American Government and Politics Today,
19th Edition

Part I: THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.
1. One Republic -- A Divided Country.
2. The Constitution.
3. Federalism.
Part II: CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES.
4. Civil Liberties.
5. Civil Rights.
Part III: PEOPLE AND POLITICS.
6. Public Opinion and Political Socialization.
7. Interest Groups.
8. Political Parties.
9. Elections, Campaigns, and Voting.
10. The Media and Politics.
Part IV: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS.
11. The Congress.
12. The President.
13. The Bureaucracy.
14. The Courts.
Part V: PUBLIC POLICY.
15. Domestic Policy.
16. Economic Policy.
17. Foreign Policy and National Security.
Part VI: STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS.
18. State and Local Government.
Appendix A: The Declaration of Independence.
Appendix B: The Constitution of the United States.
Appendix C: The Federalist Papers Nos. 10 and 51.

• Lynne E. Ford

  Lynne E. Ford is associate vice president for the academic experience and professor of political science at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. She served as associate provost for curriculum and academic administration for five years, was department chair for eight years and led a number of campuswide initiatives, including general education reform, faculty compensation and civic engagement. With teaching and research interests in women and politics, elections and voting behavior, political psychology and civic engagement, Dr. Ford has written articles on women in state legislatures, the underrepresentation of women in political office in the American South and work-family policy in the United States. She also authored WOMEN AND POLITICS: THE PURSUIT OF EQUALITY and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN AND AMERICAN POLITICS. She received her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in government and political behavior from the University of Maryland-College Park.

• Barbara A. Bardes

  Barbara A. Bardes is professor emerita of political science at the University of Cincinnati. She served as a faculty member in political science and dean of Mundelein College at Loyola University of Chicago. In 1993, she was appointed dean of the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, serving until 2003. She returned to the Political Science Department, where she held the position of graduate director before retiring. In addition to writing articles on public and foreign policy and women and politics, Dr. Bardes co-authored DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE: WOMEN AND POLITICAL POWER IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN NOVELS, THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY, PUBLIC OPINION: MEASURING THE AMERICAN MIND and AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Kent State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

• Steffen W. Schmidt

  Steffen W. Schmidt is the Lucken Professor Emeritus of political science at Iowa State University. He has published 14 books and over 130 articles in scholarly journals and major newspapers. His numerous teaching honors include the Amoco Award for Lifetime Career Achievement in Teaching and Teacher of the Year. He is a pioneer in the use of web-based and real-time video courses, a founding member of the American Political Science Association's section on Computers and Multimedia, and a founding member of the USSTRATCOM academic alliance. Known as "Dr. Politics" for his extensive commentary on U.S. politics in both U.S. and international media, he comments on CNN en Español and Univision as well as CTV Canada Cable TV. Dr. Schmidt grew up in Colombia, South America, and studied in Colombia, Switzerland, the United States and France. He received a B.A. from Rollins College and a Ph.D. in public law and government from Columbia University, New York. Dr. Schmidt is on Facebook (SteffenWSchmidt) and Twitter (DrPolitics).

• Mack C. Shelley

  Mack C. Shelley II is a professor of political science and statistics at Iowa State University, where he arrived in 1979. Currently chair of the Department of Political Science, he conducts policy research in a number of areas funded by grants and contracts. From 1993 to 2002 he served as elected co-editor of the POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL. In addition, Dr. Shelley has published numerous articles, books and monographs on public policy, including THE PERMANENT MAJORITY: THE CONSERVATIVE COALITION IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE: A GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE (with William F. Woodman and Brian J. Reichel), AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY: THE CONTEMPORARY AGENDA (with Steven G. Koven and Bert E. Swanson) and QUALITY RESEARCH IN LITERACY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND GOLD STANDARDS (with Larry Yore and Brian Hand). He received his bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and both his master’s degree in economics and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Bringing chapter concepts to life through engaging examples of politics, politicians and policies in action, the 19th edition is thoroughly revised and updated with coverage of the 2020 primary and general elections, emerging issues and the latest data. Climate change, gun violence and race and gender issues on campus have motivated students to engage in politics in new ways with new energy. This proven text supports their enthusiasm by equipping them with the knowledge and tools for meaningful involvement in the world around them.

• Providing real-world context to chapter concepts, all-new "Election 2020" features added to every chapter guide students to think about the ways an election can change American politics or reinforce the status quo. In addition, the 2020 caucuses and primaries and general election are covered throughout the text.

• "What if... ?" questions prompt lively classroom discussion and debate as they encourage students to apply critical-thinking skills to current, hypothetical and real-life issues like climate change, online voting, expanded national service and a part-time Congress.

• "Beyond Our Borders" features explore a relevant concept from the chapter in an international context, prompting students to consider what we might learn from looking abroad. New content explores migration and immigration, the EU after Brexit, protests in Hong Kong, Finland’s all-female government and public health responses during the global pandemic.

• "Politics in Practice" features illustrate how individuals and groups can shape and alter the outcome of events through political engagement. New content highlights Greta Thunberg's climate activism, civil liberties in quarantine and students pushing colleges to "go green" in support of sustainability.

• In response to reviewer feedback, the text provides expanded coverage of gender issues throughout, including new material on the record number of women running and winning office in 2018, the women seeking the Democratic nomination for president as well as updated coverage of women's rights and gender equality, gender, race and ethnic discrimination, and the persistent pay gap.

• The causes and consequences of political polarization are explored throughout, particularly in Chapters 6, 8 and 10. Voting rights after Shelby v. Holder (2013) and new forms of voter suppression are assessed in Chapters 5 and 9. The text also notes how the COVID-19 pandemic changed so many things in American society and politics: The Supreme Court heard oral arguments by teleconference to complete their term, the House of Representatives voted to allow remote voting for the first time in history, and Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus package in response to historic unemployment.

• Recent court decisions on partisan gerrymandering, sexual harassment, religious freedom, faithless electors and cases involving executive privilege and President Trump are integrated into the appropriate chapters to ensure the book addresses the timeliest political events and topics.

• Helping students focus on key content, Learning Objectives open each chapter and highlight the most important concepts and skills. End-of-chapter summaries link back to the Learning Objectives, helping ensure student understanding of key topics. Chapter features extend the learning objectives to include application and synthesis, while clear task verbs direct students to desired outcomes.

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

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