Central Ideas in American Government + Investigations

Central Ideas in American Government

1. The Founding and the Constitution (click to expand)
   1. Introduction
   2. The Constitution: A Product of Conflict and Compromise
   3. Declaring Independence
   4. The Articles of Confederation
   5. Negotiating the Constitution
   6. Constitutional Compromises
   7. A New Government
   8. Constitutional Principles
   9. The Constitution Defines and Limits the Government
   10. The Articles of the Constitution
   11. Amending the Constitution
   12. The 27 Amendments to the Constitution
   13. The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Amendment Process
   14. The Constitution Leaves Room for Interpretation
   15. The Full Faith and Credit Clause vs. the Supremacy Clause
   16. Chapter Quiz: The Founding and the Constitution
2. Federalism
   1. Introduction
   2. The Constitution Establishes a Federal System
   3. The National and State Governments Compete for Power
   4. Dual Federalism
   5. Cooperative Federalism
   6. Coercive Federalism
   7. New Federalism
   8. Power Shifts Between National and State Governments
   9. Developments in Transportation
   10. Developments in Communications, Science, and Technology
   11. Differing Political Ideas
   12. Federalism Has Strengths and Weaknesses
   13. COVID-19 and Federalism
   14. Chapter Quiz: Federalism
3. Civil Liberties
   1. Introduction
   2. Civil Liberties Protect Individuals
   3. Core Protections and Limits
   4. Amendment I: Freedom of Religion—The Establishment Clause
   5. Amendment I: Freedom of Religion—The Free Exercise Clause
   6. Amendment I: Freedom of Speech
   7. Amendment I: Symbolic and Student Speech
   8. Amendment I: Limits to Free Speech
   9. Amendment I: Freedom of Assembly and the Press
   10. Amendment II: The Right to Bear Arms
   11. Amendment IV: Searches and Seizures
   12. Amendment V: Due Process
   13. Amendment VI: The Right to a Fair Trial
   14. Amendment VIII: Cruel and Unusual Punishment
   15. Extending Civil Liberties to the States
   16. Religious Freedom, Gun Rights, and Incorporation
   17. Selective Incorporation
   18. The Interpretation of Civil Liberties Evolves
   19. Privacy Rights and Abortion
   20. Privacy Rights and Sexuality
   21. The Right to Die
   22. Chapter Quiz: Civil Liberties
4. Civil Rights
   1. Introduction
   2. Civil Rights Require Equal Protection
   3. Affirmative Action
   4. Slavery and the Fight for Abolition
   5. The Reconstruction Amendments
   6. Jim Crow Laws
   7. The First Feminists: Women Fight for the Vote
   8. Desegregating Public Higher Education
   9. Desegregating Elementary and Secondary Education
   10. Desegregating Transportation and Public Spaces
   11. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
   12. The Voting Rights Act of 1965
   13. Government Expands Women’s Civil Rights
   14. Women’s Rights Today
   15. Judicial Standards of Review in Civil Rights Cases
   16. Rights for Different Groups
   17. LGBTQ+ Rights
   18. Chapter Quiz: Civil Rights
5. Congress
   1. Introduction
   2. Congress According to the Constitution
   3. Apportionment and Redistricting
   4. The Process of Making Laws
   5. Parties in the House and Senate
   6. Party Influence and Control
   7. Unified vs. Divided Government
   8. Types of Congressional Committees
   9. Committees Help Make Congress More Productive
   10. Congress Members Consider Multiple Influences
   11. Influences on Legislators
   12. Descriptive Representation
   13. Delegate vs. Trustee Models of Representation
   14. Chapter Quiz: Congress
6. The Presidency
   1. Introduction
   2. The President Has Many Roles
   3. Executive Powers
   4. Executive Orders and Privilege
   5. Legislative Powers
   6. Judicial Powers
   7. Diplomatic Powers
   8. Military Powers
   9. Presidential Power Has Grown
   10. Policies and Programs
   11. The President and Parties
   12. The President and Mass Media
   13. Implied and Delegated Power
   14. Executive Power Is Limited
   15. Impeachment
   16. Presidential Performance Matters
   17. Assessing Performance
   18. Chapter Quiz: The Presidency
7. Bureaucracy
   1. Introduction
   2. The Federal Bureaucracy Implements Laws
   3. Executive Branch Organization
   4. Presidential Power
   5. Legislative Oversight
   6. Issue Networks and Iron Triangles
   7. The Federal Bureaucracy Has Grown
   8. The Progressive Era
   9. The Great Depression and the New Deal
   10. The Great Society
   11. The Reagan Revolution
   12. The Bureaucracy Today
   13. The Federal Bureaucracy Has Considerable Power
   14. Limitations on Bureaucratic Power
   15. Americans Seek to Reform the Bureaucracy
   16. Devolution and Privatization
   17. Chapter Quiz: The Bureaucracy
8. The Judiciary
   1. Introduction
   2. Article III Establishes the Supreme Court
   3. Jurisdiction
   4. The Court Has Expanded Its Influence
