By putting students in direct touch with the inner workings of the political system, The Real World of American Politics provides them with direct, concrete access to the nuts-and-bolts-the real world-of American government. In all the standard areas of American political practice, working documents provide serious insight into the stakes, values, and processes that drive and inform the political system. For example, looking carefully at the text of an actual bill deeply enhances learning about the legislative process, and the strengths and weaknesses of public opinion polling become clearer if a student has an opportunity to examine a real life survey instrument. Organized thematically to reflect the way that many introductory courses are taught, the documents are accompanied by brief, accessible, and informative introductory materials that place them in their proper historical, political, and theoretical contexts. Each section also includes study questions to guide student reading and inquiry. Whether used as the core text or in conjunction with a standard textbook, The Real World of American Politics is the only book on the market that takes students inside the political process as it actually unfolds. Features A well-organized and carefully curated volume that includes a wide variety of on-the-ground documents composing a representative selection of raw materials, procedures, and outcomes characteristic of the political process itself. Brief, accessible, and informative introductory discussions that place each document in its proper historical, political, and theoretical context. Carefully chosen study questions, designed both to guide student inquiry and to suggest possible paper topics or exam questions, accompanying each document

By Chris Koski and Peter Steinberger

Table of Contents

Bold are topics within chapters; Italics are documents

Chapter 1: The Other Founding Documents

Mayflower Compact

Mayflower Compact - 1620

Articles of Confederation

Text from the Articles of Confederation - 1777

Notes on the Constitutional Convention

On the question of salaries for public officials

On the question of a single magistrate versus divided executive power

Whether the House of Representative should be popularly elected or appointed

Election of senators

On writing a constitution

Proportional vs. equal representation in the House of Representatives

The three fifths compromise

Length of terms for Senators and the economic role of the Senate

The Federalist Papers

Federalist 10 (Madison) - (On the virtues of an extensive republic)

Federalist 14 (Madison) - (On republican versus democratic government)

Federalist 39 (Madison) - (National and Federal)

Federalist 51 (Madison) - (On checks and balances)

Federalist Paper 78 (Hamilton) - (On the independence of the judiciary)

The Anti-Federalists

"Centinel," writing to the "freemen of Pennsylvania" (1787)

The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address (1863)

Chapter 2: Federalism

Achieving Statehood

Oregon Admissions Act

State Legislatures

Legislative Representation: State by State Representation (Figures)

State Constitutions

Excerpts from the Montana Constitution

Public Policy at the State Level: The Death Penalty

Death Penalty Comparison Across States (Figures)

Law of Oklahoma Regarding Capital Punishment

Governor George Ryan (R-IL) remarks on death penalty moratorium in Illinois (2003)

Public Policy at the State Level: Marijuana Legalization

Texas Health and Safety 481.21 Offense: Possession of Marijuana

State of Washington Proposition 502: Voters' Guide Explanatory Statement

Federal-State Policy Relationships: Block Grants and the Case of Welfare

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (Excerpts)

Comparison of TANF Benefits Across States (Figure)

State of Mississippi TANF Application

Leadership at the State Level: Two Case Studies

State of the State Address: Governor Rick Scott of Florida (2018)

State of the State Address: Governor Jerry Brown of California (2018)

CHAPTER 3: PUBLIC OPINION AND ELECTIONS

The American National Election Survey

Methodology Report for the ANES 2016 Time Series Study

ANES Letter to Potential Recipients

ANES Case Folder for Interviewers

Selected Questions from ANES 2016 Time Series Pre-Election Questionnaire

The Gallup Poll

Methodology of the Gallup Poll

Sample Questions from the Gallup Poll of June 2018

Sample Ballots

Nebraska (Douglas County) Ballot

Ohio (Cuyahoga County) Ballot

Pennsylvania (Philadelphia County) Ballot

California Special Election Ballot

Contested Elections

Minnesota statute 209.12

Minnesota statute 204C.22

Requirements to Appear on the Ballot

Minnesota 200.02

Recount Rules

Wisconsin Law on Recounts

SuperPACs and the Electoral Process

Federal Election Commission Instructions

Priorities USA Action letter

Trump Has Tiny Hands PAC: statement of organization

Federal Election Commission Letter to Trump Has Tiny Hands PAC

Campaign Ads

Campaign Advertisement Transcripts

Voter ID

Texas Senate Bill 5

Felon Voting Rights

Kentucky Constitution, Section 145

Legislative Appointment

Constitution of the State of Florida, Article III, Section 16

Ohio Revised Code, Title 1

Individual Campaign Contributions

Individual Contribution from Donald J. Trump, Jr. to Hillary Clinton for President (2007)

Individual Contributions from Miriam and Sheldon Adelson to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. (2016)

CHAPTER 4: THE MEDIA

Media Consolidation

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Newspaper Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule

Regulation of the Airwaves

FCC Rule: Candidate Rates

FCC Rule: Equal Time

The Politics of the Media: Part One

Sinclair Broadcast Prepared Statement

The Politics of the Media: Part Two

RT Registration Form as a Foreign Agent

Regulation of the Internet

Memorandum of Understand: ICANN and the Department of Commerce

Net Neutrality

FCC Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order: March 12, 2015

FCC Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order: January 4, 2018

Politics on Social Media: Self-Regulation

Twitter: How to get certified as a political campaigning advertiser

Testimony of Mark Zuckerberg, Hearing Before the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce (April 11, 2018)

The Op-Ed Page

Washington Post Op-Ed Guidelines

Jeff Sessions Op-Ed from USA Today

Wilbur Ross Op-Ed from New York Times

The Press Conference

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Press Briefing: August 1, 2018

Communicating with the Public: Donald Trump and Twitter

Twitter 2016 Campaign - Donald Trump

Twitter 2016 Campaign - Hillary Clinton

Twitter 2016 Campaign - Ted Cruz

Twitter 2016 Campaign - Bernie Sanders

Presidential Tweets - Donald Trump

CHAPTER 5: POLITICAL PARTIES

Party Platforms: What the Two Major Parties Stand For

Preamble to the 2016 Democratic Party Platform

Preamble to the 2016 Republican Party Platform

Defining a Party: Charters, Bylaws and Rules

Charter of the Democratic Party - Article Two: The Democratic National Committee

Charter of the Republican Party - Rule No. 1: Organization of the Republican National Committee

Who Is the Party: Officers

Choosing the National Committee: Democrats

Choosing Officers: The …