The Web of Democracy: An Introduction to American Politics

You can make your American Government course more dynamic with this brief, basic, affordable text that combines the best of print and technology into an innovative, interactive teaching tool. This first truly interactive introduction to American Politics is a hybrid text-media product that involves and excites students with interactive and inclusive participation activities, simulations, weblinks, MicroCase exercises, readings, video, and an end-of-chapter study tool built right into the text itself! Technology eliminates students' passivity-the student is challenged to participate in the material and encouraged to participate in government and politics. All of the major topics in American Government are covered, including domestic and foreign policy. In addition, the chapters of this hybrid book/website have been designed to give you as much organizational flexibility as you need.

Table of Contents:
1. Democratic Citizenship and the Web of Democracy. 2. The Constitution and the Origin of American Political Ideals. 3. Federalism. 4. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. 5. Public Opinion and Ideology. 6. The Media and American Politics. 7. Parties and Interest Groups. 8. Elections and Political Participation. 9. Congress. 10. The Presidency and the Executive Branch. 11. The Federal Courts and Judicial Power. 12. Politics, Economics, and Public Policy. 13. Foreign Policy. APPENDIX A. Declaration of Independence. APPENDIX B. Constitution of the United States. Glossary.

About the Author :
Michael C. Gizzi is an associate professor of political science and director of the Institute for Modeling Complexity at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado. After receiving his bachelor's degree at Saint Michael's College in Vermont, he obtained a Ph.D. from the University at Albany, SUNY, in public law and American politics. Dr. Gizzi teaches courses on the judicial process, constitutional law, the presidency, and introduction to American politics. He has written on plea bargaining and appellate decision-making using computer simulations. His current scholarly interests focus on the study of complex adaptive systems and their applications to judicial politics and legal institutions. Dr. Gizzi is the past president of the American Political Science Association's Section on Information Technology and Politics and is currently a member of its council. William R. Wilkerson is an associate professor of political science and chair of the department at the College at Oneonta, SUNY. His bachelor's degree and Ph.D. are from the University at Albany, SUNY. Dr. Wilkerson has taught U.S. Government for 15 years and teaches upper-division courses in public law and American politics. Most recently his research has focused on technology and the Supreme Court, and computer simulation of judicial processes. He coordinates the College at Oneonta's Social Science Computing Laboratory and was a co-principal investigator of a National Science Foundation Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program grant. During spring 2001, Dr. Wilkerson served as the first faculty fellow in Oneonta's Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center. He is a former member of the council of the American Political Science Association's Section on Information Technology and Politics. Tracey Gladstone-Sovell is professor of political science and chair of the department at the University of Wisconsin'River Falls. Her bachelor's degree is from Penn State University. Her master's and Ph.D. are from Purdue University. Previously, she taught at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Dr. Gladstone-Sovell teaches courses in political philosophy, media, and constitutional law, and has taught the introductory American politics course for 25 years. She has written in the area of popular television and politics and has a continued scholarly interest in the history of American political thought. She has long been an advocate of the use of technology in teaching at her university, and serves on its Faculty and Academic Staff Development Board. She is a member and past president of the American Political Science Association's Section on Information Technology and Politics. Recently she has been actively involved in project promoting civic engagement through the "American Democracy Project," an American Association of State Colleges and Universities sponsored initiative.

Review :
"[The key strengths that led me to choose Gizzi are] price, format, and orientation towards students. "I am thinking about telling two of my colleagues to investigate using the Gizzi text, especially when it comes out in its newest edition, because it is economical and well-thought-out." "[The Web of Democracy is] A brief, balanced overview of relevant course material. The basics are covered in the text and supplemented by extensive electronic materials." "[The Web of Democracy] is an excellent brief version of American Government in compact form." "ÝThe key strengths that led me to choose Gizzi are¨ price, format, and orientation towards students. "I am thinking about telling two of my colleagues to investigate using the Gizzi text, especially when it comes out in its newest edition, because it is economical and well-thought-out." "ÝThe Web of Democracy is¨ A brief, balanced overview of relevant course material. The basics are covered in the text and supplemented by extensive electronic materials." "ÝThe Web of Democracy¨ is an excellent brief version of American Government in compact form." "I have used for 5 years and have consistently received positive evaluations of the text from my students. They particularly like the interactive web exercises that accompany the text, in particular the Supreme Court Nomination and the Constitutional Convention. The exercises give students the opportunity to think critically about the way in which our governmental system operates." "The supplemental and instructor materials are excellent."