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See Most Recent Edition

Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced, 4th Edition

John G. Geer, Richard Herrera, Wendy J. Schiller, Jeffrey A. Segal

  • Copyright 2020
  • {{checkPublicationMessage('Published', '2019-01-01T00:00:00+0000')}}
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Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced 4th Edition by John G. Geer/Richard Herrera/Wendy J. Schiller/Jeffrey A. Segal
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Overview

Geer/Herrera/Schiller/Segal's GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY, ENHANCED, 4th edition, introduces the American political system to students, pointing out in each chapter the \"gateways\" that facilitate, or at times block, participation. In emphasizing how the political system works, and how individuals and groups have opened gates to influence public policy, the text helps students see the relevance of government in their own lives. Completely up to date, the ENHANCED edition includes updates--and impacts--from the 2018 elections as well as expanded discussion of diversity and participation that reflects America's changing demographic infrastructure. In every chapter, Supreme Court cases illustrate the constitutional and legal context in which U.S. democracy has evolved, while a Political Analytics feature helps students evaluate the vast amounts of data present in today's political discourse.

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Meet the Authors

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John G. Geer

John G. Geer is the Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt University, a professor of political science and co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll. He teaches Introduction to American Politics, as well as specialty courses on elections and campaigns, and has been honored with numerous teaching awards at both Arizona State University and Vanderbilt University. In addition, he has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University and Princeton University. Dr. Geer has published widely, including IN DEFENSE OF NEGATIVITY, which won the Goldsmith Prize from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University. A frequent commentator in the press, he has made appearances on all the major networks (Fox News, CBS Evening News, CNN) and has been quoted in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST and the LOS ANGELES TIMES. He also has done interviews for major international outlets, such as BBC and Al Jazeera. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Richard Herrera

Richard Herrera is Professor Emeritus of Political Science in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, where he taught for 30 years, including courses in American politics, American political parties and American politics and film. He also directed the ASU Capital Scholars Washington, D.C., Summer Internship program and received the Faculty Teaching Achievement Award at ASU in 2020. Dr. Herrera has contributed articles to the AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY and STATE POLITICS AND POLICY QUARTERLY. Currently, his research interests are focused on U.S. governors, their ideology, policy agendas and representative functions. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Wendy J. Schiller

Wendy Schiller is the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science and professor of public and international affairs at Brown University, where she teaches courses on a wide range of American politics topics, including Introduction to the American Political Process, The American Presidency, Congress and Public Policy, Parties and Interest Groups, and The Philosophy of the American Founding. She also is a political analyst for local and national media outlets. Dr. Schiller's published works include ELECTING THE SENATE: INDIRECT DEMOCRACY BEFORE THE SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT with Charles Stewart III, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS with Burdett Loomis and PARTNERS AND RIVALS: REPRESENTATION IN U.S. SENATE DELEGATIONS. In her prior roles, she was legislative assistant for Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan, a federal lobbyist for Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, a guest scholar and Ph.D. fellow at the Brookings Institution and a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. She can be found on Twitter at profwschiller.

Jeffrey A. Segal

Jeffrey A. Segal is SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the political science department at Stony Brook University. He has served as Senior Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University and held a Guggenheim Fellowship. Dr. Segal is best known, with Harold Spaeth, as the leading proponent of the attitudinal model of Supreme Court decision-making. Dr. Segal twice won the Wadsworth Award for a book (with Spaeth) or article 10 years or older with lasting influence on law and courts. He also won the C. Herman Pritchett Award (again with Spaeth) for best book on law and courts. His work on the influence of strategic factors on Supreme Court decision-making won the Franklin Burdette Award from APSA. With Lee Epstein, Kevin Quinn and Andrew Martin, he won Green Bag's award for exemplary legal writing. In addition, he won a national award sponsored by the American Bar Association for innovative teaching and instructional methods and materials in law and courts. He received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

