New 2009


POLITICS IN AMERICA,  EIGHTH EDITION, 2009

Politics is an activity by which people try to get more of whatever there is to get.  Simply put, it is about "who gets what, when and how."  By using Lasswell's classic definition of politics, Politics in America strives to present a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system.  It reflects the teaching philosophy that stimulating students' interest in politics and public affairs is the most important goal of an introductory course.  The struggle for power and society is not a dull topic, and textbooks should not make it so.



NEW TO THE  EIGHTH EDITION:


The struggle for power in America remains the central focus of Politics in America. The longest and most expensive presidential campaign in American history came to an end in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama, the first of African American to occupy the Oval Office.  Indeed, the year was marked by intense political conflict, not only in the general election but also in the primary campaign leading to the national conventions.  And the battle for control of the House and Senate confirmed the Democratic domination of Capitol Hill.

Despite calls for national unity, Americans remain polarized over politics and policy -- Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, religious versus secular, supporters versus opponents of the Iraq war, civil libertarians versus supporters of restrictive measures in the war on terror, supporters versus opponents of immigration reform, and a host of other conflicts.  And race remains an underlying theme in American society.

Politics in America is designed to invite controversy and spirited discussion in the classroom.  It does not hesitate to raise all of the politically incorrect issues -- affirmative action and diversity in education; when is it right to disobey the law; when should the United States use military force; what if any restriction should be placed on abortion; should government ban gay marriage; what constitutional rights, if any, should be given to enemy combatants captured on foreign battlefields or inside the United States; should marijuana be approved for medical use; should violence against women be a federal crime; does immigration help or hurt America; should we scrap the Electoral College; and other equally challenging controversies.



Among the topics new to the Eighth Edition:


The battle for the White House between Barack Obama and John McCain.

The bitter and prolonged Democratic primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

The origins of the war in Iraq, the growing opposition to the war, and strategies for  exiting the war.

NEW WHAT DO YOU THINK features, including Should we call a new constitutional convention? Which government does the best job? Does immigration help or hurt America? When should United States use military force?

NEW PEOPLE IN POLITICS features, including John McCain, war hero and maverick senator; Barack Obama, a call for change; Hillary Clinton meets the glass ceiling; George W. Bush, a turbulent presidency; Arnold Schwarzenegger, governing California; John Roberts, chief justice; Howard Dean, Democratic national Chairman; Lance Armstrong, lobbying for Cancer research; Ben Benanke, managing the nation's money; General David Petraous, fighting an unpopular war.


NEW POLITICS UP CLOSE features, including Barack and Hillary in the Democratic presidential primaries; the Appeal of the Democratic and Republican parties; 60 minutes, news as entertainment; the Oprah Effect; Washington's most powerful lobbies.



Instructional Features:


In order to capture student attention and inspire an interest in politics and public affairs Politics in America relies heavily on special features in each chapter -- features that are designed to invite discussion and controversy in the classroom.


WHAT DO YOU THINK features challenge students to think through an issue and compare their own position to the results of public opinion polls, for example, Can You Trust the Government?

CONTROVERSY features identify conflicts in American politics and invites students to argue the issues, for example Federalism and Same-Sex Marriage.

POLITICS UP CLOSE features provide additional insight into port in aspects of American politics, for example African American Politics in Historical Perspective.

PEOPLE IN POLITICS features provide information on the backgrounds of the participants in politics notably their early years, college experience, and how they became involved in public life, for example John McCain war hero and maverick senator.

COMPARED TO WHAT features encourage students to think of American politics in the broader context of world affairs, for example World Opinion of the USA.

CONFLICTING VIEW features confront students with views in opposition to the prevailing political consensus, for example The War on Drugs Threatens Individual Liberty.

ACROSS THE USA features invites students to view a topic from the perspective of all 50 states, for example Liberalism and Conservatism in the States.

Finally, citizens and policymakers have become increasingly distressed over the lack of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution by college graduates.  To address this concern, Politics in America not only includes an annotated Constitution, but also a feature in each chapter – CONSTITUTIONAL NOTE-- that discusses constitutional issues raised by a topic in that chapter.

                                                                                                           
















































































NEW   2009