WADSWORTH Readings in American Government

Written by Mack C. Shelley, Jamie Swift, and Steffen W. Schmidt, this reader is updated to include the latest issues in American political debate. You will find numerous readings that deal with controversial issues, legal conflicts, and ethical judgment calls directly related to academia and students. Some topics include diversity on trial, politicians on the web, campaign reform, and war in cyberspace. These topics will generate an exciting and productive debate on important issues facing Americans which will ultimately enhance students’' critical thinking skills, the ability to engage in group or teamwork projects, active learning motivation, and communication skills, as well as foster a liberal education and stimulate positive, informed citizenship. Two to four articles per chapter. Review CHAPTER ONE: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS-STABILITY AND CHANGE. Cultural Decline and Political Dependency, Robert J. Bresler. Terrorism: The 21st-Century War, Llewellyn D. Howell. The Great Cultural Divide, Robert J. Bresler. Energy Security is American Security, Senator John Kerry. CHAPTER TWO: THE CONSTITUTION. Southwest shall secede from U.S., Prof. predicts, Frank Zoretich. Government's Legitimate Role in a Free Society, Walter E. Williams. CHAPTER THREE: FEDERALISM. Lynching Past and Present: Race and the Death Penalty, Steven Hawkins. Extreme Sportsmen, Charlie LeDuff. Searching for Democracy Again, Steffen W. Schmidt. CHAPTER FOUR: CIVIL LIBERTIES. Faith and Diversity in American Religion, Alan Wolfe. A Nasty Business, Bruce Hoffman. CHAPTER FIVE: CIVIL RIGHTS: EQUAL PROTECTION. The Year in Hate, Intelligence Report. Class Assignment, Tim Walker. CHAPTER SIX: CIVIL RIGHTS: BEYOND EQUAL PROTECTION. At last, support for U.S. military women in Saudi Arabia, Tom Teepen. Ensuring Patient Rights, Greg Scandlen. CHAPTER SEVEN: PUBLIC OPINION. Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time, Paul Loeb. Looking Inward, Freshmen Care Less About Politics and More About Money, Alex P. Kellogg. CHAPTER EIGHT: INTEREST GROUPS. ACTION ALERT: National ID Cards from DMV? Protect Your Privacy! Electronic Frontier Foundation. The Semester of Our Discontent, Frankie J. Petrosino. Social Security: A Crisis that Doesn't Exist? Andrew G. Biggs. CHAPTER NINE: POLITICAL PARTIES. Towards a More Responsible Two-Party System, Committee on Political Parties, American Political Science Association. 2000 Democratic Party Platform. Republican Party Platform. CHAPTER TEN: CAMPAIGNS, CANDIDATES, AND ELECTIONS. Angry Investors Could Be Political Wild Card, Jamie Dettmer. Lessons of the 2000 Election, John Samples, Tom G. Palmer, and Patrick Basham CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE MEDIA. The Media and Politics: It's More Than the News, Steve Bell. The Last Word, Paul M. Rodriguez. CHAPTER TWELVE: THE CONGRESS. A New Century of American Leadership, Tom Daschle. The Military Tribunal Authorization Act of 2002, United States Senate Bill. CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE PRESIDENCY. State of the Union ? 2002, President George W. Bush. State of the Union ? 1999, President Bill Clinton. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE BUREAUCRACY. What Does It Take to Lose a Contract? Kelly Patricia O'Meara. Executive Order Establishing Office of Homeland Security, President George W. Bush . The Futility of Homeland Defense, David Carr. CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE JUDICIARY. Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried as Adults? Laurence Steinberg. Bush v. Gore, U.S. Supreme Court case. CHAPTER SIXTEEN: DOMESTIC POLICY. The Energy We Overlook, Robert U. Ayres. Dust in the Wind, John C. Ryan. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: ECONOMIC POLICY. Why Madonna Should Cry for Argentina, Tony Smith. Damned If You Do and Damned If You Don't: New Perspectives on Anti-Globalization, Steffen W. Schmidt. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: FOREIGN AND DEFENSE POLICY. Green Wars: Environmentalism As a National Security Issue, Paul Benjamin. Can We Count on Missile Defense? Craig Eisendrath, Gerald E. Marsh, and Melvin A. Goodman. Pearl Harbor S