The American Political System 3rd Edition by Ken Kollman, ISBN-13: 978-0393675283
[PDF eBook eTextbook]
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Third Edition, 2018 Election Update (June 10, 2019)
- Language: English
- 695 pages
- ISBN-10: 0393675289
- ISBN-13: 978-0393675283
A contemporary framework without the fluff, updated through the 2018 elections.
Table of Contents:
The American Political System 3E, Full Edition
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction
What can the tools of political science tell us that we don’t already know?
Understanding American Politics
Institutions
Collective Dilemmas and the Need for Government
Types of Collective Dilemmas
Collective Action Problems
Prisoner’s Dilemma Situations
Coordination Problems
Comparing Collective Action Problems and Coordination Problems: Example from Voting
Unstable Coalitions
Principal-Agent Problems
Designing Institutions
In Comparison: Types of Government Institutions
Analyzing Politics and Government Using the Tools of Political Science
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 2: The Constitution
How does the Constitution strike a balance between preserving order and protecting liberty?
What Do Constitutions Accomplish?
Origins of the American Political System
The Revolution
The Declaration of Independence
The Colonial and State Constitutions
The Articles of Confederation
The Constitutional Debates
Difficult Compromises
Institutional Features of the Constitution
A President as Executive
A Bicameral Legislature
An Independent Judiciary
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Federalism with National Authority over the States
Reserved Powers for the States
Amending the Constitution
The Ratification Debate
Federalists versus Antifederalists
The Bill of Rights
In Comparison: National Constitutions
Constitutional Evolution
Relative Powers of the Branches of Government
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: The Constitution and Religion in Politics
National Power versus States’ Rights
Direct Election of the President and Senators
Rights and Liberties
Consequences of the Constitution
Data Exploration: The Costs and Benefits of a Longer Constitution
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 3: Federalism
Why have the states and the American people allowed the federal government to become more and more p
Federation and Confederation
Federalism as a Response to Collective Dilemmas
The Dynamics of American Federalism
The Courts and the Constitution
Toward a Stronger National Government
Progressive Era, 1896–1913
New Deal Era, 1933–52
Great Society Era, 1964–77
Recent Trends
Federal Financing
Federalism and Race
Data Exploration: Where Does Federal Money Go, and Why?
State Governments
The Institutions of State Government
State Power
Local Governments
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Federal and State Conflicts over Marijuana
Special Districts
In Comparison: American Federalism
Evaluating American Federalism
Avoiding Tyranny
Preserving Diversity
Fostering Competition
Promoting Unity and Experimentation
Negative Consequences of Federalism
Federalism as a Difficult but Important Balance
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 4: Civil Rights and Liberties
What rights and freedoms do Americans have?
Defining Civil Rights and Liberties
The Origins of Rights and Liberties
The Special Role of the Courts
Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality
Slavery and African Americans
The Treatment of Immigrants
Other Failures
Popular Demands for More Rights
The Civil Rights Movement
Other Movements
Incorporating the Bill of Rights into the Fourteenth Amendment
Government Responses to Discrimination
Affirmative Action
Abortion Rights
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Access to What Others Have: Rights of the Disabled
Rights Related to Sexual Identity
In Comparison: Rights and Liberties around the World
Data Exploration: Civil Liberties and National Security: A Trade-Off
Why Protect Rights and Liberties?
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 5: Congress
How do legislators rise above self-interest and the narrow interests of their districts to pass impo
Congress and the Constitution
Bicameralism
Making Law
Congressional Elections
Causes of Individualism in Congress
Representing the District or State
Internal Institutions of Congress
An Increasingly Institutionalized Congress
Party Leaders
Committees
Other Internal Features
The Process of Lawmaking
Proposals
Referrals
Committee Action
Moving Bills to the Floor
Senate Distinctiveness
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: A Sit-In for Gun Control
Floor Action
Conference Committees
Presidential Signature
Making Law in a System of Separation of Powers
In Comparison: Legislative Institutions
Data Exploration: Does Gerrymandering Matter?
Analyzing Collective Dilemmas in Congress
Three Models for Analyzing Congress
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 6: The Presidency
How and why has presidential power grown?
Sources of Presidential Power
Constitutional Bases of Presidential Power
Solving Collective Dilemmas and Principal-Agent Problems since the Founding
Shaping the Modern Presidency
Nineteenth-Century Changes
Through the Twentieth Century and into the Twenty-First
Enhancing Presidential Power through Military and Economic Means
Today’s Powerful Presidency
The Veto
Executive Orders, Executive Agreements, and Signing Statements
Appointments
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Abortion Funding and the Use of Executive Orders
Solving Collective Dilemmas with Administrative and Financial Resources
In Comparison: Executive Forms
Data Exploration: The Politics of Executive Orders
Checks on Presidential Power
Investigations and Impeachment
Electoral Pressures
Institutionalizing Presidential Power to Solve Collective Dilemmas
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 7: The Bureaucracy
Who controls the bureaucracy? And does it work?
