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American Democracy in Context
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American Democracy in Context

First Edition
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December 2019 | 528 pages | CQ Press
Discover what makes American democracy unique and how its government impacts your life 

American Democracy in Context provides a combined comparative and historical approach to inspire students to better understand American government and become active citizens. Bestselling authors Maltese, Pika, and Shively explain the distinctive features of how Americans practice democracy—how they vote, translate election results into representation of interests, make policy decisions, enforce laws and maintain justice—and how those practices differ from other democracies throughout the world. The emphasis is always on the American political system, but the search for understanding encourages students to examine how the American system has developed over time (historical context) and how it compares with similar practices in other democracies (comparative context). This combined approach motivates students to understand why politics is relevant to their everyday lives and how they can affect changes and make a difference.

Hear author John Maltese talk about key features in the book. Watch now!

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Preface
 
A Note From the Authors
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
PART I FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
 
CHAPTER 1: DEMOCRACY AND AMERICAN POLITICS
Government and Politics

 
Democracy as a Form of Government

 
Functions of Government

 
American Values

 
American Ideologies

 
Comparative and Historical Contexts

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 2: THE FOUNDING AND THE CONSTITUTION
The American Colonies

 
Revolution and Independence

 
The Articles of Confederation

 
Starting Over: The Constitutional Convention

 
The Constitution

 
Ratifying the Constitution

 
Amending the Constitution

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 3: FEDERALISM
Understanding Federalism

 
The Constitutional Allocation of the Powers of Government

 
Competing Interpretations of Federalism

 
Early Precedents: National Supremacy Prevails

 
The Resurgence of States’ Rights

 
The New Deal and the Rise of Cooperative Federalism

 
The New Federalism and Beyond

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
PART II CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS
 
CHAPTER 4: CIVIL LIBERTIES
The Bill of Rights

 
The First Amendment Freedoms of Speech, Press, and Assembly

 
The First Amendment Guarantee of Freedom of Religion

 
The Right of Privacy

 
The Rights of Criminal Defendants

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 5: CIVIL RIGHTS
Slavery in America

 
Civil Rights for African Americans After the Civil War

 
African American Civil Rights in the Twentieth Century

 
Women and Equal Rights

 
Discrimination Based on Ethnicity

 
New Frontiers in Civil Rights

 
Redressing Past Discrimination

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
PART III PEOPLE AND POLITICS
 
CHAPTER 6: PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION
Public Opinion and Political Culture

 
Political Socialization

 
Group Differences in the United States

 
How Public Opinion Changes

 
How Ideologies Gain Their Structure

 
How Public Opinion Is Measured

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 7: POLITICAL PARTIES AND INTEREST GROUPS
Defining Political Parties and Interest Groups

 
The Development of American Political Parties

 
The Structure of American Parties

 
The Two-Party System

 
Responsible Party Government

 
Interest Groups in American Politics

 
Interest Group Representation and the Organization of Public Opinion

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 8: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
The Development of Elections in the United States

 
The Presidential Campaign

 
Congressional Elections

 
Electoral Systems and Their Effects

 
Elections and the Representation of Women and Minorities

 
Campaign Finance

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 9: PARTICIPATION, VOTING BEHAVIOR, AND CAMPAIGNS
Political Participation

 
Voter Turnout

 
How People Make Voting Decisions

 
Political Campaigns and the Voters’ Choices

 
Party Polarization Among Voters

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 10: MEDIA AND POLITICS
The Functions of the Media

 
Tracing the Development of Media in the United States

 
Government Regulation of the Media

 
Government and the Media

 
Assessing the Media

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
PART IV INSTITUTIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
 
CHAPTER 11: CONGRESS
The Functions of Congress

 
Constitutional Powers

 
The Structure of Congress

 
How Congress Operates

 
Assembling Coalitions Makes Action Possible

 
The Legislative Process

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 12: THE PRESIDENCY
Presidential and Parliamentary Systems

 
The Evolving Job of President

 
Public Approval of Presidents

 
The Institutional Presidency

 
Presidential Goals and Keys to Success

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 13: BUREAUCRACY
Democracy and Bureaucracy in the United States

 
Features of a Modern Bureaucracy

 
The Checkered History of Bureaucracy in the United States

 
The Complex Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy

 
The Size of the Federal Bureaucracy

 
The Search for Control

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
CHAPTER 14: THE JUDICIARY
An Independent Judiciary Enforcing the Rule of Law

 
An Overview of the U.S. Court System

 
The Supreme Court in Action

 
Limits on the Supreme Court

 
How Judges Are Selected

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
PART V PUBLIC POLICY
 
CHAPTER 15: DOMESTIC AND ECONOMIC POLICY
Making Public Policy

 
Health Care

 
Social Security

 
Energy and the Environment

 
Economic Policy

 
Consequences for Democracy

 
 
Appendix A: The Declaration of Independence
 
Appendix B: The Constitution of the United States of America
 
Appendix C: Federalist No. 10 (James Madison)
 
Appendix D: Federalist No. 51 (James Madison)
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Index

Supplements

Student Resources
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Instructor Resources
edge.sagepub.com/maltese


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Key features
KEY FEATURES:
  • The new edition is available as a digital option through SAGE Vantage, an intuitive digital platform that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools—including video—all designed to enable students to better prepare for class. Learn more.
  • Perspective chapter-opening vignettes set the stage for the rest of the chapter discussion, as well as help students see political connections, by comparing a historical moment, current event, or policy in the United States to that of another country. 

  • Picture Yourself exercises help students to fully understand and appreciate different aspects of American government by encouraging them to consider what it would be like to experience some aspect of the political system of another country or of the U.S. at another period of time or from a particular vantage point.

  • Consequences for Democracy sections provide thought-provoking summaries for each chapter to help students understand the distinctive features of American politics as well as the common features of democracy.

  • SAGE Coursepacks enables instructors to import high-quality content into their school’s learning management system (LMS) with no access codes.

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