Why Politics Matters: An Introduction to Political Science

Cover
Dedication
Brief Contents
Contents
Preface
Features That Teach Theory and Practice
Why Politics Matters to You!
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1: Why Politics Matters
	Introduction: What Is Political Science?
	Political Science as the Study of Power
	Political Science as an Academic Discipline
	Summary
Chapter 2: Ancient Political Theory
	Introduction: How Ancient Political Thought Impacts Us Today
	The Ionians
	The Sophists
	Socrates
	Plato
	Aristotle
	Summary
Chapter 3: Modern Political Theory
	Introduction: The Origins of Modern Political Thought
	Niccolo Machiavelli
	Thomas Hobbes
	John Locke
	Summary
Chapter 4: The American Government
	Introduction: The Origins of American Democracy
	The Articles of Confederation: The Failed Experiment
	The Constitutional Convention
	The Growth of Federal Power
	Ratifying the Constitution
	Adopting the Constitution
	Amending the Constitution
	Summary
Chapter 5: Nationalism and Populism in the United States and Abroad
	Introduction: The Underlying Causes of Nationalism and Populism
	The Emergence of Nationalism and Populism in the United States
	Political Tribalism and Presidential Politics
	Impact of Populism and Nationalism on U.S. Immigration Policy
	Nationalism and Populism in Europe
	Summary
Chapter 6: Comparing Legislatures
	Introduction: The Importance of National Legislatures
	The Creation of the American Congress
	Congressional Decision Making
	Presidential versus Parliamentary Systems of Government
	Bicameral versus Unicameral Legislatures
	Summary
Chapter 7: Comparing Democratic Executives
	Introduction: Executives: Presidents and Prime Ministers
	Presidents: The Pros and Cons of Independent Executives
	Debating the Executive: Rule by Individual or Executive Council
	The Constitution and the Powers of the American President
	The Prime Minister: First among Equals
	Looking Ahead: Newer Democracies in Comparative Context
	Summary
Chapter 8: Comparing Judicial Systems
	Introduction
	Judicial Review versus Legislative Supremacy
	Judicial Review in the United States
	The American Judiciary and Federalism
	The Supreme Court's Role in Expanding Civil Rights
	Germany: A Good Model for Comparison
	Summary
Chapter 9: Authoritarian States
	Introduction: Authoritarianism, Power to the . . . Rulers!
	Authoritarianism: Intellectual and Religious Justifications
	Modern Justifications: Power and Security
	General Characteristics of Authoritarian Regimes
	Contemporary Authoritarianism: Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and China
	Summary
Chapter 10: Understanding International Relations: Terms and Theories
	Introduction: International Relations
	Classic Realism: Power in International Relations
	From Classic Realism to Structural Realism: Morgenthau to Waltz
	Liberalism
	Radicalism: Marxism-Leninism, Dependency Theory, and Neo-Marxism
	Constructivism: We Shape Our Own Experiences about the World
	Summary
Chapter 11: War, Diplomacy, and the Beginning of International Relations
	Introduction: Understanding the Past to Make Sense of the Present
	Why Europe? An Important Question to Begin
	Raison D'etat: A New Understanding of International Relations
	Balance of Power and the Rise of the State System
	The Nineteenth Century and the Concert of Europe: Preemptive Balance of Power
	Bismarck, the Rise of Germany, and the End of the Concert of Europe
	Collective Security: The League of Nations and the Outbreak of World War II
	Correcting the League and Confronting a New World: The United Nations and the End of World War II
	Summary
Chapter 12: Competing Visions for the Future of International Relations
	Introduction: Contemporary International Relations
	Nuclear Security and Cold War Politics: Containment and Deterrence
	The Last Days of Communism and the Soviet Union
	Post-Cold War Instability: Globalization and the Rise of the Nonstate Actor
	The Verdict on Globalization: The Good and the Bad
	Summary
Glossary
Notes
Index