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American Government
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American Government
Stories of a Nation, Brief Edition

Third Edition
December 2022 | 632 pages | CQ Press
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American government is not just one story—it's many stories. Our stories. And they are still being told.

In American Government: Stories of a Nation, Brief Third Edition, author Scott Abernathy tunes in to the voices of America's people, showing how diverse ideas throughout our nation's history have shaped our political institutions, our identities, the way we participate and behave, the laws we live by, and the challenges we face. His storytelling approach brings the core concepts of government to life, making them meaningful and memorable, and allows all students to see themselves reflected in the pages.

Carefully condensed from the full version by Scott Abernathy, American Government, Brief Third Edition, gives your students all the information they need—and the stories they relate to—in a more concise, value-oriented package.
 
Part I: Foundations
 
Chapter 1. American Political Stories: Claiming Rights, Demanding to Be Heard
Standing Rock: Water Protectors Claim Their Rights and Freedoms in North Dakota

 
American Political Culture Is Built on a Set of Shared Ideas

 
The American Revolutionaries Employ Strategic Political Action

 
The Structure of Institutions Affects How Citizens Participate

 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Links the Challenge against Racial Segregation to Core American Ideals

 
Conclusion: The American Experiment Continues, and You Are Part of It

 
 
Chapter 2. The Constitution of the United States: A New Vision of Representative Government
James Madison Plans for a Republic That Will Last

 
The Confederal System Made Coordination between the States Difficult

 
Delegates Reach a Compromise at the Constitutional Convention

 
Delegates Work Out Details of the New Government

 
Federalists and Anti-Federalists Argue over Ratification

 
Conclusion: The Motives of the Framers and the Effects of the Constitution Are Still Being Debated

 
 
Chapter 3. Federalism: The Changing Boundaries between the Nation and the States
Marijuana Policy Today Reveals Tensions between State and Federal Law

 
The Constitution Divides Power between the Nation and the States

 
For Much of American History, the Boundaries between the Nation and the States Were Sharper Than They Are Today

 
President Franklin Roosevelt’s Response to the Great Depression Reshapes American Federalism

 
Modern American Federalism Remains Cooperative but Faces Challenges

 
Conclusion: The Evolution of Federalism Continues

 
 
Chapter 4. Civil Liberties: Building and Defending Fences
Cell Phone Tracking Capability Challenges the Boundary between Public and Private

 
The Bill of Rights Establishes Protections for Americans’ Civil Liberties

 
The First Amendment’s First Two Protections Both Involve Religion

 
The First Amendment Also Protects Expression: Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petitioning the Government

 
The Constitution Also Protects Individuals Involved with the Criminal Justice System

 
The Ninth and Tenth Amendments Help Shape Freedoms in the Nation and across the States

 
Conclusion: Civil Liberties Involve Fences Still under Construction

 
 
Chapter 5. Civil Rights: How Equal is Equal?
Protesters Act to Secure Rights for Americans with Disabilities

 
Civil Rights Amendments Emerge from the Civil War—but Provide Limited Protection in Practice

 
Challenges to Legal Segregation Achieve Successes but Face Resistance

 
American Women Work to Secure Their Civil Rights

 
Americans Confront Overlapping Forms of Discrimination

 
Conclusion: Have Americans’ Civil Rights Been Secured?

 
 
Part II: Political Behavior and Mass Politics
 
Chapter 6. Public Opinion: How Are Americans’ Voices Measured, and Do They Matter?
Public Opinion May Be Moved by Important Events

 
Public Opinion Is the Sum Total of Individual Beliefs and Attitudes

 
Public Opinion Is Transmitted and Measured in Several Ways

 
Political Socialization and Political Ideology Shape Public Opinion

 
From Changing the Conversation to Changing Public Policy: Americans Remain Divided Over the Protests’ Legacy

 
Conclusion: How Meaningful Is Public Opinion?

 
 
Chapter 7. The Media: Truth, Trust, and Power
Can a Foreign Government Use the American Media to Influence a Presidential Election?

 
Though the American Media Have Changed, Questions of Trust and Power Endure

 
Questions of Bias Challenge Americans’ Trust in the Media’s Objectivity

 
Media Ownership and Content Are Subject to Regulation

 
Did the Media Convince Americans That They Were Being Invaded by Martians?