What Is the Federal Bureaucracy?
Why Do We Need a Federal Bureaucracy?
Solvers of Collective Dilemmas
Principals and Agents in the Executive Bureaucracy
The Motivations of Bureaucrats
Bureaucracy’s Principal-Agent Problems
Bureaucrats as Policy Makers
How Has the Bureaucracy Changed?
The Early Years
Growth in Size
The Spoils System
Civil Service Reform
Modern Reforms of the Bureaucracy
Privatization and Marketization
Shaping and Influencing the Bureaucracy
Appointments
Budgeting
Oversight
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Bureaucratic Budget Battles
The Courts’ Influence
Interest Groups
In Comparison: Bureaucratic Traditions
Data Exploration: Do Bureaucrats Behave Differently than Elected Officials?
Two Views of Bureaucracy
The Progressive Vision of a Fair, Competent, and Impartial Bureaucracy
The Democratic Vision of a Bureaucracy Responsive to the Wishes of Politicians Elected by the People
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 8: The Judiciary
Are the courts above politics?
Courts and Collective Dilemmas
Prisoner’s Dilemmas
Coordination Problems
Independence and Legitimacy
Constitutional Basis
Establishing Judicial Power
Judicial Review
Supremacy of Federal Courts and Federal Law
The Court of Last Resort
Organization of the American Judiciary
Types of Cases
Standing and Class Actions
Federal Courts
State Courts and the Electoral Connection
Jurisdiction at the Federal and State Levels
Common Law and Legal Precedent
Path of a Supreme Court Case
Choosing Cases
Legal Briefs
Oral Arguments
The Conference
Opinion Writing
In Comparison: The Judiciary
Selecting Judges
Judicial Review
How Political Are the Courts?
Minority Rights versus Majority Rule
Analyzing Judicial Behavior
Data Exploration: Ideology on the Supreme Court
Public Opinion, Congress, and the Federal Courts
The Politics of Judicial Appointments
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: The Politics and Strategies of Judicial Confirmations
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 9: Public Opinion
What is the link between public opinion and politicians’ behavior?
Public Opinion in a Democratic System
What Is Public Opinion?
The Challenge of Having Many Principals
Measuring Public Opinion
Early Attempts at Measurement
Random Sampling
Possible Biases
Alternative Methods to Surveys
Where Do Political Attitudes Come From?
Socialization
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Meta-Analysis: A Response to the Cell Phone Era
Interests and Rationality
Group Attachments
Emotions
Influence of Elites
Predispositions
Ideology
Party Identification
Other Predispositions
Opinions on Policies and Politicians
Policy Opinions
Evaluations of Politicians and Government Institutions
Apathy and Lack of Knowledge
Rational Ignorance?
Apathy and Non-Attitudes
In Comparison: Public Opinion
Public Opinion and Policy Making
Data Exploration: Income, Policy Preferences, and Outcomes: Do the Rich Win?
Does Government Policy Follow Public Opinion or Vice Versa?
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 10: Poltical Participation
Why do groups with the greatest interest in changing the status quo have relatively low turnout rate
Participation and Democratic Politics
Conventional and Unconventional Participation
Collective Dilemmas in Participation
Tallying the Costs and Benefits of Participating
Registering to Vote
Gathering Information
Voting
Participation beyond Voting
Interests, Institutions, And Outcomes Voter Turnout
The Struggles for Voting Rights
Restricting the Right to Vote
Challenges to Reforms Intended to Increase Turnout
Removing Barriers to Voting
Group Struggles
Patterns of Participation in the United States
Trends in Voter Turnout
The Demographics of Participation
In Comparison: Political Participation
Data Exploration: Does the Cost of Voting Affect Turnout?
The Crucial Role of Institutions and Mobilization
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 11: Interest Groups and Social Movements
How can well-organized, narrow interests influence government in ways that go against the preference
What Are Interest Groups, and What Do They Do?
Inside and Outside Lobbying
Campaign Financing
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: The Costs, Benefits, and Politics of Tax-Exempt Status
Collective Dilemmas and Interest Group Politics
Collective Action Problems
Overcoming Collective Action Problems
Coordination Problems
Determining Interest Group Influence
Social Movements
Deeper Analysis of Social Movements
In Comparison: Group Politics
Data Exploration: What Does Lobbying Look Like Up Close?