   5. Judicial Review
   6. The Impact of Judicial Review
   7. The Supreme Court Chooses Cases
   8. Access to the Supreme Court
   9. The Supreme Court’s Decision-Making Process
   10. Appointments Influence the Judiciary
   11. The Supreme Court Undergoes a Political Shift
   12. Many Factors Influence Judicial Decisions
   13. Judicial Philosophy
   14. Political Ideology
   15. Political Context
   16. Chapter Quiz: The Judiciary
9. Public Opinion
   1. Introduction
   2. Many Factors Influence Public Opinion
   3. Political Socialization
   4. Additional Factors of Socialization
   5. Properly Conducted Polls Express Public Opinion
   6. The Basics of Scientific Polling
   7. Should Elected Leaders Listen to Public Opinion?
   8. Paying Attention to the Public
   9. Trends in Presidential Approval Ratings
   10. Trends in Congressional Approval Ratings
   11. Chapter Quiz: Public Opinion
10. The Media
    1. Introduction
    2. Content and Journalistic Standards Have Evolved
    3. The Partisan Press and Sensationalism
    4. The Evolution of Journalistic Ethics
    5. The Decline of Traditional Media
    6. Agenda Setting and Priming
    7. Framing
    8. Persuasion
    9. Online Media Presents Challenges
    10. Ethical Standards in Journalism
    11. Selective Exposure
    12. Civil Discourse
    13. Chapter Quiz: The Media
11. Voting and Political Participation
    1. Introduction
    2. Direct vs. Indirect Democracy and Conventional Political Participation
    3. Unconventional Participation
    4. Why People Participate in Politics
    5. Demographics Behind Participation
    6. Partisan Loyalty
    7. Policy Issues
    8. Candidate Characteristics
    9. The Economy Affects Voting
    10. Voter Turnout Remains Low
    11. Low Turnout Compared to Other Democratic Industrialized Nations
    12. The Mandatory Voting Debate
    13. Chapter Quiz: Voting and Political Participation
12. Elections and Campaigns
    1. Introduction
    2. Elections Ensure Political Legitimacy
    3. Congressional Elections
    4. Congressional Incumbents vs. Challengers
    5. Presidential Elections
    6. The Primary Season
    7. National Conventions
    8. The Electoral College
    9. The Positives of the Electoral College
    10. The Negatives of the Electoral College
    11. Campaign Strategies Vary
    12. Campaign Tactics
    13. Campaign Finance
    14. Campaigns Have Evolved
    15. Candidate-Centered Campaigns
    16. Chapter Quiz: Elections and Campaigns
13. Political Parties
    1. Introduction
    2. Parties Have Three Components
    3. The Party Organization
    4. The Party in Government
    5. The Party in the Electorate
    6. The Role of Parties in Democratic Governance
    7. The United States Has a Two-Party System
    8. Implications of the Two-Party System
    9. Origins of the American Two-Party System
    10. 1796–1859: The First Political Parties
    11. The Critical Election of 1860
    12. The Critical Election of 1896 and Republican Party Dominance
    13. The Critical Election of 1932 and Democratic Party Dominance
    14. The 1960s to Today: Partisan Realignments
    15. Chapter Quiz: Political Parties
14. Interest Groups
    1. Introduction
    2. Interest Groups Seek to Influence Policy
    3. Types of Interest Groups
    4. The Politics of Healthcare Reform
    5. Lobbying
    6. Election Activity
    7. Other Forms of Influence
    8. Interest Groups Have Grown Over Time
    9. Joining Interest Groups
    10. Forming Interest Groups
    11. Americans Aren’t Represented Equally
    12. The Value of Interest Groups
    13. Chapter Quiz: Interest Groups
15. Public Policy
    1. Introduction
    2. Each Branch of the Government Influences Public Policy
    3. Policymaking in a Separated System
    4. The Public Policy Cycle
    5. The Policymaking Process
    6. Agenda Setting
    7. Policy Formulation and Adoption
    8. Policy Implementation
    9. Policy Evaluation
    10. Public Policy Has General Categories
    11. Domestic Policy
    12. The Affordable Care Act
    13. Foreign Policy
    14. Diplomacy
    15. Trade
    16. National Security and the Evolution of American Foreign Policy
    17. Economic Policy
    18. The Federal Budget
    19. Monetary Policy
    20. Americans Are Divided over the Scope of Government
    21. Chapter Quiz: Public Policy
16. State and Local Government
    1. Introduction
    2. Political Culture Varies Among the States
    3. Engagement and Public Policy Differ Depending on Political Culture
    4. Similarities and Differences Between State and U.S. Constitutions
    5. The Long and Short of It: State Constitutions
    6. Amending State Constitutions
    7. States Manage from the Middle
    8. Issues of Funding on Education Policy
    9. Government Interaction Occurs Locally
    10. State and Local Politics at Work
    11. Chapter Quiz: State and Local Government

