American Government

Introduction Page
1. The Nature of Government
   1. The Purposes of Government
   2. Types of Government
   3. What Is a Democracy?
   4. Democratic Values -- Liberty, Equality, Justice
2. Foundations of American Government
   1. The Colonial Experience
   2. Independence and the Articles of Confederation
   3. Creating the Constitution
   4. The Bill of Rights
3. Federalism
   1. The Founders and Federalism
   2. Tipping the Scales Toward National Power
   3. Federal-State Relations Today: Back to States' Rights?
4. American Political Attitudes and Participation
   1. American Political Culture
   2. What Factors Shape Political Attitudes?
   3. Measuring Public Opinion
   4. Participating in Government
   5. Voting: A Forgotten Privilege?
5. How Do Citizens Connect With Their Government?
   1. Political Parties
   2. Campaigns and Elections
   3. Interest Groups
   4. The Media
   5. The Internet in Politics
6. Congress: The People's Branch?
   1. The Powers of Congress
   2. Leadership in Congress: It's a Party Matter
   3. The Importance of Committees
   4. Who Is in Congress?
   5. How a Bill Becomes a Law
7. The Presidency: The Leadership Branch?
   1. The Evolution of the Presidency
   2. All the President's Men and Women
   3. Selection and Succession of the President
   4. The President's Job
   5. Presidential Character
8. The Bureaucracy: The Real Government
   1. The Development of the Bureaucracy
   2. The Organization of the Bureaucracy
   3. Who Are the Bureaucrats?
   4. Reforming the Bureaucracy
9. The Judicial Branch
   1. The Creation of the Federal Courts
   2. The Structure of the Federal Courts
   3. The Supreme Court: What Does It Do?
   4. How Judges and Justices Are Chosen
   5. The Power of the Federal Courts
10. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
    1. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens
    2. First Amendment Rights
    3. Crime and Due Process
    4. Citizenship Rights
11. Policy Making: Political Interactions
    1. Foreign Policy: What Now?
    2. Defense Policy
    3. Economic Policy
    4. Social and Regulatory Policy
12. State and Local Governments
    1. State and Local Governments: Democracy at Work?
    2. Financing State and Local Government
    3. Who Pays for Education?
13. Comparative Political and Economic Systems
    1. Comparing Governments
    2. Comparing Economic Systems
    3. A Small, Small, World?