American Government


Book Description

Based on the full edition of American Government:Power and Purpose, this brief text combines concise andup-to-date coverage of the central topics in American governmentwith compelling critical analysis. Offering an array of learningtools, the 2008 Election Update Edition uses a refined pedagogicalapparatus to help students approach politics and governmentanalytically. KEY FEATURES o More flexibility to assign supplementaryreadings. The Brief Tenth edition is the perfect choice for instructors whowant the flexibility to assign readings that go beyond thetextbook. Access to the Norton American Politics Online Reader isfree with each new copy, offering an affordable way to providestudents with a range of readings to complement the textbook.Special package prices are also available with Norton''s otherreaders in American government, The Enduring Debate andFaultlines. o More, and more thoughtful, pedagogy thanother brief texts. Several helpful features appear in each chapter to help studentslearn and review. New ''Analyzing the Evidence'' units use boldgraphics to show students ''how we know what we know'' about certainpolitical phenomena. ''Core of the Analysis'' boxes on the first pageof every chapter preview the chapter''s analysis. ''In Brief'' boxes are unique to the briefedition and at least one appears in each chapter. The boxessummarize fundamental material in the chapter and have proveninvaluable in preparing for exams, according to reviewers. ''Key Terms'' are boldface in the text anddefined in the margin. Numerous figures and tables appear in everychapter. New single-column design is easier toread. Online reader icons next to citations indicateworks that are represented in the Norton American Politics OnlineReader. STUDENT RESOURCES The Norton American Politics Online Reader American Government draws on contemporary research andkey scholarship to present the field as political scientistsunderstand it today. The Norton American Politics Online Readerincludes over100 important recent articles and foundational works cited inAmerican Government. Perfect for supplementary readingassignments and special projects, an icon next to the citation inthe text indicates that a reading is available in the onlinereader. Student StudySpace The StudySpace student Web site reinforces the analyticalframework of American Government in a proven, task-oriented studyplan. Each chapter is arranged according to the effective Organize,Learn, and Connect pedagogy: o Organize-This sectioncontains: o Progress Reports to help studentsorganize their study time. o Chapter Summaries and Outlines thathelp students prepare for readings and tests. o Links to the ebook, whichintegrates online review materials with the book. o Learn-This section contains: o Diagnostic Quizzes that helpstudents study for midterms and finals. o Vocabulary Flashcards thatreinforce knowledge of key terms presented in the text. o Connect-This sectioncontains: o Politics in the News RSS Feed-Abi-weekly RSS feed of New York Times articles, annotated by PaulGronke (Reed College) helps students keep up-to-date with thelatest political news. o Analyzing the EvidenceExercises-These interactive exercises are based on the new''Analyzing the Evidence'' units in the text, which explain thesignificance of the data and the basic methodology that politicalscientists use to analyze the data INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES PowerPoint Lecture Slides, Test Bank and an Instructor''sManual.







American Power in the 21st Century


Book Description

America wields a combination of military, economic and cultural power that many consider unprecedented. The way America uses this power has repercussions on every major issue of world affairs, including the prospects of regional security, the spread of democratic governance, and the provision of global public goods in economic and environmental domains. This volume explores the questions raised by American power from a variety of perspectives. Is the emphasis laid on military power likely to be self-defeating for the United States in the long run? Is "soft power" or persuasion a more effective way to promote American interests and goals? How is American predominance perceived in Europe, China and the Arab world? Will it last or will other powers coalesce to resist US hegemony? The authors address these and other fundamental questions in rigorous and historically sensitive analyses of this critical juncture in global politics. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars in political science and international relations, as well as all those concerned with and by one of the key topics of our time. Contributors include: Robert Cooper, Michael Cox, Zhiyuan Cui, Abdelwahab El-Affendi, G. John Ikenberry, Robert Kagan, Mary Kaldor, Joseph S. Nye, Thomas Risse.




American Power


Book Description

In American Power, Mitch Epstein investigates notions of power, both electrical and political. His focus is on energy - how it gets made, how it gets used, and the ramifications of both. From 2003 to 2008, he photographed at and around sites where fossil fuel, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, and solar power are produced in the United States. The resulting photographs contain Epstein's signature complex wit, surprising detail, and formal rigor. These pictures illuminate the intersection between American society and American landscape. Here is a portrait of early 21st century America, as it clings to past comforts and gropes for a more sensible future. In an accompanying essay, Epstein discusses his method, and how making these photographs led him to think harder about the artist's role in a country teetering between collapse and transformation.




