American Government,
15th Edition

James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio, Jr., Meena Bose, Matthew S. Levendusky

ISBN-13: 9781305500051
Copyright 2017 | Published
624 pages | List Price: USD $274.95

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES, 15th Edition is a clear and approachable textbook for students trying to successfully understand the American government. It sets the standard for examining current issues in American politics focusing on the importance of American governmental institutions, the historical development of governmental procedures and policies, and who governs in the United States and to what ends. This textbook includes concise learning objectives, highlighted key concepts, and links for practical application of contemporary debates on policy dynamics. These features give you the opportunity to identify important issues in American politics, maximize comprehension, and engage with the material in a meaningful way.

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Part I: THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.
1. The Study of American Government.
2. The Constitution.
3. Federalism.
4. American Political Culture.
5. Civil Liberties.
6. Civil Rights.
Part II: OPINIONS, INTERESTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS.
7. Public Opinion.
8. Political Participation.
9. Political Parties.
10. Elections and Campaigns.
11. Interest Groups.
12. The Media.
Part III: INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
13. Congress.
14. The Presidency.
15. The Bureaucracy.
16. The Judiciary.
Part IV: PUBLIC POLICY AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
17. Domestic Policy.
18. Economic Policy.
19. Foreign and Military Policy.
20. American Democracy, Then and Now.

  • James Q. Wilson

    James Q. Wilson taught at Boston College and Pepperdine University. He was Professor Emeritus of Management and Public Administration at UCLA and, before that, the Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. He wrote more than a dozen books on public policy, bureaucracy and political philosophy. A former president of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Dr. Wilson is the only political scientist to win three of the four lifetime achievement awards presented by the APSA. In 2003, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. Professor Wilson passed away in March 2012 after battling cancer. His work helped shape the field of political science in the United States. His many years of service to this textbook remain evident on every page and will continue for many editions to come.

  • John J. DiIulio, Jr.

    John J. DiIulio Jr. is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and has won each of Penn's most prestigious teaching awards. Previously Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, Dr. Dilulio has been a senior fellow and directed research programs at several leading think tanks, including the Brookings Institution. He has been honored with awards from the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management, the American Political Science Association and other organizations. In addition, he has advised presidential candidates in both parties, served on bipartisan government reform commissions and worked as a senior staff member in the White House. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University.

  • Meena Bose

    Meena Bose is Executive Dean for Public Policy and Public Service programs in the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs at Hofstra University. She also directs Hofstra’s Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency. The author or editor of several volumes in presidency studies and American politics, Dr. Bose teaches courses on the American presidency, presidential leadership and policymaking and American politics. She taught for six years at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University and her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.

  • Matthew S. Levendusky

    Matthew S. Levendusky is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania. He obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University, and his B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on understanding how institutions and elites influence the political behavior of ordinary citizens, including studies of mass polarization, the effects of partisan media, and various other topics. His work has been honored with a number of awards, including the 2011 Jewell-Lowenberg Award (for the best article published in Legislative Studies Quarterly), the 2013 best paper award from the Journal of Politics, the 2014 Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University's Shorenstein Center (for How Partisan Media Polarize America), and the 2016 Erik Erikson Early Career Award from the International Society of Political Psychology.

  • New co-author Matthew Levendusky joins the esteemed author team.

  • Updates reflect the latest scholarship and current events, including 2015 Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage and health care; 2014 elections and the 2016 presidential race; ongoing debates about the federal budget, immigration, taxes, and other key issues in American politics; and foreign-policy decisions on Iran, Russia, and Syria.

  • Reworked Learning Objectives open, organize, and close each chapter, serving as a road map to key concepts to help students assess their comprehension. More visual aids have been added throughout, including infographic inside covers, new figures, and a striking new design.

  • Updates reflect the latest scholarship and current events, including 2015 Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage and health care; 2014 elections and the 2016 presidential race; ongoing debates about the federal budget, immigration, taxes, and other key issues in American politics; and foreign-policy decisions on Iran, Russia, and Syria.

  • Reworked Learning Objectives open, organize, and close each chapter, serving as a road map to key concepts and helping you assess your comprehension.

  • More visual aids have been added throughout, including infographic inside covers, new figures, and a striking new design.

  • Then and Now openers show historical connections with today’s politics.

  • Constitutional Connections raise issues from the constitutional debates that remain relevant today.

  • Policy Dynamics present current policy debates from Wilson’s Politics of Policymaking framework.

  • How We Compare examine how other nations structure their governments, policies, and the results of these differences.

  • What Would You Do? asks students to become the decision maker in a domestic or foreign policy scenario.

  • How Things Work highlight key political processes.

  • Landmark Cases summarize important Supreme Court cases.

  • Then and Now openers show historical connections with today’s politics.

  • Constitutional Connections raise issues from the constitutional debates that remain relevant today.

  • Policy Dynamics present current policy debates from Wilson’s Politics of Policymaking framework.

  • How We Compare examine how other nations structure their governments, policies, and the results of these differences.

  • What Would You Do? asks you to become the decision maker in a domestic or foreign policy scenario.

  • How Things Work highlight key political processes.

  • Landmark Cases summarize important Supreme Court cases.

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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