The American democracy / Thomas E. Patterson.

Includes bibliographical references (pages N1-N17) and index.

part 1. Foundations -- 1. American political culture : seeking a more perfect union -- Political culture : the core principles of American government -- America's core values : liberty, equality, and related ideals -- Politics : the process of deciding on society's goals -- The concept of a political system and this book's organization -- 2. Constitutional democracy : promoting liberty and self-government -- Before the constitution : the colonial and revolutionary experiences -- Negotiating toward a constitution -- Protecting liberty : limited government -- Providing for self-government -- Constitutional democracy today -- 3. Federalism : forging a nation -- Federalism : national and state sovereignty -- Federalism in historical perspective -- Federalism today -- The public's influence : setting the boundaries of federal-state power -- 4. Civil liberties : protecting individual rights -- Freedom of expression -- Freedom of religion -- The right of privacy -- Rights of persons accused of crimes -- The courts and a free society -- 5. Equal rights : struggling toward fairness -- The struggle for equality -- Equality under the law -- Equality of result -- Persistent discrimination : superficial differences, deep divisions --

part 2. Mass politics -- 6. Public opinion and political socialization : shaping the people's voice -- The nature of public opinion -- The measurement of public opinion -- Political socialization : how Americans learn their politics -- Frames of reference : how Americans think politically -- The influence of public opinion on policy -- 7. Political participation and voting : expressing the popular will -- Voter participation -- Conventional forms of participation other than voting -- Unconventional activism : social movements and protest politics -- Participation and the potential for influence -- 8. Political parties, candidates, and campaigns : defining the voter's choice -- Party competition and majority rule : the history of U.S. parties -- Electoral and party systems -- Party organizations -- The candidate-centered campaign -- Parties, candidates, and the public's influence -- 9. Interest groups : organizing for influence -- The interest-group system -- Inside lobbying : seeking influence through official contacts -- Outside lobbying : seeking influence through public pressure -- The group system : indispensable but biased -- 10. The news media : communicating political images -- The development of the news media : from partisanship to objective journalism -- Freedom and conformity in the U.S. news media -- The news media as link : roles the press can and cannot perform -- Organizing the public in the media age --

part 3. Governing institutions -- 11. Congress : balancing national goals and local interests -- Congress as a career : election to congress -- Congressional leadership -- The committee system -- How a bill becomes law -- Congress's policymaking role -- Congress : too much pluralism? -- 12. The presidency : leading the nation -- Foundations of the modern presidency -- Choosing the president -- Staffing the presidency -- Factors in presidential leadership -- 13. The federal bureaucracy : administering the government -- Federal administration : form, personnel, and activities -- Development of the federal bureaucracy : politics and administration -- The bureaucracy's power imperative -- Bureaucratic accountability -- Reinventing government -- 14. The federal judicial system : applying the law -- The federal judicial system -- Federal court appointees -- The nature of judicial decision making -- Political influences on judicial decisions -- Judicial power and democratic government --

part 4. Public policy -- 15. Economic and environmental policy : contributing to prosperity -- Government as regulator of the economy -- Government as protector of the environment -- Government as promoter of economic interests -- Fiscal policy : government as manager of economy, I -- Monetary policy : government as manager of economy, II -- 16. Welfare and education policy : providing for personal security and need -- Poverty in America : the nature of the problem -- The politics and policies of social welfare -- Individual-benefit programs -- Education as equality of opportunity : the American way -- Culture, politics, and social welfare -- 17. Foreign and defense policy : protecting the American way -- The roots of U.S. foreign and defense policy -- The process of foreign and military policymaking -- The military dimension of national security policy -- The economic dimension of national security policy -- A new world? -- 18. State and local politics : maintaining our differences -- The structure of the state government -- The structure of local government -- State and local finance -- State and local policy -- The great balancing act : localism in a large nation.