What's New

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  • A dedicated focus on diversity and participation reflects the changing demographic infrastructure in the United States today.
  • A new Election 2018 feature puts chapter concepts into real-world context. Topics include the changing and frustrated electorate, the role of the media and the partisan inclinations of Latinos.
  • An insightful new Political Analytics feature in every chapter gives students hands-on experience evaluating the vast amounts of data present in today's political discourse. Students are asked to look closely at visual representations of data and to think critically about what they see.
  • Delivering the most up-to-date coverage available, the Enhanced edition includes updates and changes resulting from the 2018 elections as well as expanded information about the Tea Party, Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the impact of his administration, and changes to the federal government.
  • Coverage includes Hillary Clinton's historical quest to become the first female U.S. president.
  • An expanded section on protest politics includes the current activist movement.
  • Updated discussions detail how the Supreme Court has changed following Justice Antonin Scalia's passing and Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.
  • New coverage about recent Supreme Court cases and their ramifications includes Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) and same-sex marriage.
  • Bringing chapter concepts to life, new opening chapter vignettes feature Oregon Governor Kate Brown, author Ta-Nehisi Coates, Utah Rep. Mia Love, former President Barack Obama, Los Angeles CAO Miguel Santana and Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer.

Features

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  • To promote student engagement, chapter-opening vignettes spotlight individuals who have successfully navigated their own way in politics. The important role of the vignette for the instructor is to show students how people like them have made a difference in American political and social life. Vignette subjects vary by historical era, career choice, gender, race, ethnicity and party affiliation.
  • The text's expansive policy coverage includes a section in every chapter as well as a stand-alone chapter at the end of the book, enabling instructors to focus on policy as much or as little as they want. Each chapter highlights a domestic, economic or foreign policy issue related to chapter concepts. Students learn how policies such as minimum wage and national security surveillance are a product of the policymaking process and how that process can serve as a gateway to citizen participation. Hands-on "Construct Your Own Policy" exercises ask students to consider how they would use what they've learned to affect policymaking.
  • Each chapter features a Supreme Court case to illustrate the constitutional and legal context in which American democracy has evolved. Critical-thinking questions at the end of the feature tie the case to the chapter's content and the book's themes of gateways, responsiveness and equality.
  • Questions in the text's margins and interpretive questions at the end of each chapter ask students to summarize and apply what they have learned about American democracy and evaluate our democratic system in terms of responsiveness and equality. These features sharpen students' analytical skills and encourage them to begin evaluating the success of the U.S. system.
  • Drawing from current headlines, this edition delivers in-depth coverage of such emerging issues as same-sex marriage laws, the legalization of marijuana and the impact of partisanship on Congress.

Table of Contents

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Introduction.
1. Gateways to American Democracy.
Part I: BUILDING A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
2. The Constitution.
3. Federalism.
4. Civil Liberties.
5. Civil Rights.
Part II: CITIZEN GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY.
6. Public Opinion.
7. The News and Social Media.
8. Interest Groups.
9. Political Parties.
10. Elections and Campaigns.
11. Voting and Participation.
Part III: THE INSTITUTIONS OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
12. Congress.
13. The Presidency.
14. The Bureaucracy.
15. The Judiciary.
CONCLUSION.
16. Economic, Domestic, and Foreign Policy.
Appendix.
A. The Declaration of Independence.
B. The Constitution of the United States.
C. Federalist Papers 10 and 51.
D. Electoral Maps, 2000-2016.

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  • ISBN-10: 0357028767
  • ISBN-13: 9780357028766
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  • ISBN-10: 0357691393
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  • RETAIL $77.95

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Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

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ISBN: 9780357028766
MindTap for Geer/Herrera/Schiller/Segal's Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, Enhanced 4th Edition, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of your course--to provide engaging content, to challenge every individual and to build their confidence. Empower students to accelerate their progress with MindTap. MindTap: Powered by You.\n\nMindTap gives you complete ownership of your content and learning experience. Customize the interactive syllabi, emphasize the most important topics, and add your own material or notes in the ebook. Interactive activities and assessments give your students opportunities to improve their critical thinking and writing skills while you have the convenience of auto-graded assessments.\n\nMindTap gives you complete ownership of your content and learning experience. Customize the interactive syllabi, emphasize the most important topics and add your own material or notes in the ebook.