American politics and society

 Content: 1 --
 Government and the People in a Polarised Society.The Chapters to Come.2 --
 Beliefs, Values and American Society.Beliefs and Values: An American Ideology?.Values and American Society.Social Structure.3 --
 Constitutional Government.Origins: A Unique Experiment.The American Constitution.Ratification.The Adaptive Constitution: Assessing the Constitution.4 --
 Federalism: The Increasing Importance of the States.Federalism in Theory and Practice.State and local government.The Evolution of American Federalism.A Changing Court Role?.The States as Policy Leaders.American Federalism and Political Polarization.5 --
 The Political Parties and Ideological Polarization.The Functions of Parties.Crisis and Change in the American Party System.The resurgence of Political Parties.Explaining Party Change.A New Role for Political Parties.6 --
 Elections and Political Participation.Patterns of American Electoral Behaviour.Dealignment, Realignment and the Modern American Voter:.A Divided Electorate.Further Trends in the American Electorate.The 2008 Presidential Election.Non-electoral Political Participation.7 --
 The Media and American Politics.Media Organization and Structure.How Biased? The Media and the Political Agenda.Controlling the Media.The Internet Revolution.8 --
 Congress and Representation.Representation and Congressional Elections.Legislators as Rational Actors.The Work of Members of Congress.Conclusions.9 --
 Congress and Government: The Broken Branch?.The Functions of Congress.The Structure of Power in Congress.Congress under Fire.The Rise of Party Ideology.Reform and Change in Congress Conclusions: Can Congress Lead?.10 --
 The Presidency in a Divided Society.Formal Sources of Power.Informal Powers.The Presidency in Crisis.The Presidency and Party Polarization.Presidential Abuse of Power and the Congressional Response.Presidential Resources.Assessing the Presidency: Presidential Power at Home and Abroad.11 --
 Bureaucratic Power: Federal Departments and Agencies.The Federal Bureaucracy: Organization and Function.The Bureaucracy: How Uncontrollable?.The Inherent Power of Bureaucracy.A Politicized Bureaucracy?.Reform Attempts.Concluding Remarks.12 --
 The Security State.The Rise of the Security State.Homeland Security.Security at and Beyond the Borders.Civil Liberties and National Security.The Security State and American Ideology.13 --
 Organized Interests: the Real Power?.Interest Groups and the Privileged Position of Business.Professional Groups.Promotional Groups.Political Action Committees.The Washington Lobby.Interest Groups: For and Against.14 --
 The Supreme Court: A Politicized Branch?.The American Legal System.The Supreme Court: Decision-making.The Court and Political Power: Assessing the Roberts Court.Conclusions: the Court, the Public and Politics.15 --
 Protecting the Environment: American Ambivalence and Global Pressures.The Rise and Fall of the Federal Role.Leadership by the States.Democrats, Republicans and the Environment.The International Dimension (Kyoto, the GMF debate, assessment of the Bush presidency).The Environment and the American Growth Machine: Impossible Partners?.16 --
 Regulating Morality: Civil Rights, Liberties and the Conscience Issues.Introduction.Regulating Public Morality.Civil Liberties: (Note: this covers freedom of speech, criminal procedural rights, religion, gun control, capital punishment and abortion).Equality and Civil Rights: (Note: this covers race, ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual preference).Separation of Church and State.Conclusions.17 --
 Social Policy and Immigration:.The Federal Government and Social Welfare in America: the.Reluctant Provider.Social Security.Welfare.Health Care.Immigration.Conclusions.18 --
 Managing Economic Change.State and Economy in the United States.Ideology, Expediency and Economic Policy.Institutions and Economic Policy.Conclusions.19 --
 The American World Role.The Institutional Context.American Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War World.The War on Terrorism.Conclusions: Bound to Lead or Bound to Fail?.20 --
 American Politics in a Changed World.Assessing the American Polity.The end of American hegemony?.Reform and Renewal.Websites.Appendix: The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States.Index.