American Government 3e aligns with the topics and objectives of many government courses. Faculty involved in the project have endeavored to make government workings, issues, debates, and impacts meaningful and memorable to students while maintaining the conceptual coverage and rigor inherent in the subject. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and arranged to provide a logical progression from the fundamental principles of institutional design at the founding, to avenues of political participation, to thorough coverage of the political structures that constitute American government. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The goal of each section is to enable students not just to recognize concepts, but to work with them in ways that will be useful in later courses, future careers, and as engaged citizens.
In order to help students understand the ways that government, society, and individuals interconnect, the revision includes more examples and details regarding the lived experiences of diverse groups and communities within the United States. The authors and reviewers sought to strike a balance between confronting the negative and harmful elements of American government, history, and current events, while demonstrating progress in overcoming them. In doing so, the approach seeks to provide instructors with ample opportunities to open discussions, extend and update concepts, and drive deeper engagement.
Unit 1 Students and the System
Chapter 1 American Government and Civic Engagement
Chapter 2 The Constitution and Its Origins
Chapter 3 American Federalism
Unit 2 Individual Agency and Action
Chapter 4 Civil Liberties
Chapter 5 Civil Rights
Chapter 6 The Politics of Public Opinion
Chapter 7 Voting and Elections
Unit 3 Toward Collective Action: Mediating Institutions
Chapter 8 The Media
Chapter 9 Political Parties
Chapter 10 Interest Groups and Lobbying
Unit 4 Delivering Collective Action: Formal Institutions
Chapter 11 Congress
Chapter 12 The Presidency
Chapter 13 The Courts
Chapter 14 State and Local Government
Unit 5 The Outputs of Government
Chapter 15 The Bureaucracy
Chapter 16 Domestic Policy
Chapter 17 Foreign Policy
Appendix A Declaration of Independence
Appendix B The Constitution of the United States
Appendix C Federalist Papers #10 and #51
Appendix D Electoral College Map
Appendix E Selected Supreme Court Cases
