Table of Contents
List of What Do You Think" Boxes xiii
Preface xv
Chapter 1 Democracy's Challenge 1
Introduction 1
Constitutional Democracy and Capitalism 6
Standards of Democracy 11
Political Change 15
Conclusion 20
Chapter Summary 21
Critical Thinking Questions 22
Suggested Readings 23
Part I American Political Economy 25
Chapter 2 Capitalism and Democracy 28
Introduction 28
The Dilemmas of Markets 29
The System of Corporate Capitalism 33
The Mobilization of Bias 37
The Changing Landscape of American Capitalism 39
Who Owns America's Private Government" 43
The Changing Structure of Employment 45
America's Extreme Market Capitalism 50
Capitalist Instability and Crisis 54
Conclusion 59
Chapter Summary 60
Critical Thinking Questions 62
Suggested Readings 63
Chapter 3 The History of American Political Economy 64
Introduction 64
Competitive Capitalism 67
The Rise of Corporate Capitalism 69
A New Deal 71
The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age 74
The Rise of Extreme Market Capitalism, 1980-2008 76
The Crisis of Extreme Market Capitalism 82
A New Foundation 84
Conclusion 88
Chapter Summary 89
Critical Thinking Questions 91
Suggested Readings 91
Part II Political Participation 93
Chapter 4 Political Parties, Elections, and Public Opinion 95
Introduction 95
The Origins of the Two-Party System 96
American Parties in Comparative Perspective 97
Critical Elections and Party Decay 99
Turnout and American Voters 104
Money and Elections 106
The Rise and Fall of the New Deal and Reagan Coalitions 110
The 2008 Presidential Election and the Challenge to Republican Dominance 115
Polarization and American Politics 121
The New Media and Public Opinion 125
Conclusion 128
Chapter Summary 129
Critical Thinking Questions 132
Suggested Readings 133
Chapter 5 Interest Groups and Social Movements 134
Introduction 134
Interest Groups 138
David and Goliath 141
The Changing Quality of Membership 144
E-Media, Interest Groups, and Political Participation 146
A Comparative Perspective on American Interest Groups 148
Social Movements 150
Conclusion 167
Chapter Summary 167
Critical Thinking Questions 169
Suggested Readings 169
Part III Political Institutions 171
Chapter 6 The Presidency 175
Introduction 175
The Historical Presidency 178
The Imperial President 181
The Perils of Presidential Power 186
Directing the Executive 192
The Exercise of Presidential Power 198
Conclusion 205
Chapter Summary 206
Critical Thinking Questions 209
Suggested Readings 209
Chapter 7 The Congress 210
Introduction 210
The Origin of Two Legislative Chambers 213
Congress: Past and Present 216
Congressional Careers and the Electoral Connection 220
Members of Congress 227
Realignment and Polarization 229
The Legislative Process 233
Seeking Influence 239
Conclusion 242
Chapter Summary 243
Critical Thinking Questions 245
Suggested Readings 245
Chapter 8 The Courts 246
Introduction 246
A Dual Court System 250
The Federal Court System 253
The Supreme Court 259
The Modern Court: From Warren to Roberts 269
Politics by Lawsuit 278
The Courts in Comparative Perspective: Incarceration Nation 280
Conclusion 282
Chapter Summary 283
Critical Thinking Questions 285
Suggested Readings 286
Part IV Public Policy 287
Chapter 9 Economic Policy 289
Introduction 289
The Government and the Economy 289
Fiscal Policy 294
Taxes 296
Spending 300
Monetary Policy 303
Regulation 309
Conclusion 314
Chapter Summary 316
Critical Thinking Questions 317
Suggested Readings 318
Chapter 10 Social Policy 319
Introduction 319
The Historical Welfare State 323
The New Deal and Beyond 325
The New Poverty 330
The Great Society Program 332
From Reagan to Clinton 336
From Bush to Obama 339
Conclusion 345
Chapter Summary 347
Critical Thinking Questions 349
Suggested Readings 349
Chapter 11 Foreign Policy 350
Introduction 350
Making Foreign Policy 352
American Foreign Policy before World War II 353
American Foreign Policy after World War II 355
A New Era of Globalization" 361
The Military Establishment 365
The Shift to Unilateralism 368
The Obama Presidency: Continuity or Change" 373
Declining Hegemony" 374
Conclusion 377
Chapter Summary 378
Critical Thinking Questions 381
Suggested Readings 381
Chapter 12 Democracy's Character and Future 382
Introduction 382
Capitalism, and Democracy Revisited 384
American Democracy in Theory and Practice 388
Conclusion 391
Endnotes E-1
Glossary G-1
Credits C-1
Index I-1