Investigations

1. Data Investigation: Congress Divided (click to expand)
   1. Students use DW-NOMINATE scores and Pew survey data about party ideology to investigate party polarization and its potential effects.
2. Data Investigation: Executive Orders and Power
   1. As they examine data on executive orders in three different ways (total, average, and first 100 days), students consider how the practice of executive orders relates to the principle of checks and balances.
3. Data Investigation: Framing and Funding Education
   1. Students compare the language used in state constitutions with state levels of educational funding. They then consider what the practice of education funding reveals about the principle of federalism.
4. Data Investigation: The Land of the Free
   1. Through measures of civil and political freedom over time, students consider the shifting landscape of individual liberties in the U.S. and abroad.
5. Data Investigation: We, the People Who Participate
   1. Students use voter turnout data to consider whether the practice of voting aligns with the principle of popular sovereignty.
6. Supreme Court Story Investigation: Brown v. Board
   1. Part I: An original video features political science professors explaining the background and legal issues involved in the struggle for school desegregation.
   2. Part II: Students read about more recent cases involving school integration as they consider the lasting effects of the decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
7. Supreme Court Story Investigation: Marbury v. Madison
   1. Part I: An original video features political science professors describing the events leading to Marbury v. Madison and the legal legacy of the case.
   2. Part II: Students continue their consideration of jurisdiction and judicial review as they read Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution as well as the Court’s majority opinion in the case.
8. Supreme Court Story Investigation: McCulloch v. Maryland
   1. Part I: An original video features political science professors explaining chartered banks and discussing the battle between state and federal power in McCulloch v. Maryland.
   2. Part II: Students explore Oregon v. Mitchell, a different case involving state and federal powers, and consider how the Supreme Court’s decision was influenced by McCulloch v. Maryland.
9. Investigation: Am I Blue, Purple, or Red?
   1. Using the Pew Research Center’s Political Typology Quiz, students consider their own political typology as they investigate U.S. political ideology.
10. Investigation: The American Pizza Community
    1. Through news coverage and congressional testimony excerpts, students investigate the formation and strategies of a specific interest group, the American Pizza Community.
11. Investigation: The Broken Presidency
    1. In this investigation, students consider journalist John Dickerson’s ideas about the evolution of the modern presidency.
12. Investigation: The Business of Weed
    1. In this investigation, students explore how differences among state marijuana laws illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of a federal system.
13. Investigation: Comparing Constitutions
    1. Students compare the text of the U.S. and Russian constitutions as well as maps and excerpts from Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” report.
14. Investigation: #Divide
    1. Using findings from a Pew Research Center report and excerpts from a news article, students consider political polarization and its connection to selective exposure to media.
15. Investigation: Drawing Political Lines
    1. Students first learn more about gerrymandering, with a focus on what it is and why it happens. Then they consider an argument from FiveThirtyEight about whether gerrymandering is to blame for problems in the U.S. political system.
16. Investigation: Eavesdropping on the Oval Office: LBJ’s First Days
    1. Students listen to recorded phone calls from Lyndon B. Johnson’s first month in office as they consider presidential personality and the challenges faced by an unexpected president.
17. Investigation: Federalist No. 10
    1. Students consider faction and democracy as they read one of the best-known Federalist Papers.
18. Investigation: Foreign Policy in Two Conflicts
    1. Students consider presidential decision-making and foreign policy as they learn about Nixon’s plan for peace in Vietnam and Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan.
19. Investigation: Free Speech for Students
    1. Through the example of Mahoney Area School District vs. B.L., students investigate debates over free speech.
20. Investigation: Healthcare: Quality
    1. An original documentary on health care reform guides students through debates on comparative effectiveness research and shows the role of the bureaucracy in implementing legislation.
21. Investigation: Implementing the ACA
    1. By examining documents meant to inform the public about the Affordable Care Act, students consider the bureaucratic process of implementing new legislation.
22. Investigation: The Ins and Outs of the Electoral College
    1. Students watch an original video features interviews with electors from the 2016 presidential election and also examine an interactive map showing electoral votes and partisan consistency.
23. Investigation: The Ins and Outs of Exit Polls
    1. Students first dig into details of exit polling and then consider exit poll issues from the 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election.
24. Investigation: License to Vote
    1. Students compare voter registration by state and then take a closer look at the prospect of automatic voter registration.
25. Investigation: Making the News
    1. An original documentary takes students behind the scenes with reporters to learn how news stories are developed.
26. Investigation: Managing Guns in America
    1. Students examine federalism as well as state and local government through the lens of gun legislation.
27. Investigation: The Meaning of the Right to Privacy
    1. Students first read about the groundwork laid for a right to privacy in Griswold v. Connecticut. They then consider the evolution of the Court’s thinking as they read excerpts from majority and dissenting opinions in Dobbs v. Jackson.
28. Investigation: Party Platforms
    1. Students take a comparative look at Democratic and Republican party platforms from the 2024 presidential election.
29. Investigation: Passing the 19th Amendment
    1. A Soomo original video is paired with a primary-source pamphlet and other materials to walk students through the two-stage amendment process as it played out with the 19th Amendment.
30. Investigation: The Path to Marriage Equality
    1. Through public opinion data, an interactive timeline, and excerpts from court decisions, students evaluate how public opinion and political context influenced the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
31. Investigation: Setting the Legislative Agenda
    1. An original documentary features representatives from North Carolina and California, as well as the former House Judiciary Committee chief of staff, as they discuss past legislative attempts at immigration reform.
32. Investigation: These Divided States
    1. By reading maps and historical analysis, students consider state-level political culture along with the idea that the United States should be understood as 11 distinct nations.
33. Investigation: Till We Have Suffrage: The Movement
    1. Students explore the tactics used by the women’s suffrage movement through an original video and a collection of primary sources from the period. These include photographs, newspaper excerpts, and the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments.
34. Investigation: The USDA: An Agency for Farmers
    1. By examining USDA materials about the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, students get a window into how the federal bureaucracy implements legislation.
35. Investigation: We the Protesters
    1. As they read a selection of news stories and analysis, students consider what factors make political demonstrations successful and how protests can affect policymaking.
36. Investigation: What Can Third Parties Do?
    1. Students first learn more about the role of third parties in American politics and then consider the performance of third parties in both the 2016 and 2024 elections.
37. Investigation: What Lobbyists Do
    1. Students gain insight into the workings of Congress and interest groups through original videos that feature working lobbyists sharing their experiences.
38. Investigation: The Year of the Woman
    1. Through a video news series, students meet four women who ran for different levels of office and consider the hurdles they faced in the political arena.

