American Government: Stories of a Nation, Brief Edition

1072 Pages·2018·11.744 MB·English

by  Scott Franklin Abernathy

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American Government
Brief Edition
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For Sadie and Dylan
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American Government
Stories of a Nation, Brief Edition
Scott F. Abernathy
University of Minnesota
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FOR INFORMATION:
CQ Press
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Copyright © 2019 by CQ Press, an Imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc. CQ Press is a
registered trademark of Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Abernathy, Scott Franklin, 1966- author.
Title: American government : stories of a nation / Scott Abernathy.
Other titles: American government (Brief edition)
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Description: Brief edition, First edition. | Los Angeles : Sage/CQ Press, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and
index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017040100 | ISBN 978-1-5443-0736-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: United States—Politics and government—Textbooks.
Classification: LCC JK31 .A23 2019 | DDC 320.473—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017040100
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Executive Publisher: Monica Eckman
Development Editor: Elise Frasier
Editorial Assistant: Zachary Hoskins
Content Development Editor: John Scappini
Production Editor: Kelly DeRosa
Copy Editor: Megan Markanich
Typesetter: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd.
Proofreader: Laura Webb
Indexer: Will Ragsdale
Cover Designer: Gail Buschman
Marketing Manager: Erica DeLuca
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Brief Contents
1. Preface
2. Acknowledgments
3. About the Author
4. PART I: FOUNDATIONS
1. 1. American Political Stories: Claiming Rights, Demanding to Be Heard
2. 2. The Constitution of the United States: A New Vision of Representative
Government
3. 3. Federalism: The Changing Boundaries between the Nation and the States
4. 4. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Building and Defending Fences
5. PART II: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR AND MASS POLITICS
1. 5. Public Opinion: How Are Americans’ Voices Measured, and Do They
Matter?
2. 6. The Media: Truth, Power, and American Democracy
3. 7. Parties, Elections, and Participation: The Insurgents versus the
Establishment
4. 8. Interest Groups and Social Movements: Collective Action, Power, and
Representation
6. PART III: INSTITUTIONS
1. 9. Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation
2. 10. The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Executive Power
3. 11. The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting the Nation’s Laws into Effect
4. 12. The Federal Judiciary: Politics, Power, and the “Least Dangerous” Branch
7. PART IV: POLICY
1. 13. Public Policy: Promoting the General Welfare and Advancing Americans’
Interests
8. Appendices
9. Glossary
10. Notes
11. Index
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