American Government: Stories of a Nation
First Edition©2019 Scott Abernathy; Karen Waples
American Government: Stories of a Nation is carefully aligned to the AP® course framework and loaded with instructional tools that help students meet the demands of the AP® course. Integrated skills instruction, focus on important required content, and extensive AP® exam practice will guide students as they navigate the demands of the American Government course and master the AP® exam. This book is available in both print and digital formats. You may also purchase the accompanying "Required Documents and Court Cases Reader" to help students better understand the foundational documents and Supreme Court cases.
Table of Contents
Unit 1 Democracy and the Constitution
Chapter 1 American Government and Politics: The Stories of Our Nation
Section 1.1 The Fight for Students’ Rights
Section 1.2 American Political Culture
Section 1.3 Competing Theories of Democracy
Section 1.4 Institutions, Systems, and Power
Chapter 2 The Constitution: A New Vision of Government
Section 2.1 The Articles of Confederation
Section 2.2 The Constitutional Convention
Section 2.3 Branches of Government
Section 2.4 Ratification: Federalists versus Antifederalists
Chapter 3 Federalism: Dividing Power between the National Government and the States
Section 3.1 Conflict over Medical Marijuana
Section 3.2 Federalism and the Constitution
Section 3.3 The Dynamic Nature of Federalism
Section 3.4 Modern American Federalism
Section 3.5 The Supreme Court and Modern Federalism
Unit 1 Review
Unit 2 The Branches of the Federal Government
Chapter 4 Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation
Section 4.1 The Constitution and Congress
Section 4.2 Politics of Congressional Elections
Section 4.3 The Organization of Congress
Section 4.4 "I’m Just a Bill"
Section 4.5 Congress and the Budget
Section 4.6 Challenges of Representation
Chapter 5 The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Executive Power
Section 5.1 Presidential Power and the War on Terror
Section 5.2 The Constitution and the American Presidency
Section 5.3 Limits on Presidential Power
Section 5.4 The Modern Presidency in Context
Section 5.5 The War on Terror and Presidential Power
Chapter 6 The Federal Judiciary: Politics, Power, and the "Least Dangerous" Branch
Section 6.1 Judicial Independence from Money and Politics—Or Both
Section 6.2 The Constitution and the Federal Judiciary
Section 6.3 John Marshall and the Power of the Supreme Court
Section 6.4 Organization of the Federal Judiciary
Section 6.5 Judicial Review, Constitutional Interpretation, and Judicial Decision Making
Chapter 7 The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting the Nation’s Laws into Effect
Section 7.1 How the Bureaucracy Is Organized
Section 7.2 The Structure of the Modern Federal Bureaucracy
Section 7.3 The Bureaucracy and Policy Making
Section 7.4 Checks on the Bureaucracy
Unit 2 Review
Unit 3 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Chapter 8 Civil Liberties: Protecting Fundamental Freedoms
Section 8.1 The Constitution and the Bill of Rights
Section 8.2 Selective Incorporation
Section 8.3 The Right of Religious Freedom
Section 8.4 The Right of Expression and the Right to Own Firearms
Section 8.5 The Rights of Defendants
Section 8.6 Privacy and Other Rights
Chapter 9 Civil Rights: What Is Equality?
Section 9.1 Securing Rights for Those with Disabilities
Section 9.2 The Fight against Segregation
Section 9.3 The Civil Rights Movement
Section 9.4 The Fight for Women’s Rights
Unit 3 Review
Unit 4 American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
Chapter 10 American Political Culture: What Americans Believe
Section 10.1 Core Political Values
Section 10.2 Political Socialization
Section 10.3 Globalization and American Core Values
Chapter 11 Public Opinion: Measuring Americans’ Opinions
Section 11.1 What Is Public Opinion?
Section 11.2 Trying to Measure Public Opinion Accurately
Section 11.3 The Effects of Public Opinion on Democratic Representation
Chapter 12 Political Ideology
Section 12.1 Party Ideology
Section 12.2 Ideology and Fiscal Policy
Section 12.3 Monetary Policy
Unit 4 Review
Unit 5 Political Participation
Chapter 13 Elections and Campaigns: Candidates and Voters in an Era of Demographic Change
Section 13.1 Forms of Political Participation
Section 13.2 Voting
Section 13.3 Elections and Democratic Representation
Section 13.4 The Politics of Presidential Elections
Section 13. 5 Money and Campaigns
Chapter 14 Political Parties: The Outsiders versus the Establishment
Section 14.1 Functions of Political Parties
Section 14.2 The Development of American Political Parties
Section 14.3 Parties and Political Campaigns
Section 14.4 Third Parties
Chapter 15 Interest Groups and Social Movements: Collective Action, Power and Representation
Section 15.1 A Nation of Joiners
Section 15.2 Interest-Group Tactics
Section 15.3 Social Movements
Chapter 16 The Media: New Technologies, Enduring Issues
Section 16.1 The Evolving News Media
Section 16.1 Regulating Content and Ownership
Section 16.1 How the Media Shape American Politics Today
Unit 5 Review
Scott Abernathy
After working as an on-street counselor for homeless adolescents in Boston, Scott received a master of curriculum and instruction and taught fourth and seventh grades in Wisconsin public schools. Hoping to learn more about the underlying systems that drove educational outcomes, Scott completed an M.P.A in domestic policy and then a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University. Scott is now an associate professor of political science and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota. He is also the author of School Choice and the Future of American Democracy and No Child Left Behind and the Public Schools, both from University of Michigan Press.
Karen Waples
Formerly a trial attorney, Karen Waples has taught since 1989 and currently teaches AP® Comparative Government and Politics and AP® U.S. Government and Politics at Holy Family High School in Broomfield, Colorado. Karen has served as a reader, table leader, question leader, and exam leader for the AP® Comparative Government and Politics Exam and as a reader for the AP® U.S. Government and Politics and AP® U.S. History Exams. She is an endorsed consultant for the College Board® and leads workshops and institutes throughout the country for both the AP® Comparative Government and Politics course and the AP® U.S. Government and Politics course. Karen was the chair of the College Board® Social Science Academic Advisory Committee and was a member of the Curriculum Re-design Committee for AP® U.S. Government and Politics. She received the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education in 1997 and was recognized as a Cherry Creek High School Teacher of the Year in 2002.
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