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 For our families,
Regina, Anna, and Catherine,
Sarah, Neal, Katherine, and Sophia,
who encouraged, empathized, and
helped, with patience,
grace, and love.

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 5 16/11/18 3:11 PM

 About the Authors

William T. Bianco
is professor of political science at Indiana University, Bloomington. His research
focuses on congressional institutions, representation, and science policy. He
received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Stony Brook and his MA and PhD
from the University of Rochester. He is the author of Trust: Representatives and
Constituents; American Politics: Strategy and Choice; and numerous articles on
American politics. His research and graduate students have received funding
from the National Science Foundation and the National Council for Eurasian
and East European Research. He has also served as a consultant to congressional
candidates and party campaign committees, as well as to the U.S. Department of
Energy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other state and
local government agencies. He was also a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Moscow,
Russia, during 2011-12.

David T. Canon
is professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His
teaching and research interests focus on American political institutions,
especially Congress, and racial representation. He is the author of Actors, Athletes,
and Astronauts: Political Amateurs in the U.S. Congress; Race, Redistricting, and
Representation: The Unintended Consequences of Black Majority Districts (winner
of the Richard F. Fenno Prize); The Dysfunctional Congress? (with Kenneth Mayer);
and various articles and book chapters. He is the editor of the Election Law Journal
and previously served as the Congress editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly.
He is an AP consultant and has taught in the University of Wisconsin Summer
AP Institute for U.S. Government & Politics since 1997. Professor Canon is the
recipient of a University of Wisconsin Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching
Award.

vi

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 6 16/11/18 3:11 PM

 Contents in Brief

Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxv

Part I: Foundations
1. Understanding American Politics 2
2. The Constitution and the Founding 28
3. Federalism 60
4. Civil Liberties 90
5. Civil Rights 126
Part II: Politics
6. Public Opinion and the Media 168
7. Political Parties 202
8. Elections 228
9. Interest Groups 264
Part III: Institutions
10. Congress 290
11. The Presidency 328
12. The Bureaucracy 358
13. The Courts 388
Part IV: Policy
14. Economic and Social Policy 420
15. Foreign Policy 462

Appendix
The Declaration of Independence A1
The Articles of Confederation A3
The Constitution of the United States of America A6
Amendments to the Constitution A11
The Federalist Papers A16

Endnotes A23
Glossary/Index A51

vii

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 7 16/11/18 3:11 PM

 Contents
Preface xix
Features of the Text and Media Package xxii
Acknowledgments xxv

Part I: Foundations
1. Understanding American Politics 2
Making Sense of American Government and Politics 4
Why Do We Have a Government? 5
Forms of Government 8

What Is Politics? 8
How It Works: Three Keys for Understanding Politics 9
Politics Is Conflictual 10
Political Process Matters 12
Politics Is Everywhere 13

Sources of Conflict in American Politics 15

Economic Interests 15
Cultural Values 15
Identity Politics: Racial, Gender, and Ethnic Differences 17
Ideology 18

Resolving Conflict: Democracy and American Political Values 20

Democracy 20
Liberty 20
Equality 21

How to Be a Critical Consumer of Politics 23

Unpacking the Conflict 24

Study Guide 25

2. The Constitution and the Founding 28

The Historical Context of the Constitution 30
The Articles of Confederation: The First Attempt at Government 31
Political Theories of the Framers 33
Economic Interests 35

ix

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 9 16/11/18 3:12 PM

 The Politics of Compromise at the Constitutional Convention 36
Majority Rule versus Minority Rights 37
Small States versus Large States 37
Legislative Power versus Executive Power 39
National Power versus State and Local Power 40
Slave States versus Nonslave States 40

Ratification 43
The Antifederalists’ Concerns 43
The Federalists’ Strategies 44

The Constitution: A Framework for Government 45

Exclusive Powers 45
How It Works: Checks and Balances 46
Shared Powers 48
Negative or Checking Powers 48

Is the Constitution a “Living” Document? 50

Changing the Constitution 50
Flexibility and Interpretation 52

Unpacking the Conflict 55

Study Guide 57

3. Federalism 60
What Is Federalism and Why Does It Matter? 62
Levels of Government and Their Degrees of Autonomy 63
A Comparative Perspective 63

