American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change

by Cal Jillson

Overview

How politics in America works today, how it got that way, and how it’s likely to change through reform—these are the themes that pervade every chapter of Cal Jillson’s highly lauded American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change. Even in the midst of current challenges, America’s past is present in all aspects of the contemporary political system. Jillson uses political development and the dynamics of change as a thematic tool to help students understand how politics works now—and how institutions, participation, and policies have evolved over time to produce the contemporary political environment. In addition, Jillson helps students think critically about how American democracy might evolve further, focusing in every chapter on reform and further change.

New to the Thirteeenth Edition

• Assesses the results of the Biden administration and the impact on the 2024 campaign of Biden’s unexpected replacement by Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.
• Describes numerous ways in which the American political system has been affected by recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the demise of Roe v. Wade, inflation, and the border.
• Assesses the implications of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, the Trump trials, and what they mean for our political culture and partisan politics.
• Assesses the implication of "fake news" and "the move to mobile" for our politics.
  /Explores the evidence for increasing polarization in public opinion, voting behavior, and the work of Congress and the courts.
• Details the impact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war in Israel and Gaza had on U.S. foreign policy and national security alliances.

The book is supported by a host of digital resources on the Instructor and Student Resources website at routledgelearning.com/americangovernment. Students will find chapter summaries; interactive quizzes; critical thinking exercises and useful web links for further reading, while instructor resources include figures and tables from the book; PowerPoint lecture slides; test bank and an instructor manual for each chapter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032773261
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/30/2025
Edition description:	13th ed.
Pages:	684
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Cal Jillson earned a PhD from the University of Maryland and has taught at Louisiana State University and the University of Colorado, where he chaired the Department of Political Science from 1989 to 1993. He joined the faculty of Southern Methodist University in 1995 as professor and chair of the Department of Political Science (1995–2001). He is a member of the American Political Science Association and several regional political science associations. Professor Jillson has written a number of books dealing with the origins of the American political culture and the health and performance of contemporary American politics and political institutions. His recent books include Lone Star Tarnished: A Critical Look at Texas Politics and Public Policy, 4th ed., 2021; Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State, 9th ed., 2024; and Race, Ethnicity, and American Decline, 2024.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLES

Chapter 2 THE REVOLUTION AND THE CONSTITUTION

Chapter 3 FEDERALISM AND AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

Chapter 4 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND PUBLIC OPINION

Chapter 5 THE MASS MEDIA AND THE POLITICAL AGENDA

Chapter 6 NTEREST GROUPS: THE POLITICS OF INFLUENCE

Chapter 7 POLITICAL PARTIES: WINNING THE RIGHT TO GOVERN

Chapter 8 VOTING, CAMPAIGNS, AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 9 CONGRESS: PARTISANSHIP, POLARIZATION, AND GRIDLOCK

Chapter 10 THE PRESIDENT: EXECUTIVE POWER IN A SEPARATION OF POWERS REGIME

Chapter 11 BUREAUCRACY: REDESIGNING GOVERNMENT FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Chapter 12 THE FEDERAL COURTS: BULWARK OF THE CONSTITUTION?

Chapter 13 CIVIL LIBERTIES: ORDERED LIBERTY IN AMERICA

Chapter 14 CIVIL RIGHTS: WHERE LIBERTY AND EQUALITY COLLIDE

Chapter 15 GOVERNMENT, THE ECONOMY, AND DOMESTIC POLICY

Chapter 16 AMERICA’S GLOBAL ROLE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS

GLOSSARY OF CASES

Appendix A THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Appendix B THE ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATION

Appendix C CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

Appendix D FEDERALIST NUMBERS 10, 51, AND 78

Appendix E PARTISAN CONTROL OF THE PRESIDENCY, CONGRESS, AND THE SUPREME COURT

INDEX

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"If one is looking for a relatively compact, yet historically grounded introductory American government text, one which delivers its information creatively and clearly, I am unaware of any work superior to Jillson’s."

—Russell Arben Fox, Friends University

"I’m looking forward to teaching with the new edition of American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change in the coming semesters. Jillson’s historically grounded explanations of the American political system are both nuanced and accessible, and the "Pro & Con" and "Let’s Compare" features offer natural springboards for class discussion. This book truly stands apart from the vast crowd of introductory American politics textbooks."

—Shamira M. Gelbman, Illinois State University

"In crafting a text on American government, the greatest difficulty lies in explaining the complexity of the American political system and at the same time making that explanation accessible. One must also balance the substance of American politics with a clear description of its processes. Cal Jillson accomplishes all of these things with extraordinary ease."

—Christopher Malone, Pace University

"Cal Jillson's text is a highly recommended source for any classroom that is concerned about content, consistency and accurate information. The ideals that Jillson so thoroughly includes in this text are straight down the middle and do not in any way cater to the right or left, which is a refreshing idea in today’s educational world. An A+ for government classes everywhere!"

—Drew Mowen, Ft Scott Community College

"Jillson's carefully crafted book helps students understand American politics at a deeper and more engaging level than other texts. Each clear, concise chapter weaves together the threads of American political growth into a thoughtful perspective on the nation’s urgent challenges."

—Dave Robertson, University of Missouri - St. Louis

"The textbook's thesis is that the American political system is best understood when viewed through the lens of institutions, and how and why those institutions have evolved over time. In my mind, this is the most important way to understand American politics. Students will gain a much more substantive understanding of American politics from this book than they would from nearly any other textbook on the market today."

—Quentin Kidd, Christopher Newport University

"Like other scholars, I have searched and searched for the best American Government text. I adopted Jillson's American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change because of its in-depth coverage of political history, Supreme Court cases, and basic facts. I particularly like the first three chapters of the seventh edition, on political principles, the Constitution, and federalism, which Jillson takes as seriously as the more core chapters on Congress, the presidency, and the courts. I assign his text to honors students, but any undergraduate would find it easily accessible. It is a great book."

—Keith Dougherty, University of Georgia

"Cal Jillson deploys an historical development narrative while still organizing according to the major institutions and processes that are broadly accepted in political science. The result is a book that connects the political challenges of today to the political conflicts of the past. Students can see not only ways in which the political system has changed, but also how choices we make today will shape the setting for addressing problems to be faced in the future."

—Jonathan Chausovsky, SUNY Fredonia

Editorial Reviews

Praise for American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change

The textbook, American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change, by Cal Jillson, provides students with a comprehensive study of the origins, politics, and institutions of the American political system. The inclusion of questions embedded in the chapter, definitions in text boxes, and thoughtful exercises are instructional tools to help guide students through each of the chapters. I highly recommend this textbook because it gives a nuanced and unbiased look at government allowing students to develop their own ideas, views, and opinions.
Michelle Belco, University of Houston

What'sets Jillson’s text apart from other American government books, is how it connects the compromises that shaped the creation of American institutions to their historical evolution and how they confront twenty-first century challenges. The text helps students understand and critically engage important debates, from the proliferation of fake news to mass protests fighting discrimination, potential government reforms, and the historic nature of a national election amid a global pandemic.
Stephen C. Phillips, Clemson University

A book that connects the political challenges of today to the political conflicts of the past.
Jonathan Chausovsky, SUNY Fredonia

This text is accessible and well-written with a nice amount of historical/institutional background. It does a very good job of offering students a sense of why we do things one way rather than another in historical terms. I think the author’s clear writing is one of the text’s most attractive features.
Thomas Hoffman, Spring Hill College

Clear, comprehensive, and concise, this is no doubt the best American government text on the market today.
Christopher Malone, Lehman College

From the Publisher