Steady encouragement

After each new topic is presented, students answer a few questions about the main ideas. This helps students stay focused, actively process the information, and construct new knowledge.

Presentation and exploration

Sixteen chapters offer a concise presentation of key concepts. An additional 32 investigations guide students through the examination of real-world artifacts and case studies to put the concepts into context and test the limits of the ideas presented.

Study questions

More than 1,000 study questions encourage close reading and guide students to key information.

Everything you need

Central Ideas in American Government provides everything you need for an online course—including the text, interactive investigations, lecture slides, a test bank, and an analytics dashboard. And we can tailor the webtext to match your program’s emphasis, term length, student expectations, and assignment types.

Interactive content

Study questions

Multiple-choice questions on each page guide students to critical information by providing immediate feedback. These low-risk opportunities allow students to reset answers to try again or to study for tests.

Investigations

Investigation pages incorporate videos, journal articles, infographics, audio clips, simulations, and primary sources to help students explore key concepts in greater depth.

Response boards

Students consider other perspectives through response boards that allow them to see the responses of their peers only after they’ve posted their own comment.

Polls

Polls allow students to share their opinions and see the breakdown of their classmates’ anonymous responses. In some cases, students will also see a larger dataset.

Study tools

Webtext Reader app

Students can access materials and complete assignments offline with our mobile app available for iOS and Android.

