Contemporary Readings in American Government

The purpose of this volume is to offer faculty and students a unique reader for introductory American government courses. There are many fine introductory-level readers providing substantial numbers of classical and contemporary essays. Typically these readers have as many as 50 or more articles. This volume is the outcome of our long-standing desire for a reader that provides one or two substantial essays on each of the major topics usually covered in an introduction to American government textbook. Since the standard textbooks nicely cover the foundational material, we like to have students also read contemporary essays to establish the relevance of text material to the current political world. The readings we have chosen are highly contemporary--for example, articles that create a "buzz" among those in the academy--yet speak to a wider audience. As we begin a new century, our politics are in transition. A post-industrial/Information Age economy is taking shape, creating a new kind of politics and new means of linking voters to government. Old party coalitions have disappeared, and new ones are forming. Our institutions of government have had to adapt to new situations. Witness, for example, first the downsizing of a Cold War-based presidency into one focused on domestic issues, and then the sudden shift to combating international terrorism. Republican control of the Congress in the mid-late 1990s reshaped that institution and now a divided Congress seeks to maintain its authority during a period of crisis and pleas for a much strengthened presidency. The Supreme Court has had to cope with new cases that arise out of the Information Age--much in the same way that the Court at the turn of the 20th century had to deal with cases stemming from the new industrial era. The readings we have selected each speak to the dizzying array of change that has swept the American political landscape. Several persons provided us with assistance for which we are grateful. We thank Steven Brust, La Toya Bennet, and Nina Weiss for their help with a number of library and administrative tasks. Beth Gillett Meja was the initial editor of this project who assisted in the formulation stage and Jennifer Bryant ably assumed editing duties as the project developed. Marty Sopher provided very helpful editing of the selections. Finally, we thank our colleagues in the Department of Politics at The Catholic University of America for providing a supportive environment in which to pursue our teaching and writing. Mark J. Rozell John Kenneth WhiteRozell, Mark J. is the author of 'Contemporary Readings in American Government' with ISBN 9780130406453 and ISBN 0130406457.