Points of view : readings in American government and politics / edited by Robert DiClerico and Allan S. Hammock.

Includes bibliographical references.

ch. 1. Democracy: Defining American democracy: How democratic is America? / Howard Zinn ; How democratic is America? : a response to Howard Zinn -- chapter 2. The Constitution: An economic interpretation of the Constitution of the United States / Charles A. Beard ; Charles Beard and the Constitution : a critical analysis / Robert E. Brown -- chapter 3. Federalism: Unfunded mandates : the negative effects ; Unfunded mandates : laws that bind us together -- chapter 4. Public opinion: Vox populi in cyberspace / Dick Morris ; The promise and perils of cyberdemocracy / Norman Ornstein and Amy Schenkenberg -- chapter 5. Voting: Compulsory voting is the best way to keep democracy strong / Arend Lijphart ; Nonvoting is not a social disease / Austin Ranney -- chapter 6. Campaigns and the media: Advertising and democratic elections : what can be done? / Darrell M. West ; Damned spots : a defense of thirty-second campaign ads / Stephen Bates and Edwin Diamond -- chapter 7. Elections: Campaign finance: Campaign finance hysteria / Robert J. Samuelson. Real campaign finance reform / Jack Hitt ; The Electoral College: The Electoral College should be abolished / Lawrence D. Longley. In defense of the Electoral College / Robert Weissberg -- chapter 8. Political parties: The party crasher : the need for a third party / Theodore J. Lowi ; The Reform Party : fizzle or crash and burn? / Paul S. Herrnson -- chapter 9. Interest groups: Still the best Congress money can buy : a PAC primer / Philip M. Stern ; The misplaced obsession with PACs / Larry J. Sabato -- chapter 10. Congress: Representation: The legislator as delegate / General Assembly of Virginia. The legislator as trustee / John F. Kennedy. The legislator as politico / George B. Galloway ; legislative process : the filibuster: It's time to change the filibuster / Tom Harkin ; Defending the dinosaur : the case for not fixing the filibuster / Bill Frenzel -- chapter 11. The presidency: The out-of-control presidency / Michael Lind ; The not-so-imperial presidency / R. Gordon Hoxie -- chapter 12. The President and Congress: Divided party control : does it make a difference? / David R. Mayhew ; The government divided against itself / James L. Sundquist -- chapter 13. Bureaucracy: The best kept secrets in government / Al Gore ; Reinvention lite : why Al Gore still has a long way to go / Robert Worth -- chapter 14. Courts: The Supreme Court and judicial review: A jurisprudence of original intention / Edwin Meese III. What did the Founding Father's intend? / Irving R. Kaufman ; Crime and the courts: "We're in the fight of our lives" / Bernard Gavzer. "Just make it a fair fight" / John C. Kilwein -- chapter 15. Civil liberties: Free speech: Mandatory student fees do not abridge freedom of speech / American Council on Education. Mandatory student fees violate students' right to free speech / Pacific Legal Foundation ; Pornography: Pornography and censorship / Ernest van den Haag. Repeating past mistakes : the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography / Geoffrey R. Stone -- chapter 16. Civil rights: Affirmative action: Ending affirmative action : the case for colorblind justice / Terry Eastland. In defense of affirmative action / Barbara R. Bergmann ; Abortion: Abortion politics : the case for the right to privacy / Susan R. Estrich and Kathleen M. Sullivan. Abortion and demand has no Constitutional or moral justification / James Bopp, Jr., and Richard E. Coleson.