The Web of Democracy: An Introduction to American Politics (with CengageNOW, Personal Tutor, InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) Book

	Preface	viii
	About the Authors	xvii
Chapter 1	Democratic Citizenship and the Web of Democracy	1
	Meet Max: College Student and Elected Official	2
	Democracy and American Politics	3
	The Meaning and History of Democracy	4
	The Transformation of Democracy	8
	Democratic Political Practices	11
	Core American Beliefs	15
	The Current State of American Democracy	19
	Conclusion: Democracy and the Internet	21
Chapter 2	The Constitution and the Origins of American Political Ideals	24
	From the Boston Tea Party to Shays' Rebellion	25
	Introduction: Constitutionalism and American Politics	28
	The Political Principles of the American Founding	29
	Colonial Political Practices	35
	The Constitutional Convention	40
	General Provisions of the Constitution	46
	Changing the Constitution	49
	Conclusion: The U.S. Constitution--Continuity and Change	50
Chapter 3	Federalism	52
	Violence Against Women: A National or State Concern?	53
	American Federalism: A Definition	56
	Federalism in the Constitution	59
	Two Centuries of American Federalism	64
	Recent Developments in Federalism	73
	Conclusion: How Much Control Should the Nation Have over the States?	78
Chapter 4	Civil Liberties and Civil Rights	80
	R.A.V. v. St. Paul	81
	Introduction	83
	Civil Liberties	85
	Civil Rights	97
	Equality for Other Disadvantaged Groups	106
	Current Issues	107
	Conclusion: Freedom and Equality--The Ongoing Debate	108
Chapter 5	Public Opinion and Ideology	109
	Sex, Lies, and Public Opinion	110
	Citizen Participation in the Web of American Democracy	113
	Political Socialization: How Americans Learn About Politics	114
	Political Ideology: Are Opinions Connected?	119
	How Much Do Americans Know About Politics?	123
	Measuring Public Opinion	128
	Conclusion: Public Opinion and Public Policy	137
Chapter 6	The Media and American Politics	139
	Disney vs. AOL-Time Warner: A Fight Between Media Giants	140
	Introduction: Defining the Mass Media	142
	The New Media	146
	The Changing Role of the Media in the Political Process	148
	Media Ownership Trends	152
	The Question of Bias	156
	The Mediated Electoral Process	158
	The Media and Agenda Setting	163
	The Media and Political Socialization	164
	Conclusion: Participation and the Media	165
Chapter 7	Parties and Interest Groups	168
	Campaign Advertising: Who Pays?	169
	Political Parties and Interest Groups: Similarities and Differences	171
	Political Parties	172
	Interest Groups	188
	Conclusion: Parties and Interests in American Politics	206
Chapter 8	Elections and Political Participation	208
	The Election of 2000	209
	Why Elections Matter	212
	The Structure of American Elections	213
	The Race for the White House: The Long Road	220
	Running for Congress: The Power of Incumbency	226
	Voting	228
	The 2000 Election Results	239
	Political Participation Beyond Voting	241
	Conclusion: Does It Matter if We Participate?	247
Chapter 9	Congress	249
	Citizen Involvement in the Legislative Process: The Case of Internet Censorship	250
	Congress and Lawmaking	253
	Explaining Congressional Action	266
	Who Are Our Representatives?	271
	Conclusion: Lawmaking and Representation	273
Chapter 10	The Presidency and the Executive Branch	274
	Bill Clinton and Gun Control: Can the President Lead?	275
	Public Expectations of the Presidency	277
	Presidential Leadership: The Power of Persuasion	289
	The President and the Executive Branch	295
	The Federal Bureaucracy	302
	Conclusion: Can the President Lead?	307
Chapter 11	The Federal Courts and Judicial Power	310
	The Battle over Colorado's Amendment 2	311
	Courts: Three Institutions in One	313
	Court Organization and Structure	317
	The Politics of Judicial Selection	328
	The Supreme Court and American Politics	334
	Conclusion: The Least Dangerous Branch	342
Chapter 12	Politics, Economics, and Public Policy	344
	From Deficits to Surpluses	345
	Politics and Policy	347
	The Context for Economic Policy Making	351
	Fiscal Policy	356
	Monetary Policy	361
	The Politics of Rich and Poor	364
	Conclusion: Policy, Participation, and the Web of Democracy	370
	Index	373