 
Conclusion: Debates about the Power of the Media Continue

 
 
Chapter 8. Parties, Elections, and Participation: Making Representative Democracy Happen
Bernie Sanders Challenges the Democratic Party to Become More Progressive, Twice

 
Parties Act to Identify, Support, and Nominate Candidates for Elected Office

 
The Rules Governing National Elections Shape the Transmission of Americans’ Preferences into Laws and Policies

 
Political Participation Can Take Many Forms

 
Conclusion: The 2022 Elections: The National Becomes Local, and the Local Has National Implications

 
 
Chapter 9. Interest Groups and Social Movements: Collective Action, Power, and Representation
A Housing Bubble Bursts, and Interest Groups Pop Up

 
Americans Face Challenges in Acting Collectively in a Representative Democracy

 
Interest Groups Vary by Type and Tactic, But They All Face Similar Challenges

 
Occupy Wall Street Illustrates the Struggles, Successes, and Failures of Social Movements

 
Social Movements Employ Different Tactics from Interest Groups to Make Change and Educate

 
Conclusion: The Challenges of Organizing in American Political Life Continue

 
 
Part III: Institutions
 
Chapter 10. Congress: Representation, Organization, and Legislation
Two “Years of the Woman” Highlight the Promise and Challenge of More Inclusive Representation in Congress

 
The Constitution Defines Congress’s Shape and Powers

 
Congress Is Organized around Formal and Informal Rules

 
The Legislative Process Is Complex by Design

 
Members Represent Constituents in How They Act and Who They Are

 
Conclusion: Representation Remains Complex, but the Landscape Continues to Change

 
 
Chapter 11. The American Presidency: Individuals, Institutions, and Power
As Individuals, American Presidents Must Confront the Often Contradictory Demands of Their Office

 
The Constitution Outlines the Powers of the American Presidency and Places Limits on Those Powers

 
Institutions and Other Informal Sources of Power Shape the Modern Executive Branch

 
Presidents Have Pushed the Limits of Their Power to Preserve National Security

 
The President Has Several Tools for Unilateral Action

 
Conclusion: The Paradoxes of the Presidency Continue

 
 
Chapter 12. The Federal Bureaucracy: Putting The Nation’s Laws Into Effect
Federal Bureaucratic Action Consists of Many Actors and Evolves over Time

 
Theories of Bureaucratic Organization Focus on Rules, People, and Tasks

 
The Bureaucracy Has Developed in Response to Demands and Crises

 
A Functioning Bureaucracy Depends on Effective Organization

 
The Bureaucracy Is Constrained by Oversight and Reform

 
Conclusion: New Challenges Arise, and the Federal Bureaucracy Is Asked to Respond

 
 
Chapter 13. The Federal Judiciary: Politics, Power, And The “Least Dangerous” Branch
The Politics of Supreme Court Confirmations Place Nominees on “Trial”

 
The Constitution Casts the Judiciary as a Unique but Weaker Branch

 
The “Trial” of John Marshall Establishes the Principle of Judicial Review

 
The American Legal System Is Defined by Federalism

 
Judicial Review Raises Questions of Constitutional Interpretation and Judicial Decision Making

 
Conclusion: The Trial of the Supreme Court Continues

 
 
Part IV: Policy
 
Chapter 14. Public Policy: Promoting The General Welfare and Advancing Americans’ Interests
American Dreamers’ Futures Depend upon Whether a Public Policy Will Continue

 
American Health Care Policy Has Evolved Significantly since the Great Society

 
Fiscal Policy Guides the Economy and Responds to Crises

 
U.S. Foreign Policy Has Changed with the Nation’s Place in Global Affairs

 
Immigration Connects Foreign Policy to Domestic Policy

 
Conclusion: The Story of American Politics Continues

 
 
Appendices
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Index

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site
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LMS cartridge included with this title for use in Blackboard, Canvas, Brightspace by Desire2Learn (D2L), and Moodle

The LMS cartridge makes it easy to import this title's instructor resources into your learning management system (LMS). These resources include:
  • Test banks
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides
  • Sample course syllabi
  • Lecture notes
  • All tables and figures from the textbook
Don’t use an LMS platform?
You can still access the online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site.

“The careful, deliberate, and inclusive approach of American Government: Stories of a Nation does more than any other text to ensure that all students see themselves as part of the narrative of American government and political culture. As a result, all of my students are more engaged with the material and in class discussion.”

Andrew Civettini
Knox College

“One of my goals in teaching American Government is to shrink the distance my students feel between themselves and their government. American Government: Stories of a Nation is the best textbook I have found to help me do this. Each chapter contains just the right balance of historical and contemporary narrative to show students that they are part of a story that has been unfolding for more than two-hundred years. Abernathy is a storyteller, but he is also a political scientist, and I appreciate his commitment to tell the American story with solid research from the field.”

Jonathan Peterson
North Park University

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