bridges the gap between the ivory tower and the real world of politics. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Sabato has taught more than 15,000 students in his career at Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of Virginia. He has received every major teaching award at the University of Virginia, and in 2001, he was named the Thomas Jefferson Award winner. Dr. Sabato is the University Professor of Politics and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, founded in 1998 to improve civic education and the political process. Follow Larry’s Crystal Ball at www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball.

Alixandra B. Yanus is Assistant Professor of Political Science at High Point University, where she teaches courses in Enduring Questions in Political Science, American Government, and Research Methods. She holds a B.A. in Political Science (summa cum laude) from American University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her scholarly research has appeared in peer-reviewed venues including Justice System Journal and Politics and Gender and in book chapters published by Oxford University Press, CQ Press, and Sage.

Table of Contents

1. Brief Table of Contents

2. Full Table of Contents

1. Brief Table of Contents

PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT

Chapter 1: American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture

Chapter 2: The Constitution

Chapter 3: Federalism

Chapter 4: Civil Liberties

Chapter 5: Civil Rights

PART II: INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

Chapter 6: Congress

Chapter 7: The Presidency

Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy

Chapter 9: The Judiciary

PART III: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

Chapter 10: Public Opinion and the News Media

Chapter 11: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Chapter 12: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting

PART IV: PUBLIC POLICY

Chapter 13: Social and Economic Policy

Chapter 14: Foreign and Defense Policy

2. Full Table of Contents

PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF GOVERNMENT

1. American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture

Roots of American Government: We the People

| The Living Constitution

Types of Government

Functions of American Government

American Political Culture and the Basic Tenets of American Democracy

The Changing American Public

| Explore Your World

Political Ideology

Toward Reform: People and Politics

| Take a Closer Look

| Infographic: Is the American Dream a Reality?

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a City Council Member

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Do You Measure Freedom?

2. The Constitution

Roots of the New American Nation

| Take a Closer Look

The First Attempt at Government: The Articles of Confederation

The Miracle at Philadelphia: Writing the U.S. Constitution

| Infographic: Who Were the Framers?

The U.S. Constitution

| Explore Your World

The Drive For Ratification of the U.S. Constitution

Toward Reform: Methods Of Amending The U.S. Constitution

| The Living Constitution

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are A Founder

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: How Long Did It Take To Ratify The Constitution?

3. The Federal System

Roots of the Federal System

| The Living Constitution

Federalism and the Marshall Court

| Explore Your World

Dual Federalism: States’ Rights, the Civil War, and Reconstruction

Cooperative Federalism: The Growth of National Government

| Infographic: How Has the Federal-State Relationship Evolved?

Federal Grants to State and Local Governments

| Take A Closer Look

Toward Reform: Attempts to Balance National and State Power

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Judge

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

4. Civil Liberties

Roots of Civil Liberties: The Bill of Rights

First Amendment Guarantees: Freedom of Religion

First Amendment Guarantees: Freedom of Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

| Explore Your World

The Second Amendment: The Right to Keep and Bear Arms

| Infographic: How Do States Restrict the Right the Bear Arms?

The Rights of Criminal Defendants

| Take a Closer Look

The Right to Privacy

| The Living Constitution

Toward Reform: Civil Liberties and Combating Terrorism

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Police Officer

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

5. Civil Rights

Roots of Suffrage: 1800-1890

| The Living Constitution

The Push For Equality, 1890-1954

The Civil Rights Movement

| Take a Closer Look

The Women’s Rights Movement

| Explore Your World

Other Groups Mobilize for Rights

| Infographic: How Does the Government Regulate Gay Marriage?

Toward Reform: Civil Rights and Affirmative Action

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Mayor

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

PART II: INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

6. Congress

Roots of the Legislative Branch of Government

| The Living Constitution

The Members of Congress

| Infographic: The House of Representatives

How Congress Is Organized

| Explore Your World

Powers of Congress

| Take A Closer Look

How Members Make Decisions

Toward Reform: Balancing Institutional Power

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are A Consumer Advocate

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Can Congress Get Anything Done?

