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THEMES

Freedom, order, and equality. Value conflicts are prominent in contemporary American society, and they help explain political controversy and consensus in earlier eras. We demonstrate that many of the nation’s most controversial issues represent conflicts among individuals or groups who hold differing views on the values of freedom, order, and equality. Views on issues such as abortion are not just isolated opinions; they also reflect choices about the philosophy citizens want government to follow. Yet choosing among these values is difficult, sometimes excruciatingly so.

Pluralist and majoritarian visions of democracy. Majoritarianism involves following the will of a majority while pluralism involves the interaction of decision makers with groups concerned about issues that affect them. We use these models and the tensions between them to illustrate the dynamics of the American political system, including rising partisanship in Congress, the role of interest groups in policymaking, the ways in which public opinion does (or does not) shape public policy, and the influence of money on a range of political processes.

Globalization. Each day, trade, travel, immigration, and the internet make the world a more interdependent place. We cannot escape the deepening interrelationships between the United States and the rest of the world. Thus, our book examines some of the ramifications of a smaller world on the large landscape of American politics.

Our book includes elements to engage your students with these enduring themes, including vignettes at the start of each chapter; features that highlight tensions among freedom, order, and equality; features that situate American government in the context of global politics; critical thinking questions; and updated examples across the text. We do not believe it is our role to tell students our own answers to the broad questions we pose. Instead, we want our readers to learn firsthand that a democracy requires thoughtful and difficult choices, which is why we titled our book The Challenge of Democracy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I    Dilemmas of Democracy
Chapter 1    Freedom, Order, or Equality
Chapter 2    Majoritarian or Pluralist Democracy

Part II    Foundations of American Government
Chapter 3    The Constitution
Chapter 4    Federalism

Part III    Linking People with Government
Chapter 5    Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Chapter 6    The Media
Chapter 7    Participation and Voting
Chapter 8    Political Parties
Chapter 9    Nominations, Elections, and Campaigns
Chapter 10    Interest Groups

Part IV    Institutions of Government
Chapter 11    Congress
Chapter 12    The Presidency
Chapter 13    The Bureaucracy
Chapter 14    The Courts

Part V    Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Chapter 15    Order and Civil Liberties
Chapter 16    Equality and Civil Rights

Part VI    Making Public Policy
Chapter 17    Economic Policy
Chapter 18    Policymaking and Domestic Policy