Keeping the Republic: Power and Citizenship in American Politics - Brief Edition

by Christine Barbour, Gerald C. Wright

Overview

Keeping the Republic, Brief Eleventh Edition by Christine Barbour and Gerald C. Wright draws readers into the study of American politics, showing them how to think critically while exploring the twin themes of power and citizenship. During one of the most challenging periods in American life, this text is a much-needed resource to help readers make sense of politics in America today and become savvy consumers of political information.

Also available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Learn more about 978-1-0719-5592-5, Keeping the Republic - Vantage Digital Option, Brief Eleventh Edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544393896
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/04/2021
Edition description:	Ninth Edition
Pages:	640
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Christine Barbour teaches in the Political Science Department at Indiana University, and directs the department’s IU POLS DC internship program. She is a faculty liaison for the University’s dual-credit program, which delivers an online version of her Intro to American Politics class to high school students across the state. At Indiana, Professor Barbour has been a Lilly Fellow, working on a project to increase student retention in large introductory courses, and a member of the Freshman Learning Project, a university-wide effort to improve the first-year undergraduate experience. She has served on the New York Times College Advisory Board, working with other educators to develop ways to integrate newspaper reading into the undergraduate curriculum. She has won multiple teaching honors, but the two awarded by her students mean the most to her: the Indiana University Student Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty and the Indiana University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Brown Derby Award. When not teaching or writing textbooks, Professor Barbour enjoys traveling with her coauthor, blogging about food and travel, and playing with her dogs and cat. She contributes to Bloom Magazine of Bloomington and is a coauthor several cookbooks. She also makes jewelry from precious metals and rough gemstones. If she ever retires, she will open a jewelry shop in a renovated Airstream on the beach in Apalachicola, Florida, where she plans to write another cookbook and a book about the local politics, development, and fishing industry.

Gerald C. Wright taught political science at Indiana University from 1981 until his recent retirement. An accomplished scholar of American politics, and the 2010 winner of the State Politics and Policy Association’s Career Achievement Award, his work includes Statehouse Democracy: Public Opinion and Policy in the American States (1993), coauthored with Robert S. Erikson and John P. Mc Iver, and more than fifty articles on elections, public opinion, and state politics. Professor Wright’s research interests focus on representation – the fundamental relationship among citizens, their preferences, and public policy. He writes primarily about state politics, representation, political parties, and inequality.

He is currently working on a book about parties and representation in U.S. legislatures. He has been a consultant for Project Vote Smart for a number of years and was a founding member of Indiana University’s Freshman Learning Project. In retirement, Professor Wright grows vegetables, golfs, fishes, travels, and plays with his dogs and cat. He is an awesome cook.

Table of Contents

About the Authors
Preface
Acknowledgments
To the Student
Chapter 1: Power and Citizenship in American Politics
Not Your Usual Textbook Introduction
What Is Politics?
Political Systems and the Concept of Citizenship
Democracy in America
Who Is a Citizen and Who Is Not?
What Do American Citizens Believe?
How to Use the Themes and Features in This Book
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 2: The Politics of the American Founding
What’s at Stake . . . in Challenging the Legitimacy of the Government?
Introduction
The Split From England
The Articles of Confederation
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitution
Ratification
Citizenship and the Founding
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 3: Federalism
What’s at Stake . . . When a State Takes Marijuana Laws Into Its Own Hands?
Introduction
What Is Federalism?
American Federalism Over Time
Federalism Today
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 4: Fundamental American Liberties
What’s at Stake . . . in a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right to Privacy?
Introduction
Rights in a Democracy
The Bill of Rights and the States
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Expression
The Right to Bear Arms
The Rights of Criminal Defendants
The Right to Privacy
Citizenship and Civil Liberties
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 5: The Struggle for Equal Rights
What’s at Stake . . . When a Racial Majority Becomes a Minority?
Introduction
The Meaning of Political Inequality
Rights Denied on the Basis of Race—Black Americans
Rights Denied on the Basis of Other Racial and Ethnic Identities
Rights Denied on the Basis of Gender
Rights Denied on Other Bases
Citizenship and Civil Rights
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 6: Congress
What’s at Stake . . . in the Senate’s Obligation to Give Advice and Consent to the President?
Introduction
Understanding Congress
Congressional Powers and Responsibilities
Congressional Elections
Congressional Organization
How Congress Works
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 7: The Presidency
What’s at Stake . . . in a Second Donald Trump Presidency?
Introduction
The Presidential Job Description
The Evolution of the American Presidency
Presidential Politics
Managing the Presidential Establishment
The Presidential Personality
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 8: The Bureaucracy
What’s at Stake . . . in Rolling Back Regulations?
Introduction
What Is Bureaucracy?
The American Federal Bureaucracy
Politics Inside the Bureaucracy
External Bureaucratic Politics
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 9: The American Legal System and the Courts
What’s at Stake . . . When the Supreme Court Gets Involved in Partisan Politics?
Introduction
Law and the American Legal System
The Development of Judicial Review
Federalism and the American Courts
The Supreme Court
The Citizens and the Courts
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 10: Public Opinion
What’s at Stake . . . When We Move to More Direct Democracy?
Introduction
The Role of Public Opinion in a Democracy
Citizen Values
What Influences Our Opinions About Politics?
Measuring and Tracking Public Opinion
Citizenship and Public Opinion
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 11: Parties and Interest Groups
What’s at Stake . . . When “Outsiders” Challenge Establishment Party Candidates?
Introduction
The Role of Political Parties in a Democracy
The American Party System
The Roles, Formation, and Types of Interest Groups
Interest Group Politics
Interest Group Resources
Citizenship and Political Groups
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 12: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
What’s at Stake . . . in the Peaceful Transfer of Power?
Introduction
Exercising the Right to Vote in America
How America Decides
Presidential Campaigns
Citizenship and Elections
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 13: Media, Power, and Political Communication
What’s at Stake . . . in Living in an Information Bubble?
Introduction
The Mass Media Today
How Does Media Ownership Affect Control of the Narrative?
Spinning Political Narratives
Politics as Public Relations
Citizenship and the Media
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Chapter 14: Domestic and Foreign Policy
What’s at Stake . . . in a Shrinking Middle Class?
Introduction
Making Public Policy
Social Policy
Economic Policy
Foreign Policy
Citizenship and Policy
Wrapping It Up
Review
Key Terms
Appendix 1: Articles of Confederation
Appendix 2: Declaration of Independence
Appendix 3: Constitution of the United States
Notes
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

