Why Politics Matters: An Introduction to Political Science
By Kevin L. Dooley and Joseph N. Patten
Content:
Preface xvii
Why Politics Matters 1
Introduction: What Is Political Science? 2
Political Science as the Study of Power 5
Theory and Practice: Do Women Justices View Legal Issues Differently
Than Male Justices? 8
Political Power in International Affairs 10
Theory and Practice: How You Can Engage Politics
Through Policy Debate 11
Political Science as an Academic Discipline 14
Approaches to Political Science 14
Why Politics Matters to You! 15
Why Politics Matters to You! Rare Earth Minerals and the Future
of Global Leadership: Is Africa China’s Second Continent? 16
Theory and Practice 17
Introducing You to the Field 17
PART I: POLITICAL THEORY
2 Ancient Political Theory 20
Introduction: How Ancient Political Thought Impacts Us Today 21
The Ionians 22
Theory of Becoming 22
Theory and Practice: How Did the Greeks Influence
the American Founding Fathers? 23
Theory of Being 24
The Sophists 24
Socrates 25
Why Politics Matters to You! The Socratic Teaching Method 27
Theory and Practice: Civil Disobedience After Socrates: Thoreau
(1817–62), Gandhi (1869–1948), and King (1929–68) 29
Plato 31
The Republic 32
Happiness in the Republic and the Human Soul 33
Theory and Practice: Wealth of U.S. Members of Congress 34
Theory and Practice: Civil Disobedience in Modern Times: Tiananmen
Square (1989), The Arab Spring (2010), and Colin Kaepernick (2016) 35
Plato’s Theory of Forms 37
Allegory of the Cave 37
Theory and Practice: The Republic and American Democracy 38
Gradations of Happiness in the Republic and the Human Soul 39
Aristotle 42
The Natural State 43
Theory and Practice: The Greeks, the Roman Empire,
and the Incorporation of Law into the State 43
Aristotle’s Theory of Forms and Happiness 45
Theory of Mixed Constitutions 46
Theory and Practice: Does Democracy Require a Strong
Middle Class? 47
3 Modern Political Theory 50
Introduction: The Origins of Modern Political Thought 51
Niccoló Machiavelli 52
The Prince as Lion and Fox 55
Theory and Practice: Current Leaders Who Use Violence
Against Their Own People: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and
Syria’s Bashar Hafez al-Assad 57
Theory and Practice: China’s Treatment of Muslim Minority Group:
The Uyghurs 60
Theory and Practice: Tensions Between the United States and
Iran Over Nuclear Weapons 62
Thomas Hobbes 64
Hobbes Versus the Greeks: Is There an Objective Truth? 65
Hobbes’s View of Human Nature 66
Hobbes’s Social Contract Theory 68
Theory and Practice: Realism and Liberalism in International
Relations 68
Why Politics Matters to You! Prisoner’s Dilemma: Are You More
Competitive Than Cooperative? 70
John Locke 71
Theory and Practice: John Locke and the U.S. Declaration of
Independence 72
Locke and Human Nature 73
Why Politics Matters to You! The Expansion of Women’s Rights and
the #MeToo Movement 74
Property Rights in the State of Nature 75
Theory and Practice: Karl Marx and Communism 76
Locke’s Social Contract 77
Theory and Practice: Jean-Jacques Rousseau: The Last Great Social
Contract Theorist 78
PART II: COMPARING GOVERNMENTS
4 The American Government 81
Introduction: The Origins of American Democracy 82
The Articles of Confederation: The Failed Experiment 83
Theory and Practice: “Un Civil” Disobedience: Sons of Liberty and the
American Revolution 83
The Constitutional Convention 87
Congress and Representation: Large Versus Small States 89
Why Politics Matters to You! The Expansion of Political Rights:
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 91
The Three Principles of the U.S. Constitution 93
The Growth of Federal Power 98
McCulloch v. Maryland: The Elastic Clause and the Expansion of
Federal Power 98
Theory and Practice: Sanctuary Cities: Federal Versus State and
Local Power on Immigration Policy 100
The Constitution and Interstate Relations 101
Why Politics Matters to You! The Constitution: The Privileges and
Immunities Clause and College Tuition Costs 102
Ratifying the Constitution 102
Theory and Practice: From Factions to Party: The Evolution of the American
Political Party System 103
The Federalist Papers: Madison, Hamilton, and Jay 106
Theory and Practice: The Impeachment of President Bill Clinton and
President Andrew Johnson 107
Why Politics Matters to You! Do You Belong to a Political Party? 110
Adopting the Constitution 112
Amending the Constitution 113
5 N ationalism and Populism in the United States
and Abroad 116
