The struggle for democracy

Synopsis

1. Democracy and American Politics. Robert Moses and the Struggle for African-American Voting Rights. Democracy. A Framework for Understanding How American Politics Works. Understanding American Politics Holistically. 2. The Constitution. Shays Rebellion. The Political Theory and Practices of the Revolutionary Era. The Articles of Confederation: The First Constitution. Convening the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention. The Struggle to Ratify the Constitution. The Changing Constitution, Democracy, and American Politics. 3. Federalism: States and Nation. Welfare Reform and the States. Federalism as a System of Government. The Constitution and Shared Powers. The Evolution of Federalism. The Rise of National Grants-in-Aid to the States. The Balance of Power and Control. The Consequences of Federalism. 4. The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics. “B-1 Bob” Learns About His District. American Society: How It Has Changed and Why It Matters. The American Economy. The United States in the International System. The Foundation Beliefs of American Political Culture. Structural Influences on American Politics. 5. Public Opinion and Political Socialization. The Vietnam War and the Public. Democracy and Public Opinion. What People Know About Politics. How People Feel About Politics. Sources of Political Attitudes. How People Differ. Public Opinion and Policy. 6. The Mass Media. “Vernon Jordan Meets the Press.” Roles of the Mass Media in Democracy. The Media Landscape. How the Media Work. Effects of the Media on Politics. Censorship and Government Regulation. Judging the Media. 7. Interest Groups and Corporations. Lobbying for China. Interest Groups in a Democratic Society: Contrasting Views. Interest Group Formation: Structural, Political Linkage, and Governmental Factors. What Interests Are Represented. What Interest Groups Do. Possible Flaws in the Pluralist Heaven. The Special Place of Business Corporations. Curing the Mischief of Factions. 8. Social Movements. Women Win the Right to Vote. What Are Social Movements? Major Social Movements in the United States. Social Movements in a Majoritarian Democracy. Factors That Encourage the Creation of Social Movements. Tactics of Social Movements. Why Social Movements Decline. Why Some Social Movements Succeed and Others Do Not. 9. Political Parties. The Rise of the Party Campaign Machine. The Role of Political Parties in a Democracy. The Two-Party System. Why a Two-Party System? The Parties as Organizations. The Parties in Government and in the Electorate. 10. Participation, Voting and Elections. The 2000 Presidential Election. Elections and Democracy. Political Participation. Campaigning for Office. Election Outcomes. 11. Congress. The 2004 Congressional Elections. Structural Foundations of the Modern Congress. Representation and Democracy. How Congress Works. Congress, Public Policy and the American People. 12. The President. The Reagan Revolution. The Expanding Presidency. The Many Roles of the President. The President''s Staff and Cabinet. The President and the Bureaucracy. The President and Congress: Perpetual Tug-of-War. The President and the People: An Evolving Relationship. Getting Closer to the People. Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Social Movements. Structural Influences on the Presidency. 13. The Federal Bureaucracy. The Federal Bureaucracy Under Siege. A Comparative View of the American Bureau