Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings

Book Overview

Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings combines timeless readings with cutting-edge, current selections. Authors Samuel Kernell and Steven S. Smith bring judicious editing and important context for students learning the ropes of American government, and in this Sixth Edition feature 11 new readings, including 6 pieces written specifically for this volume. True to form, each and every selection is artfully framed by the editors' headnotes, providing students with a valuable introduction to the topic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1483319873
• ISBN13: 9781483319872
• Release Date: February 2015
• Publisher: CQ Press
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

Book With Lots of Useful Info

This book has a lot of information regarding political trends. I highly reccomend it to beginners that want a strong background in American Politics, and want to be informed about innerworkings of the public policy process. As a Political Science major, I do quite a bit of reading myself and know the difference between a book that is utterly dense or not. From my experience, this book is an easy read for those that are analytical thinkers and apply logic and reasoning to their lives in relation to political science.

diverse readings

The editors give the reader a timely historical perspective on how American politics is played. Some papers are classics. Notably James Madison's Federalist #10 and #51 Papers. Now some two hundred years old. These discuss how the checks and balances in the Constitution act to restrain legislators from exploiting the nation, and on how the very diversity of a large republic can reduce the chances of factionalism prevailing. Though the latter argument is perhaps somewhat questionable. The book also has lectures from two current Supreme Court judges, Scalia and Breyer. Plus pivotal court decisions like Roe vs. Wade from the 1970s. The sweep of the readings is a good indicator of the multivaried nature of politics.