American Government and Politics: How Power Works
How Power Works
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40 chapters
~77 hours total
306 sections
1
Front Matter
4 chapters2
Part I — Foundations: How the System Was Designed
7 chapters- Part I — Foundations: How the System Was Designed
- Chapter 1: American Government — Why It Matters, How It Works (and Doesn't), and Why You Should Care
- Chapter 2: The Political Theory of the Founding — Madison, the Federalist Papers, and the American Idea
- Chapter 3: The Constitution — The Design, the Compromises, and the Document That's Both Sacred and Amendable
- Chapter 4 — Federalism: The Endless Negotiation Between National and State Power
- Chapter 5 — Civil Liberties: The Bill of Rights and the Ongoing Argument Over Individual Freedom
- Chapter 6 — Civil Rights: The Unfinished Struggle for Equality Under Law
3
Part II — The Institutions: How Power Is Organized
11 chapters- Part II — The Institutions: How Power Is Organized
- Chapter 7 — Congress: The People's Branch That Most People Hate
- Chapter 8: How Congress Actually Works — Committees, Leadership, Parties, and the Filibuster
- Chapter 9: The Presidency — Powers, Constraints, and the Expanding Executive
- Chapter 10. The Vice Presidency, the Cabinet, and the Executive Office of the President
- Chapter 11 — The Executive Branch in Action: Bureaucracy, Agencies, and the Administrative State
- Chapter 12 — The Federal Courts: Judicial Review, Interpretation, and the Myth of Neutral Judging
- Chapter 13. Lower Federal Courts — District, Circuit, and the Real Work of Federal Judging
- Chapter 14: The Supreme Court — Nominations, Ideology, and the Nine Most Powerful Unelected Officials in America
- Chapter 15: State and Local Government — Where Most Government Actually Happens
- Chapter 16: The Budget — How Taxing and Spending Reveal a Nation's Real Priorities
4
Part III — Politics and Participation: How the People Engage
11 chapters- Part III — Politics and Participation: How the People Engage
- Chapter 17: Public Opinion — What Americans Believe, Why They Believe It, and How We Know
- Chapter 18: The Media — From Walter Cronkite to TikTok, How Information Shapes Democracy
- Chapter 19: Political Parties — The Two-Party System, Realignment, and Why Third Parties Can't Win
- Chapter 20: Elections and Campaigns — How We Choose, and How Money, Maps, and Media Shape the Choice
- Chapter 21 — Campaign Operations: How Modern Campaigns Are Actually Run
- Chapter 22: Voting Behavior — Who Votes, Who Doesn't, and Why It Matters
- Chapter 23 — Identity and Politics: How Religion, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class Shape American Political Life
- Chapter 24: Interest Groups and Lobbying — The First Amendment Right That Distorts Democracy
- Chapter 25 — Political Polarization: How America Sorted Itself and Whether It Can Unsort
- Chapter 26: Social Movements — How Outsiders Change the System from Below
5
Part IV — Policy: How Decisions Become Outcomes
8 chapters- Part IV — Policy: How Decisions Become Outcomes
- Chapter 27: Economic Policy — Taxes, Spending, Regulation, and the Debate Over Government's Economic Role
- Chapter 28 — Social Policy: Healthcare, Welfare, and the Safety Net
- Chapter 29: Education Policy and the Federal Role
- Chapter 30: Environmental and Energy Policy
- Chapter 31 — Immigration Policy: The Permanent Crisis and the Competing Visions
- Chapter 32: Foreign Policy and National Security — America's Role in the World
- Chapter 33 — The Policy Process: How Problems Become (or Don't Become) Laws
6
Part V — Democracy Under Stress: Where the System Is Strained
6 chapters- Part V — Democracy Under Stress: Where the System Is Strained
- Chapter 34 — Money in Politics: *Citizens United*, Dark Money, and Whether Democracy Is for Sale
- Chapter 35 — Gerrymandering and Electoral Design: When Politicians Choose Their Voters
- Chapter 36 — Voting Rights: The Long Struggle and Current Battles
- Chapter 37: Democratic Erosion — Institutional Norms, Constitutional Hardball, and the Stress Test of the 2020s
- Chapter 38 — The Future of American Democracy: Reform Proposals, Structural Change, and What Citizens Can Do
7
Part VI — Synthesis: Putting It Together
3 chapters8
Appendices
15 chapters- Index
- Answers to Selected Exercises
- Appendix A: The Constitution of the United States (Annotated)
- Appendix B: The Bill of Rights and All Subsequent Amendments
- Appendix C: The Declaration of Independence — A Reader's Guide
- Appendix D: The Federalist Papers — A Reader's Guide
- Appendix E: Landmark Supreme Court Cases
- Appendix F: How to Read a Poll
- Appendix G: How to Read Election Results
- Appendix H: Civic Engagement Toolkit
- Appendix I: State and Local Government Quick Reference
- Appendix J: Comparative Democracies Quick Reference
- Appendix K: Reading Primary Sources
- Bibliography
- Glossary
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