Education Standards

Preface

Introduction

What is Government?

Who Governs? Elitism, Pluralism, and Tradeoffs

Engagement in a Democracy

Introduction

The Pre-Revolutionary Period and the Roots of the American Political Tradition

The Articles of Confederation

The Development of the Constitution

The Ratification of the Constitution

Constitutional Change

Introduction

The Division of Powers

The Evolution of American Federalism

Intergovernmental Relationships

Competitive Federalism Today

Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism

Introduction

What Are Civil Liberties?

Securing Basic Freedoms

The Rights of Suspects

Interpreting the Bill of Rights

Introduction

What Are Civil Rights and How Do We Identify Them?

The African American Struggle for Equality

The Fight for Women’s Rights

Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups: Native Americans, Alaskans, and Hawaiians

Equal Protection for Other Groups

Introduction

The Nature of Public Opinion

How Is Public Opinion Measured?

What Does the Public Think?

The Effects of Public Opinion

Introduction

Voter Registration

Voter Turnout

Elections

Campaigns and Voting

Direct Democracy

Introduction

What Is the Media?

The Evolution of the Media

Regulating the Media

The Impact of the Media

Introduction

What Are Parties and How Did They Form?

The Two-Party System

The Shape of Modern Political Parties

Divided Government and Partisan Polarization

Introduction

Interest Groups Defined

Collective Action and Interest Group Formation

Interest Groups as Political Participation

Pathways of Interest Group Influence

Free Speech and the Regulation of Interest Groups

Introduction

The Institutional Design of Congress

Congressional Elections

Congressional Representation

House and Senate Organizations

The Legislative Process

Introduction

The Design and Evolution of the Presidency

The Presidential Election Process

Organizing to Govern

The Public Presidency

Presidential Governance: Direct Presidential Action

Introduction

Guardians of the Constitution and Individual Rights

The Dual Court System

The Federal Court System

The Supreme Court

Judicial Decision-Making and Implementation by the Supreme Court

Introduction

State Power and Delegation

State Political Culture

Governors and State Legislatures

State Legislative Term Limits

County and City Government

Introduction

Bureaucracy and the Evolution of Public Administration

Toward a Merit-Based Civil Service

Understanding Bureaucracies and their Types

Controlling the Bureaucracy

Introduction

What Is Public Policy?

Categorizing Public Policy

Policy Arenas

Policymakers

Budgeting and Tax Policy

Introduction

Defining Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy Instruments

Institutional Relations in Foreign Policy

Approaches to Foreign Policy

Declaration of Independence

The Constitution of the United States

Federalist Papers #10 and #51

Electoral College Votes by State, 2012–2020

Selected Supreme Court Cases