Basics Of American Politics

A lively, straight-forward approach to the basics of American Politics

Written to engage students, and kept short to provide a flexible foundation for instructors, The Basics of American Politics covers all the terms and topics a student will need to understand the nuts-and-bolts of American government and politics. This title uses a dynamic game metaphor to engage students in the basics of the American political system and the contact sport of politics. Beginning with a clear definition of politics, it introduces four governmental and four nongovernmental “players” who must abide by the “rules of the game” established by the Constitution and civil liberties. It ends by examining rival theories of who wins and who loses in American politics.

Written to engage students, and kept short to provide a flexible foundation for instructors, The Basics of American Politics covers all the terms and topics a student will need to understand the nuts-and-bolts of American government and politics. This title uses a dynamic game metaphor to engage students in the basics of the American political system and the contact sport of politics. Beginning with a clear definition of politics, it introduces four governmental and four nongovernmental players who must abide by the rules of the game established by the Constitution and civil liberties. It ends by examining rival theories of who wins and who loses in American politics.

Chapter 1. What Is Politics?

Chapter 2. The Constitution: Rules of the Game

Chapter 3. The Executive Branch: The Presidency and Bureaucracy

Chapter 4. The Legislative Branch: Congress

Chapter 5. The Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court and the Federal Court System

Chapter 6. Civil Rights and Liberties: Protecting the Players

Chapter 7. Voters and Political Parties

Chapter 8. Interest Groups and the Media

Chapter 9. Who Wins, Who Loses: Pluralism versus Elitism

Appendix. The Declaration of Independence

                 The Constitution of the United States