Nelson Higher Education

Higher Education

American Government: Power and Purpose, 15th Edition

  • Stephen Ansolabehere
  • Benjamin Ginsberg
  • Theodore J. Lowi
  • Kenneth A. Shepsle
  • ISBN-10: 0393655539
  • ISBN-13: 9780393655537
  • 0 Pages | Hardcover
  • COPYRIGHT: 2019 Published
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Overview

About the Product

Authoritative. Analytical. Contemporary.

Thoroughly updated based on recent scholarship and current events, American Government: Power and Purpose remains the gold standard for teaching a political scientific perspective on American government. Thorough analysis of the 2018 midterm elections and the first years of the Trump presidency make this revision more current and authoritative than ever.

Features

  • THE BEST TEXT FOR HELPING STUDENTS ENGAGE WITH QUANTITATIVE DATA “Analyzing the Evidence” features contributed by top researchers make political-scientific data and methodology accessible. These two-page sections in every chapter use bold graphics to show how data and research yield important insights into politics. “Timeplot” infographics connect quantitative data to the historical development of key aspects of American politics.

  • AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK BASED ON FIVE PRINCIPLES OF POLITICS Politics is complex and contentious. How do we make sense of what seems too large and impossible to explain? Throughout the text, the authors consistently draw on five fundamental principles of politics to help students think analytically about each chapter’s topic.

  • EFFECTIVE RESOURCES HELP GET STUDENTS THINKING ANALYTICALLY ABOUT POLITICS The Norton suite of student resources for American Government includes assessable activities built specifically to complement the book and teaching resources, to help instructors get students thinking analytically during lecture.

Table of Contents

PART 1: FOUNDATIONS
Chapter 1: Introduction: Making Sense of Government and Politics
Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
Chapter 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
Chapter 5: Civil Rights

PART 2: INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 6: Congress: The First Branch
Chapter 7: The Presidency as an Institution
Chapter 8: The Executive Branch: Bureaucracy in a Democracy
Chapter 9: The Federal Courts

PART 3: DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
Chapter 10: Public Opinion
Chapter 11: Elections
Chapter 12: Political Parties
Chapter 13: Groups and Interests
Chapter 14: The Media

PART 4: POLICY
Chapter 15: Economic Policy
Chapter 16: Social Policy
Chapter 17: Foreign Policy

New to this edition

  • EXTENDS THE ANALYSIS FROM INSTITUTIONS AND BEHAVIOR TO POLICY OUTCOMES New contributing author Elizabeth Rigby (George Washington University) has rewritten the domestic policy chapters to reflect recent scholarship and current issues—and to explicitly apply what students have learned in earlier chapters about institutions and processes. In all chapters, “Policy Principle” boxes—many new and updated—highlight the various players and structures that shape current policy debates.