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American Government and Politics Today 2015-2016, 17th Edition

Lynne E. Ford, Barbara A. Bardes, Steffen W. Schmidt, Mack C. Shelley II

  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2015-01-02T00:00:00+0000')}}
Starting At $242.95 See pricing and ISBN options
American Government and Politics Today 2015-2016 17th Edition by Lynne E. Ford/Barbara A. Bardes/Steffen W. Schmidt/Mack C. Shelley II

Overview

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY is known nationwide for its balanced, unbiased, and modern coverage of constitutional, governmental, political, social, and economic structures and their processes. The book provides the knowledge that allows students to make informed choices, encourages them to play an active role in the decision-making process, and promotes their enthusiastic participation in the world around them by providing the tools they need to get involved. The 2015–2016 edition's updates include in-depth coverage of the midterm 2014 elections. The book is also available without policy chapters.

Lynne E. Ford

Lynne E. Ford is associate vice president for the academic experience and professor of political science at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. She served as associate provost for curriculum and academic administration for five years, was department chair for eight years and led a number of campuswide initiatives, including general education reform, faculty compensation and civic engagement. With teaching and research interests in women and politics, elections and voting behavior, political psychology and civic engagement, Dr. Ford has written articles on women in state legislatures, the underrepresentation of women in political office in the American South and work-family policy in the United States. She also authored WOMEN AND POLITICS: THE PURSUIT OF EQUALITY and THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN AND AMERICAN POLITICS. She received her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in government and political behavior from the University of Maryland-College Park.

Barbara A. Bardes

Barbara A. Bardes is professor emerita of political science at the University of Cincinnati. She served as a faculty member in political science and dean of Mundelein College at Loyola University of Chicago. In 1993, she was appointed dean of the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, serving until 2003. She returned to the political science department, where she held the position of graduate director before retiring. In addition to writing articles on public and foreign policy and women and politics, Dr. Bardes co-authored DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE: WOMEN AND POLITICAL POWER IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN NOVELS; THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY: A PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH; PUBLIC OPINION: MEASURING THE AMERICAN MIND; and AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Kent State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

Steffen W. Schmidt

Steffen W. Schmidt is the Lucken Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Iowa State University. He has published 14 books and over 130 articles in scholarly journals and major newspapers. His numerous teaching honors include the Amoco Award for Lifetime Career Achievement in Teaching and Teacher of the Year. He is a pioneer in the use of web-based and real-time video courses, a founding member of the American Political Science Association's computers and multimedia section and a founding member of the USSTRATCOM academic alliance. Known as "Dr. Politics" for his extensive commentary on U.S. politics in both American and international media, he comments on CNN en Español and Univision as well as CTV Canada Cable TV. Dr. Schmidt grew up in Colombia, South America, and studied in Colombia, Switzerland, the United States and France. He received a B.A. from Rollins College and a Ph.D. in public law and government from Columbia University, New York. Dr. Schmidt is on Facebook (SteffenWSchmidt) and Twitter (DrPolitics).

Mack C. Shelley II

Mack C. Shelley II is a professor of political science and statistics at Iowa State University, where he arrived in 1979. Currently chair of the department of political science, he conducts policy research in a number of areas funded by grants and contracts. From 1993 to 2002, he served as elected co-editor of POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL. In addition, Dr. Shelley has published numerous articles, books and monographs on public policy, including THE PERMANENT MAJORITY: THE CONSERVATIVE COALITION IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS; BIOTECHNOLOGY AND THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE: A GUIDE TO THE LITERATURE (with William F. Woodman and Brian J. Reichel); AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY: THE CONTEMPORARY AGENDA (with Steven G. Koven and Bert E. Swanson); and QUALITY RESEARCH IN LITERACY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND GOLD STANDARDS (with Larry Yore and Brian Hand). He received his bachelor’s degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and both his master’s degree in economics and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • This edition is significantly more affordable than the previous edition.
  • A chapter on “The Media and Politics” (Chapter 10) returns to this edition, updated to address modern media and technology as well as their roles in politics.
  • Based on reviewers' requests, this edition pays greater attention to gender, with discussions throughout the book of gender as it relates to such topics as cabinet appointments, Congress, Supreme Court justices, voting, the women's right movement, the Nineteenth Amendment, and the gender pay gap.
  • Chapter 9, “Campaign, Voting, and Elections,” combines and streamlines topics formerly covered in two chapters.
  • A new feature, “Everyday Politics,” centers on a media resource, such as a film or a sitcom, that links directly to the chapter material. It is designed to attract student interest and to encourage critical thinking by placing the book's topics in the context of familiar popular culture and posing questions for students to consider. For instance, one chapter summarizes the Academy Award-winning movie Argo, which dramatizes a CIA agent's rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.
  • “What Would You Do?” replaces the previous edition's “You Can Make a Difference” feature. This revised feature is more interactive for this edition, putting students in a position of power/authority while posing a critical thinking question, as opposed to simply referring them to websites for more information. For example, they may be asked to consider how they would vote on a handguns bill as a member of Congress.
  • Co-author, Lynne Ford, is now the lead author on the book previous known by author Schmidt.
  • Chapter-opening Learning Outcomes help students target their reading and are revisited throughout the chapter and in the chapter summary. Objectives are tied to the outcomes that are expected from most Introduction to American Government courses across the country.
  • “Politics with a Purpose” features highlight how individuals, groups, and modern technology have impacted the political system. They incorporate a review of key scholarship on the topic and offer a balance of positive and negative as well as modern and historical examples. Examples often include students who are employing the skills they have learned in college to bring about social and political change.
  • Provocative “What if . . . ?” questions prompt lively classroom discussion and encourage students to apply critical-thinking skills to current, real-life issues.
  • A boxed “Beyond Our Borders” feature in each chapter gives students both global and comparative context, covering topics related to key issues such as economic globalization, foreign elections, citizenship, immigration, and foreign lobbying. New topics include government controlled media abroad, campaign length, and political rights in the global community, such as Egypt.
Part I: THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.
1. One Republic-Two Americas?
2. The Constitution.
3. Federalism.
Part II: CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES.
4. Civil Liberties.
5. Civil Rights.
Part III: PEOPLE AND POLITICS.
6. Public Opinion and Political Socialization.
7. Interest Groups.
8. Political Parties.
9. Campaigning, Voting, and Elections.
10. The Media and Politics.
Part IV: POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS.
11. The Congress.
12. The President.
13. The Bureaucracy.
14. The Courts.
Part V: PUBLIC POLICY.
15. Domestic Policy.
16. Economic Policy.
17. Foreign Policy and National Security.
Part VI: STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS.
18. State and Local Government.

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  • ISBN-10: 1285860438
  • ISBN-13: 9781285860435
  • RETAIL $242.95