Understanding American Politics and Government, 2010 Update Edition Book

This introductory American Politics volume tries a new approach to reaching students in courses in basic American Politics. Some of the defining features of this book that call for some mention. One, a comparative perspective. Throughout the volume, the authors bring comparisons between the United States and other countries to bear. Two, they use vignettes at the opening of each chapter to try to generate some interest from students, including a series of questions designed to get classes talking about broader issues. Three, the authors try to get students to think about what causes what (causality), to demonstrate that the fact that two items are correlated does not mean that one causes the other. Four, the values of the American political culture are highlighted, to show the impact of those values on American politics. Five, the book attempts to engender "critical thinking" in students. Many textbooks try one or another or a combination of these; this book tries to pull them all together.

Let's take a look at one chapter to illustrate, Chapter 3, on the Constitution. It begins with a vignette, about electronic surveillance after 9/11 and the Constitution. The vignette closes with a series of questions to get students thinking. Causality is addressed by asking the question of whether it was ideas or events that impelled the colonies to move toward revolution. The American constitution is briefly compared with constitutions in other countries, to provide some comparative context. The chapter also addresses some of the values at stake in the deliberation and debate over the Constitution.

Overall, the architecture of this textbook is pretty familiar. At the outset, a discussion of basic American values (Chapter 2, Political Culture). Then, chapters outlining the bedrock constitutional principles underlying American government--the Constitution (Chapter 3), Federalism (Chapter 4), Civil Liberties and Rights (Chapters 5-6). Then comes the dynamics of American politics--Public Opinion (Chapter 7), Political Participation (Chapter 8), Voting and Elections (Chapter 9), Media and Politics (Chapter 10), Political Parties and Interest Groups (Chapters 11-12).

Following that set of chapters is an enumeration of the basic institutions of decision-making, Congress (Chapter 13), the Presidency (Chapter 14), the Judiciary (Chapter 15), and Bureaucracy (Chapter 16). Next, the outputs or policy arenas in which government and politics operate--Economic and Social Policy (Chapter 17), Foreign Policy (Chapter 18). The very last chapter focuses on State and Local Governments (Chapter 19).

This is an interesting effort at making American politics meaningful to undergraduate students as well as making them think about the logic of causation (that is, what is causing what in the realm of politics). A noble effort. Were I to be assigned to teach Political Science 001 (American Politics), I would seriously consider this book.