Items related to Politics in America, Basic Version (5th Edition)
Politics in America, written by the well-known political scientist Tom Dye, presents a clear, concise introduction to the American political system. His lively, absorbing narrative examines the struggle for power: “Who gets what, when, and how”. This Basic Version of the popular book includes current coverage of our political system, and covers such topics as: political culture, the constitution, the participants and the party system, institutions such as Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts, and personal liberties and civil rights. For anyone interested in reading about the American political system, including government employees, political workers, and policymakers.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author:
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
THOMAS R. DYE, formerly Professor of Government at Florida State University, is President of the Lincoln Center for Public Service. He regularly taught large introductory classes in American politics and was University Teacher of the Year in 1987. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books and articles on American government and public policy, including The Irony of Democracy; Politics in States and Communities; Understanding Public Policy; Who's Running America; American Politics in the Media Age; Power in Society; Politics, Economics, and the Public; and American Federalism: Competition Among Governments. His books have been translated into many languages, including Russian and Chinese, and published abroad. He has served as president of the Southern Political Science Association, president of the Policy Studies Organization, and secretary of the American Political Science Association. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Georgia, and served as a visiting scholar at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi, and is listed in most major biographical directories.
Politics is an activity by which people try to get more of whatever there is to get. It is not about the pursuit of liberty as much as it is about the struggle over the allocation of values in society. Simply put, it is about "who gets what, when, and how."
By using Lasswell's classic definition of politics as the unifying framework, Politics in America, Fifth Edition, strives to present a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Without the conflicts that arise from disagreement over who should get what, when, and how, our government would not reflect the diverse concerns of the nation. Politics consists of all of the activities—reasonable discussion, impassioned oratory, campaigning, balloting, fund raising, advertising, lobbying, demonstrating, rioting, street fighting, and waging war—by which conflict is carried on. Managing conflict is the principle function of the political system and power is the ultimate goal.
By examining the struggle for power—the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas—Politics in America, Fifth Edition, introduces students to the politics that is the basis for our democracy.
Why Politics in America?
Recent market research indicates that 76 percent of instructors teaching the Introductory American Government course find engaging their students to be the most difficult task facing them. Politics in America, Fifth Edition, is written to be lively and absorbing, reflecting the teaching philosophy that stimulating students' interest in politics and public affairs is the most important goal of an introductory course. Interesting examples and controversial debates spark students' interest and keep them connected to the material. The struggle for power in society is not a dull topic, and textbooks should not make it so.
Politics in America, Fifth Edition, strives for a balanced presentation, but "balanced" does not mean boring. It does not mean the avoidance of controversy. Liberal and conservative arguments are set forth clearly and forcefully. Race and gender are given particular attention, not because it is currently fashionable to do so, but because American politics has long been driven by these factors. As in previous editions, the trademark of this book continues to be its desire to pull students into the debate that is our political system.
Organization
Part I, "Politics," begins with Lasswell's classic definition of politics and proceeds to describe the nature and functions of government and the meaning of democracy. It poses the question: How democratic is the American political system? It describes the American political culture: its contradictions between liberty and conformity, political equality and economic inequality, equality of opportunity and inequality of results, thus laying the groundwork for understanding the struggle over who gets what.
Part II, "Constitution," describes the politics of constitution making—deciding how to decide. It describes how the struggle over the U.S. Constitution reflected the distribution of power in the new nation. It focuses on the classic arguments of the Founders for limiting and dividing governmental power and the structural arrangements designed to accomplish this end.
Part III, "Participants," begins by examining individual participation in politics—the way people acquire and hold political opinions and act on them through voting and protest activity. It examines the influences of family, school, gender, race, and the role of media in shaping political opinion. It describes how organization concentrates power—to win public office in the case of party organizations, and to influence policy in the case of interest groups. It assesses the role of personal ambition in politics and the role of money.
Part IV, "Institutions," describes the various governmental arenas in which the struggle for power takes place—the Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, the courts. More important, it evaluates the power that comes with control of each of these institutions.
Part V, "Outcomes," deals with public policies—the result of the struggle over the allocation of values. It is especially concerned with the two fundamental values of American society—liberty and equality. Each is examined in separate chapters, as are economic policies, welfare policies, and national security policies.
New to the Fifth Edition
The Fifth Edition of Politics in America describes the changes in American politics inspired by the "9/11" terrorist attack on America. It encourages students to consider the trade-off between security and liberty, to observe the increased trust in government and the "rally 'round the flag" effect on presidential approval, and to discuss the effect of the national crisis on the presidency, notably the transformation of George W Bush into the nation's "Commander-in-Chief."