Barbour and Wright's Keeping the Republic, Brief Edition, thoroughly explains key concepts and developments in American Politics in a clear and concise way. The themes and features of the text are well designed to boost student engagement. Two features, in particular, stick out to me; the What's at Stake vignettes help bring the material alive through the use of real-world examples that demonstrate the significance of what is covered in the chapter. Additionally, the Big Picture graphics heighten students' interest by boiling things down to easy-to-understand infographics. I have assigned this book to my Honors American Government classes, and these features are a great springboard for stimulating class discussion.

Chad Hankinson

I have used the brief edition of Keeping the Republic for several years because it provides a good balance of coverage while working to always highlight its key theme. Students appreciate the significance of the book's title, and the approach used helps them grasp the nuances of our democratic system, and how they must actively work to ensure we keep it healthy and vibrant for future generations.

Rob Baker

Keeping the Republic, Brief Edition sets the benchmark for an accessible, student-centered text on American government with its focus on the role of citizens, technological influence, and an easy-to-understand yet effective framework for understanding power. The text successfully engages and motivates students by showing them numerous ways of how stepping into the public sphere can make a meaningful, positive difference for the people around them. The infographics are best-in-class—they effectively capture complex political processes and are an excellent teaching tool. Students appreciate the critical thinking questions along the text that also offer plenty of material for lively class discussions.

Henrik M. Schatzinger

Keeping the Republic: Brief Edition is an American government textbook that contains many helpful features and infographics that make the material accessible and easy to use. It is a great text for online learning. The book’s The Big Picture infographics are a great study tool and an excellent study source to help students understand ‘the big picture.’ They look great and make an incredible impact!

Christi Gramling

Keeping the Republic: Brief Edition encourages students to become analytical by introducing both the historical concepts of American government along with a wide variety of analytical questions and visual displays of data. My students are able to write about American politics using the terminology of the discipline, given this text as their handbook. I particularly appreciate the book’s infographics, which underscore the importance of demographic data to understanding how and why policies change.

Karen Mc Curdy

Keeping the Republic: Brief Edition does a tremendous job of balancing in-depth analysis of the text with shorter chapters. The book’s features and infographics are extremely helpful and come full circle by integrating the theme of power and citizenship in a brief and meaningful way throughout the text.

Victoria Cordova

"Barbour and Wright's Keeping the Republic, Brief Edition is the gold standard among condensed American Government textbooks. Its crisp writing and engaging narratives about "What's at Stake" set it apart from the field substantively; its comprehensiveness and affordability make it attractive to students."

Brett Curry

Keeping the Republic: Brief Edition encourages students to become analytical by introducing both the historical concepts of American government along with a wide variety of analytical questions and visual displays of data. My students are able to write about American politics using the terminology of the discipline, given this text as their handbook. I particularly appreciate the book’s infographics, which underscore the importance of demographic data to understanding how and why policies change.

Karen McCurdy