Balancing National and State Power in the Constitution 64

A Strong National Government 65
State Powers and Limits on National Power 65
Clauses that Favor Both Perspectives 66

The Evolving Concept of Federalism 67

The Early Years 67
The Emergence of States’ Rights and Dual Federalism 68
Cooperative Federalism 70
How It Works: Versions of Federalism 72

Federalism Today 74
Cooperative Federalism Lives On: Fiscal Federalism 74
Expanding National Power 75
Fighting for States’ Rights: The Role of the Modern Supreme Court 78
Assessing Federalism Today 82

Unpacking the Conflict 86

Study Guide 87

x Contents

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 10 16/11/18 3:12 PM

 4. Civil Liberties 90
Defining Civil Liberties 92
Origins of the Bill of Rights 93
How It Works: The First Amendment 94
Selective Incorporation and the Fourteenth Amendment 96

Freedom of Religion 98
The Establishment Clause and Separation of Church and State 99
The Free Exercise Clause 100

Freedom of Speech, Assembly, and the Press 102

Generally Protected Expression 102
Less Protected Speech and Publications 108

The Right to Bear Arms 110

Law, Order, and the Rights of Criminal Defendants 112

The Fourth Amendment: Unreasonable Searches and Seizures 112
The Fifth Amendment 115
The Sixth Amendment: The Right to Legal Counsel and a Jury Trial 117
The Eighth Amendment: Cruel and Unusual Punishment 117

Privacy Rights 118

Abortion Rights 119
Gay Rights 119

Unpacking the Conflict 121

Study Guide 123

5. Civil Rights 126

The Context of Civil Rights 128
African Americans 129
Native Americans, Asians, and Latinos 131
Women and Civil Rights 133
The LGBTQ Community 133

The Racial Divide Today 135

Differences in Voting Access 135
Socioeconomic Indicators 136
Criminal Justice and Hate Crimes 138

The Policy-Making Process and Civil Rights 141

Social Movements 141
The Courts 145
How It Works: Civil Rights 150
Congress 154
The President 157

Contents xi

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 11 16/11/18 3:12 PM

 Civil Rights Issues Today 158
Affirmative Action 159
Multicultural and Immigration Issues 160

Unpacking the Conflict 163

Study Guide 165

Part II: Politics

6. Public Opinion and the Media 168
What Is Public Opinion? 170
Different Kinds of Opinion 171

Where Do Opinions Come From? 172

Socialization: Families, Communities, and Networks 172
Events 173
Group Identity 173
Politicians and Other Political Actors 174
Considerations: The Process of Forming Opinions 175

Measuring Public Opinion 179

Mass Surveys 179
Problems in Measuring Public Opinion 179
How It Works: Measuring What a Nation of 330 Million Thinks: A Checklist 180

What Americans Think about Politics 186

Ideological Polarization 186
Evaluations of Government and Officeholders 186
Policy Preferences 189
Does Public Opinion Matter? 191

The News Media 192

Media Sources in the Twenty-First Century 193
Regulating the Media 194
Media Effects on Citizens and Government 196

Unpacking the Conflict 197

Study Guide 199

7. Political Parties 202

What Are Political Parties and Where Did Today’s Parties
Come From? 204
The Evolution of American Political Parties 205

American Political Parties Today 208

The Party Organization 208

xii Contents

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 12 16/11/18 3:12 PM

 The Party in Government 209
The Party in the Electorate 210

The Role of Political Parties in American Politics 214

Organizing Elections 215
How It Works: Nominating Presidential Candidates 218
Cooperation in Government 221
Minor Parties 223

Unpacking the Conflict 225

Study Guide 226

8. Elections 228
How Do American Elections Work? 230
Two Stages of Elections 231
Mechanics of Elections 232
Presidential Elections 233
How It Works: The Electoral College 236

Electoral Campaigns 239

The “Fundamentals” 239
Setting the Stage 242
Before the Campaign 242
Primaries and the General Election 245
Campaign Finance 246