7. The Presidency

Roots of the Office of President of the United States

| Living Constitution

The Constitutional Powers of the President

| A Closer Look

The Development and Expansion of Presidential Power

The Presidential Establishment

| Infographic: What Does the West Wing Say about the Presidency?

Presidential Leadership and the Importance of Public Opinion

Toward Reform: The President as Policy Maker

| Explore Your World

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a First-Term President

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Influences a President's Public Approval?

8. The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy

Roots of the Federal Bureaucracy

The Modern Bureaucracy

| Infographic: The Composition of the Federal Workforce

| Living Constitution

How The Bureaucracy Works

| Take a Closer Look

Toward Reform: Making Agencies Accountable

| Explore Your World

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are Head of FEMA

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: What Puts the 'Big' in Big Government?

9. The Judiciary

Roots of the Federal Judiciary

| The Living Constitution

The Federal Court System

| Explore Your World

How Federal Court Judges Are Selected

| Infographic: Who Are the Federal Judges?

The Supreme Court Today

| Take A Closer Look

Judicial Philosophy and Decision Making

Toward Reform: Power, Policy Making, and the Court

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Supreme Court Clerk

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Are the Activist Judges?

PART III: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR

10. Public Opinion and the News Media

Roots of Public Opinion Research

Conducting and Analyzing Public Opinion Polls

| Explore Your World

Forming Political Opinions

| Infographic: How Do Demographics Influence One’s Opinion of the Government?

Roots of the News Media in the United States

| The Living Constitution

Rules Governing the News Media

How the News Media Cover Politics

| Take a Closer Look

Toward Reform: News Media Influence, News Media Bias, and Public Confidence

Shortcomings of Polling

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Polling Consultant

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

11. Political Parties and Interest Groups

Roots of the Two-Party System

| The Living Constitution

| Infographic: Are American Political Parties Polarized?

The Organization of American Political Parties

Activities Of American Political Parties

Party Identification

Roots of the American Interest Group System

| Take a Closer Look

What Do Interest Groups Do?

| Explore Your World

Toward Reform: Regulating Interest Groups and Lobbyists

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Lobbyist

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Which Party Governs Better?

12. Campaigns, Elections, and Voting

Roots of Modern Political Campaigns

Assembling a Campaign Staff

Raising Money

| Infographic: How Has Campaign Financing Changed Over Time?

Reaching Voters

| Take a Closer Look

Presidential Elections

| The Living Constitution

Congressional Elections

Toward Reform: Voter Choice and Turnout

| Explore Your World

| Take a Closer Look

| Explore Your World

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Campaign Strategist

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Who Votes–and Who Doesn't?

PART IV: PUBLIC POLICY

Chapter 13: Social and Economic Policy

Roots of Public Policy: The Policy-Making Process

| The Living Constitution

Health Policy Today

Income Security Policy

Fiscal Policy

| Infographic: How Much Government Debt Is Too Much

Monetary Policy

| Explore Your World

Toward Reform: Recession and Economic Recovery

| Take a Closer Look

> MyPoliSciLab Video Series

> MyPoliSciLab Simulation: You Are a Federal Reserve Chair

> MyPoliSciLab Explorer: Is Health Care a Public Good?

14: Foreign and Defense Policy

Roots of U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy

The United States as a World Power

| Explore Your World

Foreign and Defense Policy Decision Making

| The Living Constitution

Contemporary Challenges In Foreign and Defense Policy

| Infographic: How Big Is the World’s Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons?

Toward Reform: New Challenges in American Foreign Policy

| Take a Closer Look

> 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

Editorial Reviews

This is the standard which I judge other texts against. O’Connor still is the text to beat.”—Richard Johnson, Oklahoma City University

“By relying on multiple and complementary pedagogical approaches, American Government fosters student interest in this complex subject matter, strengthens critical thinking, and contributes to a sense of civic engagement.”—Tony Wohlers, Cameron University

“O’Connor is well-written and thoroughly updated. It is comprehensive and emphasizes the development of American government and politics. The text itself is assiduously unbiased and fair. Although it points out shortcomings in our political system, it does so in a context depicting American government and politics in a positive light.” — Richard Himelfarb, Hofstra University

From the Publisher