American Government: Brief Version

Contents Note: Each chapter concludes with a Summary, Web Addresses, and Suggested Readings. 1. What Should We Know About American Government? The Meanings of Democracy Representative Democracy 2. The Constitution The Problem of Liberty The Weaknesses of the Confederation The Constitutional Convention The Challenge The Constitution and Democracy The Constitution and Liberty The Constitution and Slavery Political Ideals or Economic Interests? Liberty and Equality A Recipe for Moderation 3. Federalism Governmental Structure Federalism: Good or Bad? The Founding The Evolving Meaning of Federalism The Division of Powers: Federal and State Fiscal Federalism Federal Aid and Federal Control Federalism and Public Policy Evaluating Federalism 4. Public Opinion and the Media What Is Public Opinion? The Origins of Political Attitudes Cleavages in Public Opinion Political Ideology Political Elites and the "New Class" 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? 5. 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 and Political Parties Kinds of Organization Funds for Interest Groups The Problem of Bias The Activities of Interest Groups Regulating Interest Groups 6. Campaigns and Elections Political Participation Historical Voting Patterns Explaining--and Improving--Turnout Political Campaigns The Effects of Campaigns How to Win an Election Election Outcomes Modern Technology and Political Campaigns Elections and Money The Effects of Elections on Policy 7. 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 Law How Members of Congress Vote What It All Means Ethics and Congress The Power of Congress 8. 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 9. The Bureaucracy Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy The Growth of the Bureaucracy The Federal Bureaucracy Today Congressional Oversight Bureaucratic "Pathologies" Reinventing Government 10. 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 11. Civil Liberties aAnd Civil Rights Freedom of Expression Church and State Crime and Due Process Equal Protection of the Laws 12. Politics and Public Policy How the American System Affects Policy Making How Things Get Done Four Kinds of Political Coalitions Some Cautionary Remarks 13. American Government: Continuity and Change Restraints on Growth Relaxing the Restraints Can or Should We Go Back to the Old Politics? Should the Constitutional System Be Changed?James Q. Wilson is the author of 'American Government: Brief Version' with ISBN 9780395961056 and ISBN 039596105X.