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