How Do Voters Decide? 251

Who Votes, and Why? 251
How Do People Vote? 252
Voting in Wave Elections 253

Understanding the 2016 and 2018 Elections 255

The Path to 2018: The 2016 Elections 255
The 2018 Midterms 257

Unpacking the Conflict 259

Study Guide 261

9. Interest Groups 264

What Are Interest Groups? 266
Organizational Structures 267
Membership: Benefits and Incentives 268
Resources 269
Staff 270
The Business of Lobbying 270

Interest Group Strategies 275

Inside Strategies 275
How It Works: Lobbying the Federal Government: Inside and Outside Strategies 276
Outside Strategies 279

Contents xiii

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 13 16/11/18 3:13 PM

 How Much Power Do Interest Groups Have? 283
What Determines When Interest Groups Succeed? 283

Unpacking the Conflict 286

Study Guide 288

Part III: Institutions

10. Congress 290
Congress and the People 293
Congress and the Constitution 293
Congress Represents the People (or Tries To) 294
Members of Congress Want to Keep Their Jobs 298
Redistricting Connects Representation and Elections 302
The Responsibility–Responsiveness Dilemma 307

The Structure of Congress 307

Informal Structures 308
Formal Structures 309

How a Bill Becomes a Law 315

The Conventional Process 315
How It Works: Passing Legislation 318
Deviations from the Conventional Process 320
Key Differences between House and Senate Legislative Processes 321

Oversight 322

Unpacking the Conflict 323

Study Guide 325

11. The Presidency 328

The Development of Presidential Power 330
Early Years through World War I 330
The Great Depression through the Present 331

The President’s Job Description 333

Head of the Executive Branch 333
Appointments 333
Executive Orders 335
Commander in Chief 336
How It Works: How Presidents Make Policy outside the Legislative Process 338
Treaty Making and Foreign Policy 340
Legislative Power 341
Pardons and Commutations 343
Executive Privilege 343

xiv Contents

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 14 16/11/18 3:13 PM

 The Presidency as an Institution 345
The Executive Office of the President 346
The Vice President 347
The First Spouse 348
The President’s Cabinet 348

Presidential Power Today 349

Presidents, Unilateral Action, and Policy Making 350
Congressional Responses to Unilateral Action 350
Presidents as Politicians 351
The President as Party Leader 353

Unpacking the Conflict 354

Study Guide 356

12. The Bureaucracy 358

What Is the Federal Bureaucracy? 360
What Do Bureaucrats Do? 360
How It Works: Bureaucracy and Legislation 362
Bureaucratic Expertise and Its Consequences 365

How Has the American Bureaucracy Grown? 368

The Beginning of America’s Bureaucracy 368
Building a New American State: The Progressive Era 369
The New Deal, the Great Society, and the Reagan Revolution 369

The Modern Federal Bureaucracy 371

The Structure of the Federal Government 371
The Size of the Federal Government 374

The Human Face of the Bureaucracy 376

Civil Service Regulations 376
Political Appointees and the Senior Executive Service 378
Limits on Political Activity 378

Controlling the Bureaucracy 379

Agency Organization 379
Monitoring 381
Correcting Violations 382
The Consequences of Control 383

Unpacking the Conflict 383

Study Guide 385

13. The Courts 388

The Development of an Independent and Powerful Federal
Judiciary 390
The Founders’ Views of the Courts: The Weakest Branch? 390

Contents xv

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 15 16/11/18 3:13 PM

 Judicial Review and Marbury v. Madison 392
Judicial Review in Practice 393

The American Legal and Judicial System 394

Court Fundamentals 394
Structure of the Court System and Federalism 395
How Judges Are Selected 396
How It Works: The Court System 398

Access to the Supreme Court 403

The Court’s Workload 403
Rules of Access 403
The Court’s Criteria 405

Hearing Cases before the Supreme Court 406

Briefs 407
Oral Argument 407
Conference 408
Opinion Writing 408

Supreme Court Decision Making 410

Legal Factors 410
Political Factors 410

Unpacking the Conflict 415

Study Guide 417

Part IV: Policy

14. Economic and Social Policy 420
Making Public Policy 423
The Policy-Making Process 423
The Key Players in Economic and Social Policy Making 425
How It Works: The Budget Process 426
Alternate Perspectives on the Policy-Making Process 431