Taming American Power: The Global Response to U. S. Primacy


Book Description

Finalist for the 2006 Gelber Prize: "A brilliant contribution to the American foreign policy debate."—Anatol Lieven, New York Times Book Review At a time when America's dominance abroad was being tested like never before, Taming American Power provided for the first time a "rigorous critique of current U.S. strategy" (Washington Post Book World) from the vantage point of its fiercest opponents. Stephen M. Walt examines America's place as the world's singular superpower and the strategies that rival states have devised to counter it. Hailed as a "landmark book" by Foreign Affairs, Taming American Power makes the case that this ever-increasing tide of opposition not only could threaten America's ability to achieve its foreign policy goals today but also may undermine its dominant position in years to come.




The Paradox of American Power


Book Description

Not since the Roman Empire has any nation had as much economic, cultural, and military power as the United States does today. Yet, as has become all too evident through the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the impending threat of the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran, that power is not enough to solve global problems--like terrorism, environmental degradation, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction--without involving other nations. Here Joseph S. Nye, Jr. focuses on the rise of these and other new challenges and explains clearly why America must adopt a more cooperative engagement with the rest of the world.




American Power and Liberal Order


Book Description

Paul D. Miller argues against recent calls for American restraint in international relations. Blending academic rigor with his experiences as former Director for Afghanistan on the National Security Council, he instead calls for active investment in the centuries-old grand strategy of liberal order.




America at the Crossroads


Book Description

Presents a critique of the Bush Administration's Iraq policy, arguing that it stemmed from misconceptions about the realities of the situation in Iraq and a squandering of the goodwill of American allies following September 11th.




American Power after the Financial Crisis


Book Description

The global financial crisis of 2007–2008 was both an economic catastrophe and a watershed event in world politics. In American Power after the Financial Crisis, Jonathan Kirshner explains how the crisis altered the international balance of power, affecting the patterns and pulse of world politics. The crisis, Kirshner argues, brought about an end to what he identifies as the "second postwar American order" because it undermined the legitimacy of the economic ideas that underpinned that order—especially those that encouraged and even insisted upon uninhibited financial deregulation. The crisis also accelerated two existing trends: the relative erosion of the power and political influence of the United States and the increased political influence of other states, most notably, but not exclusively, China.Looking ahead, Kirshner anticipates a "New Heterogeneity" in thinking about how best to manage domestic and international money and finance. These divergences—such as varying assessments of and reactions to newly visible vulnerabilities in the American economy and changing attitudes about the long-term appeal of the dollar—will offer a bold challenge to the United States and its essentially unchanged disposition toward financial policy and regulation. This New Heterogeneity will contribute to greater discord among nations about how best to manage the global economy. A provocative look at how the 2007–2008 economic collapse diminished U.S. dominance in world politics, American Power after the Financial Crisis suggests that the most significant and lasting impact of the crisis and the Great Recession will be the inability of the United States to enforce its political and economic priorities on an increasingly recalcitrant world.




Exercise of Power


Book Description

From the former secretary of defense and author of the acclaimed #1 bestselling memoir, Duty, a candid, sweeping examination of power, and how it has been exercised, for good and bad, by American presidents in the post-Cold War world. Since the end of the Cold War, the global perception of the United States has progressively morphed from dominant international leader to disorganized entity. Robert Gates argues that this transformation is the result of the failure of political leaders to understand the complexity of American power, its expansiveness and its limitations. He makes clear that the successful exercise of power is not limited to the ability to coerce or demand submission, but must also encompass diplomacy, strategic communications, development assistance, intelligence, technology, and ideology. With forthright judgments of the performance of past presidents and their senior-most advisers, insightful ­firsthand knowledge, and compelling insider stories, Gates’s candid, sweeping examination of power in all its manifestations argues that U.S. national security in the future will require abiding by the lessons of the past, reimagining our approach, and revitalizing nonmilitary instruments of power essential to success and security.