American Government and Politics Today, Brief Edition, 2014-2015

xviii PREFACE n The discussion of immigration is current, and the section on energy and the environ- ment describes fracking and ...

PREFACE xix Making a Difference Features At the end of every chapter, a feature entitled Making a Difference enhances our emphas ...

xx PREFACE n The Instructor’s Manual contains chapter-specific learning objectives, an outline, key terms with definitions, and ...

PREFACE xxi points. CourseReader is loaded with convenient tools such as highlighting, printing, note-taking, and downloadable P ...

xxii ABOUT THE AUTHORS STEFFEN W. SCHMIDT Steffen W. Schmidt is professor of political science at Iowa State University. He grew ...

1 Politics, for many people, is the “great game,” and it is played for high stakes. After all, the game involves vast sums and ...

2   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Politics The struggle over power or influence within organizations or informal groups ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   3 Liberty The greatest freedom of the individual that is consistent with the free ...

4   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Totalitarian Regime A form of government that controls all aspects of the political, s ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   5 Republic A form of government in which sovereign power rests with the people, r ...

6   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Democratic Republic A republic in which representatives elected by the people make and ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   7 Majoritarianism A political theory holding that in a democracy, the government ...

8   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Pluralism A theory that views politics as a conflict among interest groups. Political ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   9 Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Equality As a ...

10   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Property Anything that is or may be subject to ownership. As conceived by the politic ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   11 The Proper Size of Government Opposition to “big government” has been a co ...

12   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM at issue The federal government provides benefits to certain individuals and families ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   13 Political Ideology A comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people a ...

14   PART ONE • THE AMERICAN SYSTEM Conservative Movement An American movement launched in the 1950s that provides a comp ...

CHAPTER ONE • THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBlIC   15 Socialism A political ideology based on strong support for economic and social ...