1. Principles of Government.

Government and the State.

Forms of Government

Basic Concepts of Democracy.

2. Origins of American Government.

Our Political Beginnings.

The Coming of Independence.

The Critical Period.

Creating the Constitution.

Ratifying the Constitution.

3. The Constitution.

The Six Basic Principles.

Formal Amendment.

Constitutional Change by Other Means.

4. Federalism.

Federalism: The Division of Power.

The National Government and the 50 States.

Interstate Relations.

5. Political Parties.

Parties and What They Do.

The Two-Party System.

The Two-Party System in American History.

The Minor Parties.

Party Organization.

6. Voters and Voter Behavior.

The Right to Vote.

Voter Qualifications.

Suffrage and Civil Rights.

Voter Behavior.

7. The Electoral Process.

The Nominating Process.

Elections.

Money and Elections.

8. Mass Media and Public Opinion.

The Formation of Public Opinion.

Measuring Public Opinion.

The Mass Media.

9. Interest Groups.

The Nature of Interest Groups.

Types of Interest Groups.

Interest Groups at Work.

10. Congress.

The National Legislature.

The House of Representatives.

The Senate.

1.

11. Powers of Congress.

The Scope of Congressional Powers.

The Expressed Powers of Money and Commerce.

Other Expressed Powers.

The Implied Powers.

The Nonlegislative Powers.

12. Congress in Action.

Congress Organizes.

Committees in Congress.

How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House.

The Bill in the Senate.

13. The Presidency.

The President’s Job Description.

Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency.

Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency.

Presidential Nominations.

The Election.

14. The Presidency in Action.

The Growth of Presidential Power.

The President’s Executive Powers.

Diplomatic and Military Powers.

Legislative and Judicial Powers.

15 Government at Work: The Bureaucracy.

The Federal Bureaucracy.

The Executive Office of the President.

The Executive Departments.

Independent Agencies.

The Civil Service.

16. Financing the Government.

Taxes.

Nontax Revenues and Borrowing.

Spending and the Budget.

17. Foreign Policy and National Defense.

Foreign Affairs and National Security.

Other Foreign and Defense Agencies.

American Foreign Policy Overview.

Foreign Aid and Defense Alliances.

18. The Federal Court System.

The National Judiciary.

The Inferior Courts.

The Supreme Court.

The Special Courts.

19. Civil Liberties: First Amendment Freedoms.

The Unalienable Rights.

Freedom of Religion.

Freedom of Speech and Press.

Freedom of Assembly and Petition.

20. Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights.

Due Process of Law.

Freedom and Security of the Person.

Rights of the Accused.

Punishment.

21. Civil Rights: Equal Justice Under the Law.

Diversity and Discrimination in American Society.

Equality Before the Law.

Federal Civil Rights Laws.

American Citizenship.

22. Comparative Political Systems.

Historical Political Systems.

Ideas and Revolutions.

Transitions to Democracy.

World Democracies Today.

23. Comparative Economic Systems.

Capitalism.

Socialism.

Communism.

24. Governing the State of California.

The California State Constitution.

The California State Legislature.

The Governor and State Administration.

In the Courtroom.

The Courts and Their Judges.

25. California Local Government and Finance.

California Counties, Special Districts, and Regional Bodies.

Cities and Metropolitan Areas in California and the Nation.

Providing Important Services.

Financing State and Local Government.