Introduction: The Underlying Causes of Nationalism and Populism 117
The Emergence of Nationalism and Populism in the United States 118
Political Tribalism and Presidential Politics 121
Why Politics Matters to You! Is Political Tribalism Ruining
Your Love Life? 124
Impact of Populism and Nationalism on U.S. Immigration Policy 125
Theory and Practice: Migrant Caravans and the Humanitarian
Crisis in Central America 126
Nationalism and Populism in Europe 128
The European Migration Crisis and the Rise of Nationalist-Populism
in Western Europe. 129
Nationalism and Populism in Central and Eastern Europe 133
6 Comparing Legislatures 138
Introduction: The Importance of National Legislatures 139
The Creation of the American Congress 139
Congressional Powers 140
Theory and Practice: The Pink Wave: The 2018 Midterm
Congressional Election 141
Theory and Practice: Term Limits and the U.S. Congress 145
Theory and Practice: The Filibuster and the Nuclear Option 149
The Composition of Congress and the Expansion of Democratic Rights 150
Theory and Practice: Are Women Legislators More Productive Than
Male Legislators? 152
Congressional Decision Making 153
The Electoral Connection 153
Congress and Home Style 153
The Electoral Connection and Partisan Gerrymandering 154
Other Explanations of Congressional Voting Behavior 155
Theory and Practice: Locking Up the Vote 156
How a Bill Becomes a Law 158
Why Politics Matters to You! Congress and the Affordable Health Care
Act of 2010: The Impact on College-Age Students 160
Presidential Versus Parliamentary Systems of Government 161
Bicameral Versus Unicameral Legislatures 162
Theory and Practice: How the Past Can Impact Policy 165
Why Politics Matters to You! Parliamentary Supremacy or
Judicial Review? 166
Unicameral Legislatures: One Voice, One House 168
Theory and Practice: Two Houses Might Not Be Better Than One 168
Theory and Practice: Ukraine: Look to the East or to the West? 172
Are Two Houses Better Than One? 175
7 Comparing Democratic Executives 177
Introduction: Executives: Presidents and Prime Ministers 178
Presidents: The Pros and Cons of Independent Executives 178
Debating the Executive: Rule by Individual or Executive Council 180
The Constitution and the Powers of the American President 182
Commander-in-Chief Power 182
Treaty Powers 183
Pardon Powers 183
The Appointment Power 183
The Veto Power 183
Presidential Prerogative Powers 184
The American Executive in Comparative Politics 184
The Prime Minister: First Among Equals 184
Prime Ministers: The Pros and Cons of Parliamentary Executives 185
The Model of Parliamentary Systems: The United Kingdom 186
Theory and Practice: An Independent Prime Minister? 187
Looking Ahead: Newer Democracies in Comparative Context 190
Theory and Practice: Parliamentary or Presidential? 191
The World’s Largest Democracy: India 191
Theory and Practice: Electing Presidents: The United States, India,
and the Electoral College 195
8 Comparing Judicial Systems 199
Introduction 200
Judicial Review Versus Legislative Supremacy 200
Theory and Practice: Judicial Activism Versus Judicial Restraint 202
Judicial Review in the United States 203
Theory and Practice: Double Jeopardy—From Ancient Greece
to Hollywood 204
The American Judiciary and Federalism 207
Differences Between Federal and State Courts 209
The Supreme Court’s Role in Expanding Civil Rights 212
The Incorporation of the Bill of Rights into the States 214
Why Politics Matters to You! Federal–State Powers,
the Interstate Commerce Clause, and the Americans With
Disabilities Act of 1990 215
Civil Rights and the Warren Court 216
Theory and Practice: The Legal Legacy of Supreme Court Justice
John Paul Stevens (1920–2019) 217
Theory and Practice: Federal–State Powers and the Regulation of
Sexual Activity in the Twenty-First Century 219
Germany: A Good Model for Comparison 220
Starting at the Top: The German Federal Constitutional Court 221
Powers and Policy Implications 222
Why Politics Matters to You! The Power to Ban? Political Parties and
the Germany Constitution 224
PART III: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
9 Authoritarian States 229
Introduction: Authoritarianism, Power to the . . . Rulers! 230
Authoritarianism: Intellectual and Religious Justifications 230
Theory and Practice: Justice: In the Interest of the Stronger Party 232
Modern Justifications: Power and Security 233
Machiavelli and Hobbes 233
Why Politics Matters to You! Give Me Liberty or Give Me . . .
