Synopses & Reviews
Written by Mack C. Shelley, Jamie Swift, and Steffen W. Schmidt, this reader is updated to include the latest issues in American political debate. You will find numerous readings that deal with controversial issues, legal conflicts, and ethical judgment calls directly related to academia and students. Some topics include diversity on trial, politicians on the web, campaign reform, and war in cyberspace. These topics will generate an exciting and productive debate on important issues facing Americans which will ultimately enhance students' critical thinking skills, the ability to engage in group or teamwork projects, active learning motivation, and communication skills, as well as foster a liberal education and stimulate positive, informed citizenship. Two to four articles per chapter.
Synopsis
Written by Mack C. Shelley, Jamie Swift, and Steffen W. Schmidt, this reader is updated to include the latest issues in American political debate. You will find numerous readings that deal with controversial issues, legal conflicts, and ethical judgment calls directly related to academia and students. Some topics include diversity on trial, politicians on the web, campaign reform, and war in cyberspace. These topics will generate an exciting and productive debate on important issues facing Americans which will ultimately enhance students critical thinking skills, the ability to engage in group or teamwork projects, active learning motivation, and communication skills, as well as foster a liberal education and stimulate positive, informed citizenship. Two to four articles per chapter.
About the Author
Mack C. Shelley, II is a professor of political science and statistics at Iowa State University. After receiving his bachelor's degree from American University in Washington, DC, he went on to graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a master's degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in Political Science. He arrived at Iowa State in 1979. From 1993 to 2002 he served as elected co-editor of the POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL. Shelley has also published numerous articles, books, and monographs on public policy, including THE PERMANENT MAJORITY: THE CONSERVATIVE COALITION IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS; BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE: A GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE (with William F. Woodman and Brian J. Reichel); AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY: THE CONTEMPORARY AGENDA (with Steven G. Koven and Bert E. Swanson); and QUALITY RESEARCH IN LITERACY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND GOLD STANDARDS (with Larry Yore and Brian Hand). Steffen W. Schmidt is a professor of political science at Iowa State University. He grew up in Colombia, South America, and has studied in Colombia, Switzerland, and France. He has a B.A. from Rollins College and obtained his Ph.D. from Columbia University, New York, in public law and government. Schmidt has published fourteen books and over one hundred and thirty articles in scholarly journals and is the recipient of numerous prestigious teaching prizes, including the Amoco Award for Lifetime Career Achievement in Teaching and the Teacher of the Year award. He is a pioneer in the use of web-based and real-time video courses and is a member of the American Political Science Association's section on Computers and Multimedia. He is known as "Dr. Politics" for his extensive commentary on US politics in US and international media. He is a weekly blogger for Gannett, comments on CNN en Espanol and Univision as well as WNYC, New York. He's on Facebook (SteffenWSchmidt) and Twitter (DrPolitics).
Table of Contents
Introduction. 1. The Democratic Republic. Speech by Illinois Senator Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, Boston, MA, July 27, 2004. Speech by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Republican National Convention, New York, NY, August 31, 2004. 2. The Constitution. ?The Politics of Gay Marriage?. Source: SEAS Consulting, ?Briefing Paper #38,? 2004. Massachusetts Constitutional Amendment on Gay Marriage, Massachusetts, February 11, 2004. President Calls for Constitutional Amendment Protecting Marriage, The White House, February 24, 2004. 3. Federalism. Electoral College Reform? Yes - Testimony of Curtis Gans, Director, Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, September 4, 1997. Electoral College Reform? Not a Good Idea - Testimony of Professor Judith A. Best, State University of New York at Cortland, before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, September 4, 1997. Electoral College Reform? Abolish It - Testimony of Representative Ray LaHood, 18th District, Illinois, before the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Constitution, September 4, 1997. 