Now featuring the logic of policymaking! Praised for its engaging narrative, The Logic of American Politics hooks students with great storytelling while giving them a taste of real political science. Students come to understand why institutional design concepts like voting rules and delegation help explain why the American political system works the way it does. The authors build students' critical thinking skills through a simple yet powerful idea: politics is about solving collective action problems. The Seventh Edition of this best seller continues to delve into partisan differences among voters and in government, exploring issues such as the Affordable Care Act’s troubled implementation, the increasing legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage in the states, and the debate over President Obama’s executive action on immigration. A new concluding chapter on policymaking examines the noticeable logic that guides American policy, as shown through policies like health care reform, global climate change, and the federal budget. Students glean insights into the sources of policy problems, identify possible solutions, and realize why agreement on those solutions is often so hard to achieve. Robust pedagogical features strengthen the text’s analytical approach: boxed features, maps, tables, and figures make for a rich experience as students learn to analyze data; new learning objectives throughout the text provide measurable takeaways; and more than 200 carefully chosen photographs grab students' attention. In addition, the all-new SAGE edge select companion site provides carefully crafted tools and resources that encourage review, practice, and critical thinking, giving students access to personalized learning tools to master course content. SAGE edge select: Online resources with personalized learning tools Ensure FREE access for your students—use bundle ISBN 978-1-5063-1451-8! SAGE edge select is a robust online environment designed to customize and enhance the learning experience. Carefully crafted tools and resources encourage review, practice, and critical thinking, allowing your students to customize their learning experience to their unique needs with pre-tests, personalized study plans, post-tests, and much more. SAGE edge select will make teaching and learning better—all in an easy-to-use online environment. Learn more at edge.sagepub.com/kernell7e. Table Of Contents Chapter 1: The Logic of American Politics The Importance of Institutional Design Constitutions and Governments Collective Action Problems The Costs of Collective Action Designing Institutions for Collective Action: The Framers’ Tool Kit Representative Government The Work of Government Nota Bene PART I: THE NATIONALIZATION OF POLITICS Chapter 2: The Constitution The Road to Independence America’s First Constitution: The Articles of Confederation Drafting a New Constitution Logic of Politics: Checks and Balances in the Constitution Strategy and Choice: Logrolling a Constitution The Fight for Ratification The Theory Underlying the Constitution The Constitution: Born of Sweet Reason or Politics? Chapter 3: Federalism American-Style Federalism Federalism and the Constitution The Paths to Nationalization Modern Federalism Evolving Federalism: A Byproduct of National Policy Chapter 4: Civil Rights What Are Civil Rights? The Civil Rights of African Americans The Politics of Black Civil Rights The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement Challenging Tyranny Chapter 5: Civil Liberties Nationalization of Civil Liberties Writing Rights and Liberties into the Constitution Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Freedom of Religion Gun Rights Criminal Rights Privacy Assessing Civil Liberties as Public Policy PART II. THE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT Chapter 6: Congress Congress in the Constitution Strategy and Choice: The Republican Gerrymander in 2012 Congress and Electoral Politics Who Serves in Congress? The Basic Problems of Legislative Organization Organizing Congress Making Laws Evaluating Congress Chapter 7: The Presidency The Historical Presidency The Modern Presidency Presidents as Strategic Actors Chapter 8: The Bureaucracy The Development of the Federal Bureaucracy An Expanding Government Bureaucracy in Action Who Controls the Bureaucracy? Bureaucratic Reform: A Hardy Perennial Chapter 9: The Federal Judiciary Setting the Stage for Judicial Review Three Eras of the Court’s Judicial Review The Structure of the Federal Judiciary Judicial Decision Making The Supreme Court’s Place in the Separation of Powers Who Guards the Guardians? PART III. THE PUBLIC’S INFLUENCE ON NATIONAL POLICY Chapter 10: Public Opinion What Is Public Opinion? Measuring Public Opinion The Origins of Public Opinion Is Public Opinion Meaningful? The Content of Public Opinion Effects of Background on Public Opinion Public Opinion: A Vital Component of American Politics Chapter 11: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections The Logic of Elections The Right to Vote Who Uses the Right to Vote? Election Campaigns The Logic of Elections Revisited Chapter 12: Political Parties The Constitution’s Unwanted Offspring The Development and Evolution of the Party Systems The Revival of the Parties: A Sixth Party System? Expediency Persists Chapter 13: Interest Groups The Logic of Lobbying The Origins of Interest Group Politics in America Contemporary Interest Groups What Do Interest Groups Do? Interest Group Politics: Controversial and Thriving Chapter 14: The News Media Development of the News Business News as a Consumer Product News Media as the “Fourth Branch” News as the Product of Politics Conclusion: Politician–Press Relations Then and Now PART IV. CONCLUSION Chapter 15: Is There a Logic to American Policy? Toward a More Perfect Union? The Barriers to Institutional Change Four Stories of Reform and Collective Action The Tricky Business of Institutional Reform