This volume offers a broad introduction to US government. As well as looking at institutions such as the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court, the book looks at the social and cultural context within which political issues are discussed. It also surveys controversies and arguments. Should, for example, the institutions created in the US constitution be seen as too weak or too strong? Can the US still be seen as a federal nation, or are all significant decisions taken in Washington, DC? Is the American law-making process in the grip of lobbyists. The book also includes ways of taking the subject further by listing follow-up reading, identifying useful Internet sites and providing a guide to relevant cinema films.
The Fifth Edition of American Politics Today is designed to show students the reality of politics today and how it connects to their own lives. New features--from chapter opening cases that address the kinds of questions students ask, to full-page graphics that illustrate key political processes--show students how politics works and why it matters. All components of the learning package--textbook, InQuizitive adaptive learning tool, and coursepack--are organized around specific chapter learning goals to ensure that students learn the nuts and bolts of American government.
The 21st century has been a volatile period for American Muslims. Yet despite anti-Muslim bias, American Muslims now have unprecedented avenues of influence in U.S. politics. In this critically-timed volume, Mohammad Hassan Khalil has drawn on leading scholars to provide a deep look at the rich political history and future of American Muslims.
All the tools students need to understand American politics—in a briefer text. American Politics Today helps students understand the debates and controversies that they encounter in the news by emphasizing conflict and compromise as natural parts of politics. The Essentials Edition includes all the learning tools from the full book—including highly visual “How It Works” infographics and an approach organized around Chapter Goals—in a text that is 30% shorter.
In a campaign for state or local office these days, you’re as likely today to hear accusations that an opponent advanced Obamacare or supported Donald Trump as you are to hear about issues affecting the state or local community. This is because American political behavior has become substantially more nationalized. American voters are far more engaged with and knowledgeable about what’s happening in Washington, DC, than in similar messages whether they are in the South, the Northeast, or the Midwest. Gone are the days when all politics was local. With The Increasingly United States, Daniel J. Hopkins explores this trend and its implications for the American political system. The change is significant in part because it works against a key rationale of America’s federalist system, which was built on the assumption that citizens would be more strongly attached to their states and localities. It also has profound implications for how voters are represented. If voters are well informed about state politics, for example, the governor has an incentive to deliver what voters—or at least a pivotal segment of them—want. But if voters are likely to back the same party in gubernatorial as in presidential elections irrespective of the governor’s actions in office, governors may instead come to see their ambitions as tethered more closely to their status in the national party.
'US Politics Today' offers a broad introduction to US government. As well as looking at institutions such as the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court, the book looks at the social and cultural context within which political issues are discussed.
Leading political innovation activist Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter bring fresh perspective, deep scholarship, and a real and actionable solution, Final Five Voting, to the grand challenge of our broken political and democratic system. Final Five Voting has already been adopted in Alaska and is being advanced in states across the country. The truth is, the American political system is working exactly how it is designed to work, and it isn't designed or optimized today to work for us—for ordinary citizens. Most people believe that our political system is a public institution with high-minded principles and impartial rules derived from the Constitution. In reality, it has become a private industry dominated by a textbook duopoly—the Democrats and the Republicans—and plagued and perverted by unhealthy competition between the players. Tragically, it has therefore become incapable of delivering solutions to America's key economic and social challenges. In fact, there's virtually no connection between our political leaders solving problems and getting reelected. In The Politics Industry, business leader and path-breaking political innovator Katherine Gehl and world-renowned business strategist Michael Porter take a radical new approach. They ingeniously apply the tools of business analysis—and Porter's distinctive Five Forces framework—to show how the political system functions just as every other competitive industry does, and how the duopoly has led to the devastating outcomes we see today. Using this competition lens, Gehl and Porter identify the most powerful lever for change—a strategy comprised of a clear set of choices in two key areas: how our elections work and how we make our laws. Their bracing assessment and practical recommendations cut through the endless debate about various proposed fixes, such as term limits and campaign finance reform. The result: true political innovation. The Politics Industry is an original and completely nonpartisan guide that will open your eyes to the true dynamics and profound challenges of the American political system and provide real solutions for reshaping the system for the benefit of all. THE INSTITUTE FOR POLITICAL INNOVATION The authors will donate all royalties from the sale of this book to the Institute for Political Innovation.
Not only introducing the defining features of contemporary American politics but also considering the strengths and weaknesses of a system that is now under serious strain, this edition is ideal for students, teaching staff, and the general reader.
