Holtzman, Bryant University
Glen D. Hunt, Austin Community College–Northridge
Alana Jeydel, American River College
Joseph Jozwiak, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi
Ellen Key, Stony Brook University
Robert Klotz, University of Southern Maine
Jamie Lennahan, Germanna Community College–Fredericksburg
Paul Lermack, Bradley University
Allyson M. Lowe, Carlow University
Karen McCurdy, Georgia Southern University
Tom McInnis, University of Central Arkansas
Bryan S. McQuide, University of Idaho
Linda Medcalf, South Puget Sound Community College
Jeff Millstone, Austin Community College–Rio Grande
Cas Mudde, University of Georgia
Gregg Murray, Texas Tech University
Jason C. Myers, California State University Stanislaus
Angela C. Narasimhan, Keuka College
Richard Pacelle, Georgia Southern University
Sarah Poggione, Ohio University
Suzy Prucka, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Gerald Reed, Middle Tennessee State University
Denise Richardson, Laney College
Thomas A. Schmeling, Rhode Island College
Angela Ugran, Cuyahoga Community College, East Campus
Stacy G. Ulbig, Sam Houston State University
Tim Vercellotti, Western New England College
Ulf Zimmermann, Kennesaw State University
There are several people in particular without whom this edition would never have seen the light of day. Pat Haney, the provider of the nuts and bolts of the foreign policy section, has been a cheerful, tireless collaborator, a good friend and colleague for twenty years now, and we are so grateful to him. Chuck McCutcheon, a huge help and a delight to work with, lent his expertise to the social and economic policy sections.
Finally, it is our great privilege to acknowledge and thank all the people at CQ Press who believed in this book and made this edition possible. In this day and age of huge publishing conglomerates, it has been such a pleasure to work with a small, committed team dedicated to top-quality work.
Christine Barbour
Gerald C. Wright
In the electronic edition of the book you have purchased, there are several icons that reference links (videos, journal articles) to additional content. Though the electronic edition links are not live, all content referenced may be accessed at http://edge.sagepub.com/barbourbrief8e . This URL is referenced at several points throughout your electronic edition.
To The Student
Suggestions on How to Read This Textbook
1 As they say in Chicago about voting, do it early and often. If you open the book for the first time the night before the exam, you will not learn much from it and it won’t help your grade. Start reading the chapters in conjunction with the lectures, and you’ll get so much more out of class.
2 Pay attention to the chapter headings and In Your Own Words goals. They tell you what we think is important, what our basic argument is, and how all the material fits together. Often, chapter subheadings list elements of an argument that may show up on a quiz. Be alert to these clues.
3 Read actively. Constantly ask yourself: Why is this important? How do these different facts fit together? What are the broad arguments here? How does this material relate to class lectures? How does it relate to the broad themes of the class? When you stop asking these questions, you are merely moving your eyes over the page, and that is a waste of time.
4 Highlight or take notes. Some people prefer highlighting because it’s quicker than taking notes, but others think that writing down the most important points helps in recalling them later. Whichever method you choose (and you can do both), be sure you’re doing it properly.Highlighting. An entirely highlighted page will not give you any clues about what is important. Read each paragraph and ask yourself: What is the basic idea of this paragraph? Highlight that. Avoid highlighting all the examples and illustrations. You should be able to recall them on your own when you see the main idea. Beware of highlighting too little. If whole pages go by with no marking, you are probably not highlighting enough.Outlining. Again, the key is to write down enough, but not too much. Go for key ideas, terms, and arguments.
5 Note all key terms, and be sure you understand the definition and significance.
6 Do not skip tables and figures. These things are there for a purpose, because they convey crucial information or illustrate a point in the text. After you read a chart or graph or Big Picture infographic, make a note in the margin about what it means.
7 Do not skip the boxes. They are not filler! The Don’t Be Fooled by . . . boxes provide advice on becoming a critical consumer of the many varieties of political information that come your way. Each Profile in Citizenship box highlights the achievements of a political actor pertinent to that chapter’s focus. They model citizen participation and can serve as a beacon for your own political power long after you’ve completed your American government course. And the Snapshot of America boxes help you understand who Americans are and how they line up on all sorts of dimensions.
8 Make use of the book’s web site at http://edge.sagepub.com/barbourbrief8e. There you will find chapter summaries, flashcards, and practice quizzes that will help you prepare for exams.
1 Power and Citizenship in American Politics
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
In Your Own Words
After you’ve read this chapter, you will be able to
1.1 Describe the role that politics plays in determining how power and resources, including control of information, are distributed in a society.
1.2 Compare how power
