Textbook focusing on American Government and the specificities of the American political system. In covering American government and politics, this text:
• introduces the intricacies of the Constitution, the complexities of federalism, the meanings of civil liberties, and the conflicts over civil rights;
• explains how people are socialized to politics, acquire and express opinions, and participate in political life;
• describes interest groups, political parties, and elections—the intermediaries that link people to government and politics;
• details the branches of government and how they operate; and
• shows how policies are made and affect people’s lives.

Table of Contents:

I. Module 1: Politics and Government
II. Module 2: Constitutional Framework
III. Module 3: American Federalism
IV. Module 4: Congress: To the Republic
V. Module 5: The Presidency: Design and Evolution
VI. Module 6: The Bureaucracy: Outputs of Government
VII. Module 7: The Courts: Guardians of the Constitution

American Government is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of the single-semester American government course. This title includes innovative features designed to enhance student learning, including Insider Perspective features and a Get Connected Module that shows students how they can get engaged in the political process. The book provides an important opportunity for students to learn the core concepts of American government and understand how those concepts apply to their lives and the world around them. American Government includes updated information on the 2016 presidential election.

This course is taught using a mastery approach. It was designed to give you the best opportunity for success. Your instructor will guide you through the process, but below are some important things to keep in mind as you begin.

Course Structure: Each course is built around Competencies, which are important skills or knowledge that can be used in the real world. Each Competency has enabling Learning Outcomes that teach you what you need to know to master the Competency. Each Learning Outcome is supported by Open Educational Resources, which are a range of materials that will help you build your skills and knowledge of the learning outcomes.

Table of Contents:

I. Introduction
II. Chapter 1: Constitutional Framework
III. Federalism
IV. Ch. 2 Civil Rights and Liberties
V. Ch. 3 - The Legislative Branch
VI. Ch. 4 - The Executive Branch
VII. Ch. 5 - The Judicial Branch
VIII. Ch. 6 - Political Culture and Public Opinion
IX. Media and Politics
X. Ch. 7 - Political Parties and Interest Groups
XI. Ch. 8 - Elections
XII. Public Policy
XIII. Course Information
XIV. Research Paper Assignment
XVI. How to Participate in Seminars
XVII. Culminating Survey
XVIII. Seminars on Textbook Chapters

This text is a comprehensive introduction to the vital subject of American government and politics. Governments decide who gets what, when, how (See Harold D. Lasswell, Politics: Who Gets What, When, How, [New York: McGraw-Hill, 1936]); they make policies and pass laws that are binding on all a society’s members; they decide about taxation and spending, benefits and costs, even life and death.Governments possess power—the ability to gain compliance and to get people under their jurisdiction to obey them—and they may exercise their power by using the police and military to enforce their decisions. However, power need not involve the exercise of force or compulsion; people often obey because they think it is in their interest to do so, they have no reason to disobey, or they fear punishment. Above all, people obey their government because it has authority; its power is seen by people as rightfully held, as legitimate. People can grant their government legitimacy because they have been socialized to do so; because there are processes, such as elections, that enable them to choose and change their rulers; and because they believe that their governing institutions operate justly.Politics is the process by which leaders are selected and policy decisions are made and executed. It involves people and groups, both inside and outside of government, engaged in deliberation and debate, disagreement and conflict, cooperation and consensus, and power struggles.In covering American government and politics, this text introduces the intricacies of the Constitution, the complexities of federalism, the meanings of civil liberties, and the conflicts over civil rights;explains how people are socialized to politics, acquire and express opinions, and participate in political life; describes interest groups, political parties, and elections—the intermediaries that link people to government and politics; details the branches of government and how they operate; and shows how policies are made and affect people’s lives.

Part 1: Thinking Like a Political Scientist
Chapter 1: What is Politics
Chapter 2: The Nature of Political Power
Chapter 3: Who Has Power in U. S. Politics?
Chapter 4: Political Science as a Social Science
Chapter 5: Common Fallacies in Argumentation
Chapter 6: Making Strong Arguments
Chapter 7: Basic Political Analysis
Chapter 8: Six Very Powerful Questions
Chapter 9: Critical Reading and Reflection
Chapter 10: The Context of U. S. Government and Politics

Part 2: Constitutional Foundations
Chapter 11: Natural Rights and the Declaration of Independence
Chapter 12: Articles of Confederation, Shays' Rebellion and the Road to the Constitution
Chapter 13: Key Features of the U. S. Constitution
Chapter 14: The Battle for Ratification and the Bill of Rights
Chapter 15: A Federal Republic
Chapter 16: Federalism's Historical Development
Chapter 17: A Secular Republic
Chapter 18: Amending the Constitution
Chapter 19: How Democratic is the U. S. Constitution?