Economic Policy 432

Goals of Economic Policy 432
Tools and Theories of Economic Policy 434
Case Study: The 2008–2009 Economic Crisis 444

Social Policy 446

History and Context of Social Policy 446
Social Policy Today 448
Education Policy 456

Unpacking the Conflict 457

Study Guide 459

xvi Contents

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 16 16/11/18 3:13 PM

 15. Foreign Policy 462
What Is Foreign Policy? 464
Foreign Policy Principles and Perspectives 464
History of American Foreign Policy 466

Foreign Policy Makers 472

The President and the Executive Branch 472
Congress 474
The Federal Courts 475
Groups outside the Federal Government 475
How It Works: War Powers: Who Controls the Armed Forces? 476

The Tools of Foreign Policy 480

Diplomacy 480
Trade and Economic Policies 480
Foreign Aid 482
Alliances and Treaties 482
Military Force 483

The Politics of Foreign Policy 484

Managing International Trade: China 485
Fighting Terrorism: ISIL 486
Preventing the Spread of WMDs: North Korea 489

Unpacking the Conflict 490

Study Guide 491

Appendix
The Declaration of Independence A1
The Articles of Confederation A3
The Constitution of the United States of America A6
Amendments to the Constitution A11
The Federalist Papers A16

Endnotes A23
Study Guide Answer Key A45
Credits A47
Glossary/Index A51

Contents xvii

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 17 16/11/18 3:14 PM

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 18 16/11/18 3:14 PM
 Preface

This book is based on three simple premises: politics is conflictual, political

process matters, and politics is everywhere. It reflects our belief that politics is
explainable, that political outcomes can be understood in terms of decisions made
by individuals—and that the average college undergraduate can make sense of the
political world in these terms. It focuses on contemporary American politics, the events
and outcomes that our students have lived through and know something about. The
result, we believe, is a book that provides an accessible but rigorous account of the
American political system.
American Politics Today is also the product of our dissatisfaction. Thirty years ago
we were assistant professors together at the same university, assigned to teach the
introductory class in alternate semesters. Though our graduate training was quite
different, we found that we shared a deep disappointment with available texts. Their
wholesale focus on grand normative concepts such as civic responsibility or their use
of advanced analytic themes left students with little idea of how American politics
really works, how events in Washington, D.C., affect their everyday lives, and how to
piece together all the facts about American politics into a coherent explanation of why
things happen as they do. These texts did not engender excitement, fascination, or even
passing interest. What they did was put students to sleep.
As with previous editions, the overarching goal of the Sixth Edition is to describe
what happens in American politics, but also to explain behavior and outcomes. In
part we wish to counter the widespread belief among students that politics is too
complicated, too chaotic, or too secretive to make sense of. More than that, we want to
empower our students, to demonstrate that everyday American politics is relevant to
their lives. This emphasis is also a response to the typical complaint about American
government textbooks—that they are full of facts but devoid of useful information, and
that after students finish reading, they are no better able to answer “why” questions
than they were before they cracked the book.
In this edition, we maintain our focus on conflict and compromise in American
politics—identifying what Americans agree and disagree about and assessing how
conflict shapes American politics, from campaign platforms to policy outcomes.
Though this emphasis seems especially timely given the recent elections and the
prospect of continued deadlock in Washington under a Trump presidency, our aim
is to go beyond these events to identify a fundamental constant in American politics:
the reality that much of politics is driven by disagreements over the scope and form
of government policy, and that compromise is an essential component of virtually all
significant changes in government policy. Indeed, it is impossible to imagine politics
without conflict. Conflict was embedded in the American political system by the
Founders, who set up a system of checks and balances to make sure that no single
group could dominate. The Constitution’s division of power guarantees that enacting
and implementing laws will involve conflict and compromise. Furthermore, the
Constitution itself was constructed as one long series of compromises. Accordingly,
despite the general dislike people have for conflict, our students must recognize that
conflict and compromise lie at the heart of politics.
Throughout the text, we emphasize common sense, showing students that
politics inside the Beltway is often strikingly similar to the students’ own everyday
interactions. For example, what sustains policy compromises made by members of

xix

Ess_01_APT_66460_FM_i-1.indd 19 16/11/18 3:14 PM

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