Synopses & Reviews
This popular brief edition text maintains the framework of the Wilson, DiIulio, and Bose complete text, emphasizing the historical development of the American political system, who governs, and to what ends. Completely up to date, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: BRIEF VERSION, Eleventh Edition offers new coverage of such key and emerging issues as the 2012 campaigns and elections; leadership of President Obama and the 112th Congress; the economic downturn and ensuing policies; healthcare reform; foreign relations with North Korea and Iran; the war in Afghanistan; and more.
Review
"This is a superb book. It covers a tremendous amount of material briefly and clearly without sacrificing complexity or compromising scholarly standards. Moreover, it's balanced; the author has no axe to grind, no partisan agenda he's seeking to further."
Review
"Wilson has always had the gift of lucidity. . . I like the idea of 'Enduring Questions', as today's students seem to need the bottom line."
Review
"Clarity is the greatest strength of this book. Political nomenclature is explained in a manner that helps students relate the content to their every day lives."
Review
"I like the historically grounded character of the text's treatment."
About the Author
University of California, Los Angeles, Professor Emeritus Bio: James Q. Wilson most recently taught at Boston College and Pepperdine University. He was Professor Emeritus of Management and Public Administration at UCLA and was previously Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. He wrote more than a dozen books on the subjects of public policy, bureaucracy, and political philosophy. He was president of the American Political Science Association, and he is the only political scientist to win three of the four lifetime achievement awards presented by the APSA. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, in 2003. Professor Wilson passed away in March of 2012 after battling cancer. His work helped shape the field of political science in the United States. His many years of service to his American Government book remain evident on every page and will continue for many editions to come. John J. DiIulio, Jr. is the Freeric Fox Leadership Professor and Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and has won each of Penn's most prestigious teaching awards. He was previously Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He received his Ph. D. in Political Science from Harvard University. He has been a senior fellow and directed research programs at several leading think tanks including the Brookings Institution, and has won awards from the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management, the American Political Science Association, and other bodies. He has advised presidential candidates in both parties, served on bipartisan government reform commissions, and worked as a senior staff member in the White House. Meena Bose holds the Peter S. Kalikow Chair in Presidential Studies at Hofstra University and directs Hofstra's Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency. She received her Ph.D. (1996) from Princeton University. Dr. Bose teaches courses on the American Presidency, American Foreign Policy, and American Politics. She is the author or editor of several volumes in presidency studies and American politics. She taught for six years at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Table of Contents
1. What Should We Know About American Government? 2. The Constitution. 3. Civil Liberties. 4. Civil Rights. 5. Federalism. 6. Public Opinion and the Media. 7. Political Parties and Interest Groups. 8. Campaigns and Elections. 9. Congress. 10. The Presidency. 11. The Bureaucracy. 12. The Judiciary. 13. Making Domestic Policy. 14. Making Foreign and Military Policy. 15. How American Government Has Changed. Appendix: The Declaration of Independence. Appendix: The Constitution of the United States. Appendix: The Federalist No. 10. Appendix: The Federalist No. 51.