Both election reform and campaign finance reform following the 2000 presidential election are described and illustrated. The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, eliminating "soft money," is discussed along with its likely effects and possible loopholes. The mechanics of balloting also receive new attention, including the illustration of Florida's controversial "butterfly ballot" that may have cost Al Gore the presidency. And the book describes the early maneuvering of candidates for the 2004 presidential election—Up Close: "Campaign 2004, Off and Running."
The Fifth Edition also describes changes in congressional politics, including the changes brought about by the midterm 2002 elections. Equally important is its discussion of how a partisan switch of a single senator, Jim Jeffords, created divided party government. It also describes the political clout of New York's junior senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as well as that of the highest ranking woman in the House congressional leadership structure, Nancy Pelosi. It describes the apportionment and redistricting battles of 2001-2002, including efforts at "incumbent gerrymandering."
The Fifth Edition also strengthens the book's comparative government element. It describes the history and structure of the European Union, including its movement toward federalism. It includes new material on America's neighbors, Canada and Mexico. The Canadian parliamentary system and multiparty system are given special attention, and Mexico's presidential system is described, together with Vicente Fox's leadership of the nation away from one-partyism. It also compares American support for the war on terrorism with that of Europeans, as well as with that of people in Muslim countries.
The Fifth Edition strengthens the discussion of judicial politics, especially with respect to the Supreme Court's controversial decision in Bush vs. Gore. It presents both majority and dissenting opinions from the case itself. The controversial issue of child pornography, and recent Supreme Court decisions regarding it, are given special attention. And a new issue is raised regarding rights guaranteed by the Constitution: "Should Victims' Rights Be Added to the Constitution?"
A new section on "Economic Globalization" has been included in the chapter on Politics and the Economy, together with a discussion of whether globalization helps or hurts American workers. And the chapter on Politics and Welfare includes a new section on the always controversial topic of Social Security reform.
Finally, the military phase of America's War on Terrorism, "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, is described, along with a brief guide to terrorist activity in recent decades and a discussion of the likely prospects for long-term success against terrorism.
New Features
Chapter 1: Up Close: 'Terrorism's Threat to Democracy"
Chapter 3: Compared to What? "Canada's Parliamentary System"
Complete Annotated U.S. Constitution
Chapter 4: Compared to What? "The European Union"
What Do You Think? "Should Violence against Women Be a Federal Crime?"
Chapter 5: Up Close: "The 'Butterfly' Ballot"
Chapter 6: Up Close: "Media Campaign 2000"
Chapter 7: Compared to What? "Canada's Multiparty System"
Chapter 8: Up Close: "Campaign 2004, Off and Running"
Chapter 9: What Do You Think? "Did Campaign Contributions Help Enron?"
Chapter 10: People in Politics: "Jim Jeffords Shakes Up the Senate"
People in Politics: "Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate"
People in Politics: "Nancy Pelosi, Whipping Democrats into Shape"
People in Politics: "Trent Lott, Leading Senate Republicans"
Chapter 11: Up Close: "'9/11' Transforms Bush and the Nation"
Compared to What? "Mexican President Vicente Fox"
People in Politics: "George W Becomes Commander-in-Chief"
People in Politics: "Dick Cheney, Presidential Confidant"
Chapter 12: Up Close: "The Department of Homeland Security"
People in Politics: "Alan Greenspan, Managing the Nation's Economy" (a revision)
Chapter 13: Up Close: "William Jefferson Clinton versus Paula Corbin Jones" (moved from chapter 11 to chapter 13)
Bush v. Gore in the U.S. Supreme Court (new section)
Up Close: "Bush v. Gore, Majority and Dissenting Opinions"
Chapter 14: Privacy, Abortion, and the Constitution (new section, previously a box feature)
Up Close: "Child Pornography"
What Do You Think? "Should Victims' Rights Be Added to the Constitution?"
Chapter 16: Economic Globalization (new section)
What Do You Think? "Does Globalization Help or Hurt America?"
What Do You Think? "Should We Increase Government Services or Reduce Taxes?"
Chapter 17: What Do You Think? "How Should We Reform Social Security?"
Chapter 18: The War on Terrorism (new se...
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPearson College Div
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 0130494151
- ISBN 13 9780130494153
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number5
- Number of pages624
- Rating
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