Organized Forms of Public Pressure
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 12: Political Parties
Why are political parties and partisanship so widely criticized, but also so indispensable in a demo
What Are Parties?
Parties in Government
Parties as Organizations
Parties in the Electorate
The History of the American Party System
The First Party System
The Second Party System
The Third Party System
The Fourth Party System
The Fifth Party System
The Sixth Party System
Understanding Transitions to New Party Systems
Why Two Parties?
The Electoral System
National–State Political Relations
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Sore-Loser Laws: AntiDemocratic, Smart Tactics, or Both?
Major-Party Actions
In Comparison: Parties
Two Parties versus More Parties
Party Discipline
Data Exploration Do the Rich (Candidates) Get Richer? FundRaising and Political Parties
Key Intermediate Institutions of Democracy
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 13: Elections and Campaigns
Do campaigns matter in national elections, and if so, how?
What Do Elections Accomplish?
Determining Policy Direction and Ideology
Choosing Competent, NonCorrupt Leaders
American Electoral Institutions
StateLevel Election Laws
Plurality Rule
Election Ballots
Direct Democracy
American Electoral Campaigns
Getting on the Ballot
Raising Campaign Money
Campaign Rhetoric and Prisoner’s Dilemmas
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Caucuses and Primaries: Who Goes First?
Campaigning with Modern Technologies
Voter Decision Making
In Comparison: Elections
Different Formal Electoral Institutions
PartyCentered, Ideological Elections
Data Exploration Which Candidates “Go Negative”? And When?
Limited Campaigning
Public Financing of Campaigns
Is There a Need for Reform?
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 14: Mass Media and the Press
Is media bias a problem in American politics?
Mass Media and the Press in a Democracy
Providing Essential Information
Evaluating and Interpreting
Helping Solve Collective Dilemmas
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Verifying Political Statements
Trends in Media and the Press
The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
Network Television Comes to Predominate
Rise of New Media
Mass Media Companies and the Profit Motive
Government Regulation
In Comparison: Mass Media
Are the American Press and Mass Media Biased?
Discerning Bias
Ideological versus Other Kinds of Bias
How Can Bias Occur?
Media Effects
Who Chooses Which Media Content and Why?
What Is the Effect of Specific Media Content?
Data Exploration: Do Fact-Checking Organizations Change Candidate Behavior?
Politicians and the Government as Sources
The Media as Principals and Agents
The Press and Mass Media as Principals
The Press and Mass Media as Agents
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 15: Economic Policy
What can governments do about the economy? Why do they sometimes favor one approach over another?
Government and the Economy: Ideas and Historical Trends
Prominent Economic Philosophies
Economic Policy in the Early United States
A Growing Role for Government
Benefits and Costs
Types of Public Goods
Externalities
Purposes of Economic Policies
Distributing Benefits
Redistributing Benefits
Stabilizing the Economy
Regulating Commerce
Promoting Economic Growth
Types of Policies
Monetary Policies
Fiscal Policies
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Independence and Accountability at the Federal Reserve
Trade Policies
In Comparison: Economic Policy
The Politics of Economic Policy Making
Data Exploration: Income Inequality and Politics
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 16: Social Policy
Why are social policies so controversial?
What Are Social Policies?
Historical Perspective
Social Policies at the State and Local Levels
The Growing Role of the National Government
Major Areas of Social Policy
Basic Provisions for the Poor
Social Insurance
Education
Health Care
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: Inequality in Public Education: Roots and Reforms
Housing
Crime Prevention
Political Ideologies and Social Policies
In Comparison: Social Policy
Data Exploration: Who Deserves Social Services?
Interest Groups, Parties, and Social Policy Making
Collective Dilemmas among Sectors of Society
The Major Parties and Social Policies
Explaining Political Outcomes
Further Reading
Key Terms
Chapter 17: Foreign Policy
What tools does the United States have to craft foreign policy? When and why does it use them?
Collective Dilemmas and Foreign Policy
Domestic Dilemmas
International Dilemmas
Theories and Strategies of Foreign Policy
Realism
Idealism
Internationalism versus Isolationism
Unilateralism versus Multilateralism
The Democratic Peace as a Motivation
Contemporary Political Science Approaches
Historical Perspective
Tools of Foreign Policy
Basic Tools
Crisis Tools
Making Foreign Policy
Elected Leaders
Bureaucracies
Data Exploration: Who (Do the American People Think) Makes Foreign Policy?
Interests, Institutions, and Outcomes: The Politics of Military Base Closings
Domestic Political Pressures
Foreign Policy Doctrines
Domestic and International Constraints on Foreign Policy
Further Reading
Key Terms
Appendix
The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The Constitution of the United States of America
Amendments to the Constitution
The Federalist Papers
Glossary
Credits
Index
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