Understanding American Politics and Government

by John J. Coleman, Kenneth M. Goldstein, William G. Howell

In an election year that has defied expectations, scuttled predictions, and demonstrated that “politics as usual” is often anything but, a distinctive new textbook publishes that helps students make sense of our politics and government.

This engaging new book’s unique approach emphasizes and explores causal questions in American politics. It gives student critical thinking tools–tools pulled directly from a social scientist’s playbook–to start answering those questions, see past today’s headlines, and understand why things really happen in our political world.

In a clear, straightforward style brimming with rich, real world examples, this exciting new text not only covers the fundamentals of American government and politics in a highly accessible, engaging fashion, it arms readers with the tools to separate political fact from fiction. Using this book, readers will develop the skills to see through the simplistic sound bites and partisan assertions they’re subjected to by the pundits and politicians.

Students reading this text will be fitted with armor against the partisan bickering and hyperbolic media coverage that causes so many of them to become cynical about politics. They will come away from the text not only excited by political questions, but with the means to explore possible answers as more thoughtful, critical, and empowered citizens.

Genres: School

744 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2008

Reviews

[Petrichor · Rating 1 out of 5]

The material was badly organized, the writing style was extremely unprofessional, and I think the editing process was nonexistent. In the famous words of Lizzie Bennet, "I want to gouge my eye out with a spork."

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.