4. Civil Liberties. ?Obscenity Issues?. Source: SEAS Consulting, 2004. ACLU Letter to the House of Representatives Commenting on H.R. 3717, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004, March 2, 2004. 5. Civil Rights: Equal Protection. The Caucus Corner: Hispanic Heritage Month - A Proud History, A Bright Future, 108th Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez, Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, September 17, 2004. ?Commemorating 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education,? Speech of Hon. Barbara Lee of California in the House of Representatives, May 18, 2004. 6. Civil Rights: Beyond Equal Protection. Recognizing the Achievements of Operation Respect, the ?Dont Laugh at Me? Programs and Peter Yarrow, House of Representatives, April 29, 2003. The Supreme Courts Review of the Execution of Child Offenders, Senate, March 2, 2004. 7. Public Opinion and Political Socialization. Political Ignorance, Ilya Somin. Revised version of an article in the Newark Star Ledger. Public Opinion: Predicting Elections by Putting Real Money Where Your Political Opinions Are? 8. Interest Groups. South Florida Voters Over 65 Could Swing the Vote with Diverse Concerns, William E. Gibson, Washington Bureau Chief, October 16, 2004. ?Hispanic Vote Should Increase Focus Southward,? Andres Oppenheimer, The Miami Herald, November 4, 2004. ?The Crusade Against Evolution,? Evan Ratliff, Wired, October 2004. ?Is Intellegent Design Science or Creationism 2.0?? Scott Rank, Iowa State Daily, October 18, 2004. 9. Political Parties. ?I am a Democrat Now,? Marty Jezer, CommonDreams.org, January 23, 2004. ?Why I am a Republican,? Steven M. Warshawsky, AmericanDaily.com, August 31, 2004. ?Northrop: Green Party Pushes Good Governance,? Daryl A. Northrop, Des Moines Register, October 15, 2004. Satire: ?Why I am a Democrat,? David Burge, http://iowahawk.typepad.com/. 10. Campaigns, Candidates, and Elections. Speech by Senator John McCain, Republican, Arizona at the 2004 Republican National convention. Speech by former President Bill Clinton at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. 11. The Media. Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions, Senate, October 10, 2002. About the FCC, http://www.fcc.gov/aboutus.html. 12. The Congress. Congress in American Society, The Center on Congress, Indiana University, October 2004. Congressional Ethics Complaint Against Rep. Tom DeLay, October 6, 2004, House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. Congressman Crenshaw Praises Emergency Beach Renourishment Funding, Congressmans Website, U.S. House of Representatives. 13. The Presidency. ?How Kerry Became a Girlie-Man,? Frank Rich, New York Times, September 5, 2004. Threaded Discussion on Senator John Kerry and President Bush, Iowa State Daily, 2004. 14. The Bureaucracy. ?Federal Bureaucracy Thickening,? Amelia Gruber, http://www.govexec.com. ?President Highlights a More Secure America on First Anniversary of Department of Homeland Security,? http://www.whitehouse.gov. 15. The Judiciary. ?In Classic Check and Balance, Court Shows Bush it also has Wartime Powers,? Todd Purdham, The New York Times, June 29, 2004. ?Court, 5-4 Blocks Law Regulating Internet Access,? Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, June 30, 2004. History of Brown v. Board of Education, http://www.uscourts.gov , Outreach. Chapter 16: Domestic Policy. Budget and Deficit, House Democratic and Republican Budget Committees. In Defense of Hurricanes, Electric Politics, October 2004. 17. Economic Policy. Kerry Says Bush is Wrong for Choosing Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Instead of Creating Jobs, http://www.johnkerry.com. Economic Growth and Job Creation, http://www.whitehouse.gov. 18. Foreign and Defense Policy. U.S. Foreign Policy in the Second Bush Term, http://usinfo.state.gov/. ?The Dark Side,? Roy Morrison. ?U.S. Commitment to Afghan Women: The U.S.-Afghan Womens Council,? http://www.state.gov/. 19. State and Local Government. Initiatives and Constitutional Amendments in 2004, Source: SEAS Consulting, ?Policy Research Reports #67,? 2004. ?Protect Arizona Now?: Proposition 200 and the 2004 Election, Dr. Steffen Schmidt, Occasional Paper #32, 2004. ?Gay Marriage Amendment - The Case of Georgia,? Electric Politics, November 2004. 20. Money and Politics. Money and Politics, Syllabus of Supreme Court Ruling, 2003. Supreme Court Decision Upholding Soft Money Ban is Major Victory for America, Common Cause Statement on Supreme Court Victory. The McCain-Feingold-Cochran Campaign Reform Bill, The Hoover Institution. 21. Politics in Cyberspace. e-Democracy Blog - the 60 Minutes Bush Military Service Fiasco, 2004.