Part 3: Congress
Chapter 20: Who are Our Members of Congress and Whom Do They Represent?
Chapter 21: Congressional Roles
Chapter 22: How Congress Passes Legislation
Chapter 23: Pathologies of Congressional Behavior
Chapter 24: The Undemocratic Senate

Part 4: The Presidency
Chapter 25: The President as Person and Institution
Chapter 26: The Vice President and Presidential Succession
Chapter 27: The President's Domestic Powers
Chapter 28: The President's Foreign Policy Powers
Chapter 29: Contemporary Issues of Presidential Power
Chapter 30: Impeachment and Removal of the President

Part 5: The Supreme Court
Chapter 31: Purpose and Operation of the Supreme Court
Chapter 32: Paths to the Supreme Court
Chapter 33: Appointing and Confirming Supreme Court Justices
Chapter 34: The Interpretive Work of the Supreme Court
Chapter 35: The Supreme Court as an Ideological Actor

Part 6: The Federal Bureaucracy
Chapter 36: Government is Good
Chapter 37: The Scope and Size of the Federal Government
Chapter 38: The Work of the Federal Civil Service and Political Appointees
Chapter 39: Revolving Doors and Corporate Capture of Federal Agencies
Chapter 40: American Budget Priorities

Part 7: Linkage Institutions
Chapter 41: What Do Political Parties Do?
Chapter 42: The Historical Development of American Political Parties
Chapter 43: Policy Preferences of American Political Parties
Chapter 44: Why Do We Have a Two-Party System?
Chapter 45: The Universe of Organized Interests
Chapter 46: Strategies of Organized Interests
Chapter 47: The Historical Development of the News Media
Chapter 48: The Contemporary News Media Ecosystem

Part 8: Electoral Politics and Public Opinion
Chapter 49: Expanding Voting Eligibility in American History
Chapter 50: Early Election Reforms
Chapter 51: The Electoral College
Chapter 52: The Integrity of American Elections
Chapter 53: Gerrymandering
Chapter 54: Campaign Finance
Chapter 55: The Advantages of Incumbency
Chapter 56: Public Opinion and Political Socialization

Part 9: Individual Political Behavior
Chapter 57: Voting
Chapter 58: Beyond Voting
Chapter 59: Civil Disobedience
Chapter 60: Political Violence
Chapter 61: A Guide to Living in an Attenuated Democracy

Part 10: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Chapter 62: The Difference Between Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Chapter 63: Incorporation or Nationalization of the Bill of Rights
Chapter 64: The Boundaries of Freedom of Speech and the Press
Chapter 65: The Law and Politics of Religious Freedom
Chapter 66: The Individual and the Criminal Justice System
Chapter 67: Threats to Individual Freedom--Government Versus Corporations
Chapter 68: Civil Rights Case Study--Race
Chapter 69: Civil Rights Case Study--Sex
Chapter 70: Civil Rights Case Study--Sexual Orientation

Access is also available here: https://slcc.pressbooks.pub/attenuateddemocracy/

The Basics of American Government offers a comprehensive overview of the American political system for students taking introductory courses in American national government and combines the best aspects of both a traditional textbook and a reader. The Basics of American Government is a collaborative effort among eight current and one former faculty members in the Department of Political Science & Criminal Justice at the University of North Georgia. Most of its chapters offer a piece of original scholarship as a case study bolstering the material in the chapter. Additionally, most chapters present a civic engagement-type exercise and discussion questions that are challenging and engaging, and help foster student participation in the political system. The purpose of this book is to offer a no-frills, low-cost, yet comprehensive overview of the American political system for students taking introductory courses in American national government.

This new set of classroom activities for OpenStax American Government was created under a Round Eleven Mini-Grant for Ancillary Materials Creation and Revision. The materials created in order to support faculty implementing OpenStax American Government in the classroom include:

Icebreakers
Video Activities
Quiz Activities
Discussion Activities
Brainstorming Activities
Team Activities

This course provides a substantive overview of U.S. politics and an introduction to the discipline of political science. It surveys the institutional foundations of U.S. politics as well as the activities of political elites, organizations, and ordinary citizens. It also explores the application of general political science concepts and analytic frameworks to specific episodes and phenomena in U.S. politics.