Synopses & Reviews
The brief edition maintains the framework of the complete text, emphasizing the historical development of the American political system, who governs, and to what end. Revisions include updated examples, tables, and figures; complete coverage through the 2004 Presidential election; and expanded discussion of domestic and foreign and defense policy in two new chapters--Chapter 12, Making Domestic Policy and Chapter 13, Making Foreign and Military Policy. Additional updates include discussions of current topics such as the U.S.A Patriot Act, recent Supreme Court decisions, and the Department of Homeland Security. An expanded discussion on education addresses how students may be influenced by interactions with campus organizations, political movements, and social contacts and how they may in turn affect public opinion.
Review
"Wilson's scholarship is superb and he doesn't have an ideological ax to grind."
About the Author
'James Q. Wilson teaches at Boston College and Pepperdine University. He is professor emeritus of Management and Public Administration at UCLA and was previously Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. He has written more than a dozen books on the subjects of public policy, bureaucracy, and political philosophy. He is a past 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.'
Table of Contents
Note: Each chapter (except 1 and 14) open with Enduring Questions and conclude with a Summary, Reconsidering the Enduring Questions, World Wide Web exercises, and Suggested Readings. 1. What Should We Know About American Government? The Meanings of Democracy Representative Democracy The Puzzles of American Government 2. The Constitution The Problem of Liberty Human Nature The Real Revolution The Articles of Confederation The Constitutional Convention The Lessons of Experience The Framers The Challenge Large States Versus Small States The Compromise The Constitution and Democracy Two Key Principles: Separation of Powers and Federalism Government and Human Nature The Constitution and Liberty The Constitution and Slavery Political Ideals or Economic Interests? Liberty and Equality A Recipe for Moderation 3. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Making Constitutional Rights Apply to the States Why Are Americans So Preoccupied with Rights? Freedom of Expression Church and State Crime and Due Process Terrorism and Civil Liberties Equal Protection of the Laws 4. Federalism Governmental Structure Federalism: Good or Bad? The Founding The History of Federalism The Division of Powers: Federal and State Fiscal Federalism Federal Aid and Federal Control Federalism and Public Policy Evaluating Federalism 5. Public Opinion and the Media What Is Public Opinion? Why Do We Distrust the Federal Government? The Origins of Political Attitudes Cleavages in Public Opinion Political Ideology The Impact of the Media The Structure of the Media Rules Governing the Media Government and the News Interpreting Political News Are News Stories Slanted? 6. Political Parties and Interest Groups Parties--Here and Abroad The National Party Structure Today State and Local Parties The Two-Party System Nominating a President Do the Parties Differ? Interest Groups Kinds of Organization Funds for Interest Groups The Problem of Bias The Activities of Interest Groups Regulating Interest Groups 7. Campaigns and Elections Political Participation Historical Voting Patterns Explaining--and Improving--Turnout Political Campaigns The Effects of Campaigns How to Win the Election Election Outcomes Modern Technology and Political Campaigns Elections and Money The Effects of Elections on Policy 8. Congress The Evolution of Congress Who Is in Congress? Getting Elected to Congress The Organization of Congress: Parties and Interests The Organization of Congress: Committees The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices How a Bill Becomes a Law How Members of Congress Vote A Polarized Congress in an Unpolarized Nation What It All Means Ethics and Congress The Power of Congress 9. The Presidency The Powers of the President The Evolution of the Presidency The Modern Presidency Who Gets Appointed Presidential Character The Power to Say No The President's Program Presidential Transitions The President and Public Policy 10. The Bureaucracy Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy The Growth of the Bureaucracy The Federal Bureaucracy Today Congressional Oversight Bureaucratic "Pathologies" Reinventing Government 11. The Judiciary The Development of the Federal Courts The Structure of the Federal Courts The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts Getting to Court The Supreme Court in Action The Power of the Courts Checks on Judicial Power 12. Making Domestic Policy The Economy Taxes Spending Subsidies Regulations Making Policy Decisions What These Political Differences Mean 13. Making Foreign and Military Policy Kinds of Foreign Policy The Constitutional Framework The New International World Three Major Problems The Politics of Foreign and Military Policy 14. American Government: Continuity and Change Restraints on Growth Relaxing the Restraints How the American System Affects Policymaking