American Government: Stories of a Nation

American government is not just one story—it’s many stories. Our stories. And they are still being told.

In American Government: Stories of a Nation, Scott F. Abernathy tunes into the diverse perspectives and political persuasions involved in American politics. This balanced approach encourages students to actively engage with the material while facilitating a thoughtful exploration of important themes in politics, governance, and current events.

Known for addressing issues in a way that is both relatable and solidly grounded in research, the Fifth Edition delivers new ways for students to understand and participate in politics.

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Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments My Place as a Storyteller About the Author 1. American Political Stories: Claiming Rights, Demanding to Be Heard Standing Rock: Water Protectors Claim Their Rights and Freedoms in North Dakota American Political Culture Is Built on a Set of Shared Ideas The American Revolutionaries Employ Strategic Political Action The Structure of Institutions Affects How Citizens Participate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Links the Challenge against Racial Segregation to Core American Ideals Conclusion: The American Experiment Continues, and You Are Part of It 2. The Constitution of the United States: A New Vision of Representative Government James Madison Plans for a Republic That Will Last The Confederal System Made Coordination between the States Difficult Delegates Reach a Compromise at the Constitutional Convention Delegates Work Out Details of the New Government Federalists and Anti-Federalists Argue over Ratification Conclusion: The Motives of the Framers and the Effects of the Constitution Are Still Being Debated 3. Federalism: The Changing Boundaries between the Nation and the States Marijuana Policy Today Reveals Tensions between State and Federal Law The Constitution Divides Power between the Nation and the States For Much of American History, the Boundaries between the Nation and the States Were Sharper Than They Are Today President Franklin Roosevelt’s Response to the Great Depression Reshapes American Federalism Modern American Federalism Remains Cooperative but Faces Challenges Conclusion: The Evolution of Federalism Continues 4. Civil Liberties: Building and Defending Fences Claims on Rights to Privacy Highlight the Shifting and Contentious Debates Surrounding Americans’ Civil Liberties The Bill of Rights Establishes Protections for Americans’ Civil Liberties The First Amendment’s First Two Protections Both Involve Religion The First Amendment Also Protects Expression: Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petitioning the Government The Constitution Also Protects Individuals Involved with the Criminal Justice System The Ninth and Tenth Amendments Help Shape Freedoms in the Nation and across the States Conclusion: Civil Liberties Involve Fences Still under Construction 5. Civil Rights: How Equal Is Equal? Protesters Act to Secure Rights for Americans with Disabilities Civil Rights Amendments Emerge from the Civil War—but Provide Limited Protection in Practice Challenges to Legal Segregation Achieve Successes but Face Resistance American Women Work to Secure Their Civil Rights Americans Confront Overlapping Forms of Discrimination Conclusion: Have Americans’ Civil Rights Been Secured? 6. Political Participation: Carry That Weight Acting against Campus Sexual Violence Involves Many Forms of Political Participation Political Participation Can Take Many Forms The Decision to Vote or Not Vote Involves Many Factors #MeToo Highlights the Possibilities and Challenges of Digital Political Participation Are Young Adult Americans Really Disconnected from the Political Process? Conclusion: Americans Are Continually Tasked with Carrying the Weight of Self-Governance 7. Public Opinion: How Are Americans’ Voices Measured, and Do They Matter? Public Opinion May Be Moved by Important Events Public Opinion Is the Sum Total of Individual Beliefs and Attitudes Public Opinion Is Transmitted and Measured in Several Ways Political Socialization and Political Ideology Shape Public Opinion From Changing the Conversation to Changing Public Policy: Americans Remain Divided over the Protests’ Legacy Conclusion: How Meaningful Is Public Opinion? 8. The Media: Truth, Trust, and Power Can Americans Trust Their News Media? Though the American Media Have Changed, Questions of Trust and Power Endure Questions of Bias Challenge Americans’ Trust in the Media’s Objectivity Media Ownership and Content Are Subject to Regulation Did the Media Convince Americans That They Were Being Invaded by Martians? Conclusion: Debates about the Power of the Media Continue 9. Political Parties: The Insurgents versus the Establishment Bernie Sanders Challenges the Democratic Party to Become More Progressive, Twice Parties Act to Identify, Support, and Nominate Candidates for Elected Office Parties Strive to Get Voters to Identify with Them Donald Trump Takes on the Establishment Political Polarization, Gridlock, and Two-Party Dominance Are the Defining Features of Parties in Government Today Conclusion: In a Tumultuous 2024 Election Season, the Parties Respond 10. Campaigns and Elections: Candidates and Voters in a Time of Uncertainty and Change Elections from the Candidate’s Point of View: Campaigning in Uncertain Times The Rules Governing National Elections Shape the Transmission of Americans’ Preferences into Laws and Policies The Details of Congressional Elections Differ by State, but Many of the Rules Are the Same Presidential Elections Have Many Stages and Moving Parts Conclusion: The 2024 Elections: The National Becomes Local, and the Local Has National Implications 11. Interest Groups and Social Movements: Collective Action, Power, and Representation A Housing Bubble Bursts, and Interest Groups Pop Up Americans Face Challenges in Acting Collectively in a Representative Democracy Interest Groups Vary by Type and Tactic, but They All Face Similar Challenges Occupy Wall Street Illustrates the Struggles, Successes, and Failures of Social Movements Social Movements Employ Different Tactics from Interest Groups to Make Change and Educate Conclusion: The Challenges of Organizing in American Political Life Continue 12. Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation Two “Years of the Woman” Highlight the Promise and Challenge of More Inclusive Representation in Congress The Constitution Defines Congress’s Shape and Powers Congress Is Organized around Formal and Informal Rules The Legislative Process Is Complex by Design Members Represent Constituents in How They Act and Who They Are Conclusion: Representation Remains Complex, but the Landscape Continues to Change 13. The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Power As Individuals, American Presidents Must Confront the Often Contradictory Demands of Their Office The Constitution Outlines the Powers of the American Presidency and Places Limits on Those Powers Institutions and Other Informal Sources of Power Shape the Modern Executive Branch Presidents Have Pushed the Limits of Their Power to Preserve National Security The President Has Several Tools for Unilateral Action Conclusion: The Paradoxes of the Presidency Continue 14. The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting the Nation’s Laws into Effect Federal Bureaucratic Action Consists of Many Actors and Evolves over Time Theories of Bureaucratic Organization Focus on Rules, People, and Tasks The Bureaucracy Has Developed in Response to Demands and Crises A Functioning Bureaucracy Depends on Effective Organization The Bureaucracy Is Constrained by Oversight and Reform Conclusion: New Challenges Arise, and the Federal Bureaucracy Is Asked to Respond 15. The Federal Judiciary: Politics, Power, and the “Least Dangerous” Branch The Politics of Supreme Court Confirmations Place Nominees on “Trial” The Constitution Casts the Judiciary as a Unique but Weaker Branch The “Trial” of John Marshall Establishes the Principle of Judicial Review The American Legal System Is Defined by Federalism Judicial Review Raises Questions of Constitutional Interpretation and Judicial Decision-Making Conclusion: The Trial of the Supreme Court Continues 16. Domestic Public Policy: The Politics of Promoting the General Welfare American Education Policy about School Choice Involves Both Politics and Markets There Is Nothing Tidy about the Domestic Policymaking Process Educational Reform Today Takes a Variety of Types Health Care Policy Has Evolved since the Great Society Education and Health Care Are Only Two of Many Areas of Domestic Policy Conclusion: Domestic Policy Is about Democratic Representation 17. Economic Policy: Representing Americans’ Financial Interests The Problem of Student Debt Threatens the Financial Health of Student Borrowers and the National Economy Student Debt Helps to Shape the Agenda of Presidential Politics Fiscal Policy Guides the Economy through Decisions on Spending and Taxation Economic Policymaking during Uncertain Times: Congress Responds to COVID-19 Monetary Policy Is Governed by the Federal Reserve System Conclusion: Can Economic Policy Solve the Student Debt Problem? 18. Foreign Policy: Advancing American Interests in an Uncertain and Changing World Major Shifts in Global Political and Economic Power Shape American Foreign Policy Today US Foreign Policy Has Changed over Time American Foreign Policy Is Formulated by Many Actors and Organizations Immigration Connects Foreign Policy to Domestic Policy Conclusion: The Story of American Politics Continues Appendix 1: Articles of Confederation Appendix 2: Declaration of Independence Appendix 3: Constitution of the United States Appendix 4: Federalist No. 10 Appendix 5: Federalist No. 51 Appendix 6: Political Party Affiliations in Congress and the Presidency, 1789-2025 Appendix 7: Summary of Presidential Elections, 1789-2024 Glossary Notes Index

About the Author :
Scott F. Abernathy is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. He is also the author of two books on education policy - School Choice and the Future of American Democracy and No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools - both from University of Michigan Press. At the undergraduate level, Scott has taught Introduction to American Government, Education Policy, and Religion and American Politics courses and has won numerous teaching awards. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Scott worked as a 4th and 7th grade public school teacher in Wisconsin and as an on-street counselor for young adults experiencing homelessness in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Review :
The careful, deliberate, and inclusive approach of American Government: Stories of a Nation does more than any other text to ensure that all students see themselves as part of the narrative of American government and political culture. As a result, all of my students are more engaged with the material and in class discussion. One of my goals in teaching American Government is to shrink the distance my students feel between themselves and their government. American Government: Stories of a Nation is the best textbook I have found to help me do this. Each chapter contains just the right balance of historical and contemporary narrative to show students that they are part of a story that has been unfolding for more than two-hundred years. Abernathy is a storyteller, but he is also a political scientist, and I appreciate his commitment to tell the American story with solid research from the field.