Photo sources
Acknowledgments
Timeline
Introduction
Introduction to the democratic republic: Politics and government; Democracy and other forms of government; Fundamental values; Political ideologies; Shifting demographics and political implications
The U.S. Constitution: The colonial background; Early colonial government; The road to revolution; The first state governments; The Constitutional Convention; Principles of the Constitution; Amending the Constitution
Federalism: Federalism and its constitutional basis; State rights and budgets; State and local government
The U.S. Congress: The nature and functions of Congress; House-Senate differences and congressional privileges; Congressional elections and apportionment; How Congress is organized; Lawmaking and budgeting
The President: Who can become President? The President's roles and responsibilities; Presidential powers; The executive organization; The role of the vice presidency
The courts: The Federal Court system; The selection of federal judges; The Supreme Court at work; Policymaking and the courts; State versus federal courts


Civil liberties and civil rights: Differences between civil liberties and civil rights; The Bill of Rights; The First Amendment: freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition; The second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth amendments: from the right to bear arms to the rights of the criminally accused; Civil liberties vs. security issues; The right to privacy; Experiences of ethnic groups, women, gays and lesbians, and juveniles
Political opinion: What is political opinion and how is it measured? Political preferences and voting behavior; Political opinion and the political process
Public interest groups: The role of public interest groups; Types of interest groups; Strategies that make interest groups successful; Regulating lobbyists
Political parties: Functions of political parties in the U.S.; The two-party system; A history of political parties in the U.S.; Mechanisms of political party change: realignment, dealignment, tipping
Campaigns and elections: How are elections conducted? The national convention; The election campaign; Campaign finance; The popular vote and the role of the Electoral College
The media machine: The media and public opinion; The power of the press: the media and political campaigns; Political campaigns and the internet; Freedom of the press; The media under various administrations
Further reading
The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The U.S. Constitution
The Bill of Rights.