Reading tools

Reading tools allow students to click on vocabulary terms for definitions and mark up their own webtext by highlighting and adding notes in the margins.

Read to Me

Our text-to-speech feature instantly creates an audio version of the webtext page to extend the reach of online content.

My Progress

Students can keep track of their own work inside My Progress, which records their scores, time spent, and completion.

The following materials are available for this course:

• test bank
• lecture slides
• instructor guides

Authors

Jocelyn Evans, PhD
University of West Florida

Kristy Michaud, PhD
California State University–Northridge

Investigation Contributors

Jennie Linder Cunningham, MA
Texas A&M University–Kingsville

Jocelyn Evans, PhD
University of West Florida

Lilly Goren, PhD
Carroll University

Jessica Hayden, PhD
Western Carolina University

Kristy Michaud, PhD
California State University–Northridge

Cynthia Newton, PhD
Wesley College

Tressa Tabares, PhD
American River College

Advisors

Philip Ardoin, PhD
Appalachian State University

Janet Box-Steffensmeier, PhD
Ohio State University

Asiya Daud, PhD
Pitzer College

Anna Fleming, PhD
Mercer University

Terry Gilmour, PhD
Midland College

Lilly Goren, PhD
Carroll University

Jessica Hayden, PhD
Western Carolina University

Erin Richards
Cascadia Community College

Cammy Shay, PhD
Houston Community College

Steven Tran, PhD
Houston Community College

Justin Vaughn, PhD
Coastal Carolina University

Sherri L. Wallace, PhD
University of Louisville

Sarah Young, PhD
University of South Carolina

Peer Reviewers

Jean-Marc Akakpo
Kennesaw State University

Scott Buchanan, PhD
The Citadel

Michelle Buehlmann, PhD
Northern Virginia Community College

Tony Carey, Jr., PhD
University of North Texas

Larry Carter, PhD
University of Texas-Arlington

Carl D. Cavalli, PhD
North Georgia College

Linda C. Davis, MA
Hillsborough Community College

Matthew DeSantis, PhD
Guilford Technical Community College

Gregory Domin, PhD
Columbus State University

Michael Evans, PhD
Georgia State University

Bailey R. Fairbanks
Georgia State University

Anna McCaghren Fleming
Georgia State University

David Hill, PhD
Stetson University

Parakh Hoon, PhD
South Puget Sound Community College

Gary Johnson, PhD
Weber State University

Joseph Jozwiak, PhD
Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi

William Kelly, PhD
Auburn University

Marvin King, PhD
University of Mississippi

Robert J. King, PhD
Georgia Perimeter College

Glen Krutz, PhD
University of Oklahoma

Julie Lester, PhD
Macon State College

Christie Maloyed, PhD
University of Nebraska–Kearney

Benjamin Melusky, PhD
University of Pittsburgh

Sara Moats, PhD
West Virginia University

Dwight Mullen, PhD
University of North Carolina—Asheville (ret.)

Cynthia Newton, PhD
Wesley College

God’swill Osa, MA
University of Texas—Austin

Sandra Popiden, PhD
Bridgewater State College

Amanda Rosen, PhD
Webster University

Mikhail Rybalko, PhD
Texas Tech University

Joanna Sabo, PhD
Monroe County Community College

Lauren R. Santoro, PhD
Ohio State University

Mayia Shulga, PhD
Lone Star College

Tressa Tabares, PhD
American River College

Christopher Witt, PhD
Augustana College

Shawn Williams, PhD
Campbellsville University

David Woodard, PhD
Clemson University

Publisher

Mary Jane Lindrum

Executive Editor

Jenny Westrick

Creative Director

Zara Elizabeth Crockett

Senior Editor

Jill Gallagher

Project Manager

Autumn McGimsey

Lead Learning Designer

Lindsy Pietroski

Learning Design Coordinator

Laura Aitcheson

Learning Designers

Jonathan Campbell
Rebekah Krahe

Assistant Learning Designer

Stephen Clark

Production Editor & Coordinator

Natalie Welch

Production Editors

Rachel Garzarelli
Marquita Jones

Assistant Production Editors

Angelica Burac
Erin Griffin Collum
Thinacha Newberry

Photo Research & Permissions

Zara Elizabeth Crockett

Illustrations

Macks Lazo

Permissions Coordinator

Mallory Edwards

User Interface Design

Sam Korthof
Clint McFarlin

Note

Some multiple-choice questions were developed using ChatGPT; these questions were factchecked and edited for style and accuracy.