The Struggle for Democracy (paperbound) (with Study Card)

This critical thinking approach to American government asks students to evaluate the quality of democracy in America today within a unique framework that offers a holistic view of our system. The seventh edition of this best-selling text has been completely updated through the 2004 Presidential Election. Continuing to offer a lively, critical thinking approach to the course, The Struggle for Democracy is organized around two themes: “Using the Democracy Standard” and “Using the Framework.” The first theme, woven throughout the narrative, asks students to evaluate the health and vitality of American democracy today against a carefully defined democratic ideal. The text's second theme, “Using the Framework,” asks students to look at the structures underlying our political system—such as the economy, society, cultural values, technology—and examine how these structures affect, and are affected by, our political system.

Table of Contents:
1. Democracy and American Politics. Robert Moses and the Struggle for African-American Voting Rights. Democracy. A Framework for Understanding How American Politics Works. Understanding American Politics Holistically. 2. The Constitution. Shays Rebellion. The Political Theory and Practices of the Revolutionary Era. The Articles of Confederation: The First Constitution. Convening the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention. The Struggle to Ratify the Constitution. The Changing Constitution, Democracy, and American Politics. 3. Federalism: States and Nation. Welfare Reform and the States. Federalism as a System of Government. The Constitution and Shared Powers. The Evolution of Federalism. The Rise of National Grants-in-Aid to the States. The Balance of Power and Control. The Consequences of Federalism. 4. The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics. “B-1 Bob” Learns About His District. American Society: How It Has Changed and Why It Matters. The American Economy. The United States in the International System. The Foundation Beliefs of American Political Culture. Structural Influences on American Politics. 5. Public Opinion and Political Socialization. The Vietnam War and the Public. Democracy and Public Opinion. What People Know About Politics. How People Feel About Politics. Sources of Political Attitudes. How People Differ. Public Opinion and Policy. 6. The Mass Media. “Vernon Jordan Meets the Press.” Roles of the Mass Media in Democracy. The Media Landscape. How the Media Work. Effects of the Media on Politics. Censorship and Government Regulation. Judging the Media. 7. Interest Groups and Corporations. Lobbying for China. Interest Groups in a Democratic Society: Contrasting Views. Interest Group Formation: Structural, Political Linkage, and Governmental Factors. What Interests Are Represented. What Interest Groups Do. Possible Flaws in the Pluralist Heaven. The Special Place of Business Corporations. Curing the Mischief of Factions. 8. Social Movements. Women Win the Right to Vote. What Are Social Movements? Major Social Movements in the United States. Social Movements in a Majoritarian Democracy. Factors That Encourage the Creation of Social Movements. Tactics of Social Movements. Why Social Movements Decline. Why Some Social Movements Succeed and Others Do Not. 9. Political Parties. The Rise of the Party Campaign Machine. The Role of Political Parties in a Democracy. The Two-Party System. Why a Two-Party System? The Parties as Organizations. The Parties in Government and in the Electorate. 10. Participation, Voting and Elections. The 2000 Presidential Election. Elections and Democracy. Political Participation. Campaigning for Office. Election Outcomes. 11. Congress. The 2004 Congressional Elections. Structural Foundations of the Modern Congress. Representation and Democracy. How Congress Works. Congress, Public Policy and the American People. 12. The President. The Reagan Revolution. The Expanding Presidency. The Many Roles of the President. The President's Staff and Cabinet. The President and the Bureaucracy. The President and Congress: Perpetual Tug-of-War. The President and the People: An Evolving Relationship. Getting Closer to the People. Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Social Movements. Structural Influences on the Presidency. 13. The Federal Bureaucracy. The Federal Bureaucracy Under Siege. A Comparative View of the American Bureaucracy. Transformation of the Bureaucracy: The Structural Context. The Nature of Bureaucracy. How the Executive Branch Is Organized. What Do Bureaucrats Do? Who Are the Bureaucrats? Political and Governmental Influences on Bureaucratic Behavior. Common Criticisms of the Federal Bureaucracy. Reforming the Federal Bureaucracy. 14. The Courts. The Court Changes Course on Roe v. Wade. The Structural Context of Court Behavior. The U.S. Court System: Organization and Jurisdiction. Appointment to the Federal Bench. The Supreme Court in Action. The Supreme Court as a National Policymaker. Outside Influences on the Court. 15. Freedom: The Struggle for Civil Liberties. Campus Speech Codes and Free Speech. Civil Liberties in the Constitution. Rights and Liberties in the Nineteenth Century. Nationalization of the Bill of Rights. 16. Civil Rights: The Struggle for Political Equality. From Martin Luther King to Louis Farrakhan. Civil Rights Before the Twentieth Century. The Civil War Amendments. The Contemporary Status of Civil Rights. Broadening the Civil Rights Umbrella. 17. Domestic Policy: The Economy and Social Welfare. Budget Chaos in the 104th Congress, Compromise in the 105th. Why Government Is Involved in the Economy and Social Welfare. Economic Policy. Social Welfare. 18. Foreign Policy and National Defense. The Senate Defeats the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Foreign Policy and Democracy: A Contradiction in Terms? The United States as a Superpower: History and Structure. Problems of the Post-Cold War World. Who Makes Foreign Policy? Appendices. The Declaration of Independence. The Constitution of the United States. The Federalist Papers Nos. 10, 51, and 78. Presidents and Congresses, 1789-2000.