More Security? 234
General Characteristics of Authoritarian Regimes 235
Characteristic 1: Authoritarian Leaders Are the Primary Source of Laws and Policy
Choices Within Their State’s Borders 235
Characteristic 2: The Transition of Power in an Authoritarian State Is Determined by
Means Other Than Free and Open Elections 236
Why Politics Matters to You! Fascism by the Ballot Box 237
Characteristic 3: Authoritarian States Limit Free Speech and Control the Press in an
Attempt to Maintain Political Power 239
Characteristic 4: Authoritarian States Lack Representative Political Parties 240
Contemporary Authoritarianism: Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and China 241
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 241
Why Politics Matters to You! Saudi Arabia: American Ally? 244
The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea 246
Why Politics Matters to You! What If Deterrence
Does Not Apply? 250
The People’s Republic of China 251
Why Politics Matters to You! Facebook and Change in the
Middle East and North Africa 254
10 U nderstanding International Relations:
Terms and Theories 260
Introduction: International Relations 261
Classic Realism: Power in International Relations 263
Theory and Practice: Is Power Always Violent? 264
Core Assumptions of Classic Realism 266
Classic Realists: The Thinkers 267
From Classic Realism to Structural Realism: Morgenthau to Waltz 269
Why Politics Matters to You! Hard or Soft Power? The United States
and Defense Spending 269
Hans Morgenthau: Classical Realism for the Modern Era 270
Kenneth Waltz: Structural Realism 271
Three Levels of Analysis 272
Theory and Practice: Using the Three Levels of Analysis:
The Case of the Syrian Civil War 274
Liberalism 275
Neoliberalism: Cooperation May Come From Self-Interest 276
Theory and Practice: Which Vision Will Win? The United States,
the EU, or China? 278
Radicalism: Marxism-Leninism, Dependency Theory, and Neo-Marxism 280
Marxism 280
Theory and Practice: The Rwandan Genocide From the Marxist
Perspective 282
Dependency Theory 284
Why Politics Matters to You! Sweatshop Labor in Bangladesh:
Development or Disaster? 285
Neo-Marxism: Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri 287
Why Politics Matters to You! Why So Poor? 287
Constructivism: We Shape Our Own Experiences About the World 289
11 War, Diplomacy, and the Beginning of
International Relations 292
Introduction: Understanding the Past to Make Sense of the Present 293
Why Europe? An Important Question to Begin 294
Raison D’état: A New Understanding of International Relations 295
Theory and Practice: What Drives Foreign Policy: Church or State? 297
Balance of Power and the Rise of the State System 299
Theory and Practice: Grotius and the Rule of Law 301
The Nineteenth Century and the Concert of Europe: Preemptive
Balance of Power 302
Why Politics Matters to You! What Would You Have Done
With France? 303
Theory and Practice: The Balance of Power Updated? 305
Bismarck, the Rise of Germany, and the End of the Concert of Europe 306
Why Politics Matters to You! How Well Do You Understand
Foreign Policy? 308
Collective Security: The League of Nations and the Outbreak of World War II 309
Correcting the League and Confronting a New World: The United Nations and
the End of World War II 311
Theory and Practice: Should We Reconfigure the UN Security Council? 315
12 Competing Visions for the Future of
International Relations 317
Introduction: Contemporary International Relations 318
Nuclear Security and Cold War Politics: Containment and Deterrence 319
Deterrence 319
Containment 320
Theory and Practice: Containment and Deterrence Today? 321
The Last Days of Communism and the Soviet Union 322
Post–Cold War Instability: Globalization and the Rise of
the Nonstate Actor 322
Understanding Globalization 323
Neoliberalism and the Power of Multinational Corporations 325
Why Politics Matters to You! Where Did Your Sneakers
Come From? 325
Transnational Terrorism 328
Theory and Practice: When Is One a Terrorist and One a Criminal? 329
Why Politics Matters to You! Nuclear Proliferation and a New
Threat of Nuclear War 332
Nongovernmental Organizations: Private Cooperation 333
Theory and Practice: An NGO in Action: Doctors Without Borders
(Médecins Sans Frontières) 335
The Verdict on Globalization: The Good and the Bad 336
Friedman and Zakaria: The World Is Flat and Getting Flatter! 336
Theory and Practice: Google Versus China 337
Stiglitz: Globalization and Its Discontents 338
The Return of the State 340
Glossary 343
End Notes 352
INDEX 373