The Challenge Of Democracy: Government in America [Paperback]

Kenneth Janda (Author), Jeffrey M. Berry (Author), Jerry Goldman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 061837244X | ISBN-13: 978-0618372447 | Publication Date: December 17, 2004 | Edition: 8

This complete introduction to American government offers a comprehensive program that integrates the core text with supporting materials to benefit both students and instructors. The Eighth Edition maintains the highly acclaimed, non-ideological framework, exploring three themes: freedom, order, and equality as political values; the majoritarianism v. pluralism debate; and the effect of globalization on U.S. politics.

• Brief callouts in the text inform students of Talking Politics audio clips on the accompanying web site and the instructor and student CDs. Follow-up questions encourage students to think about what they hear and can be answered online and submitted to instructors via email.
• The Looking to the Future feature invites students to consider trends in American government and then consider the implications of their answers.
• Politics in a Changing World focuses on the effect of globalization on American government.
• Can You Explain Why? features ask students to use critical-thinking skills to try and explain a political paradox, such as why Americans engage in more forms of political participation than people of other nationalities, yet don't vote as much.
• Compared with What? boxes in every chapter ask students to evaluate facets of the U.S. political system as compared to those of other countries.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kenneth Janda received his B.S. in Education from Illinois State University in 1957 and his PhD from Indiana University in 1961. He joined Northwestern University the same year and has taught there since. He won the College of Arts and Sciences' Outstanding Teacher Award in 1983 and was appointed Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science in 1987. Outside of American politics, his major research interests lie in the cross-national analysis of political parties. He is co-editor of Party Politics, an international journal devoted to the study of political parties and party systems. His e-mail address is [e-mail], and he maintains a web site at janda.org.

Jeffrey M. Berry is Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, where he has taught since receiving his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1974. He did his undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley. His work includes The Interest Group Society, (3rd ed., Longman, 1997) and The Rebirth of American Democracy, with Kent Portney and Ken Thomson (Brookings, 1993), which won the APSA's Gladys Kammerer Award for the best book on American politics. His most recent book is The New Liberalism: The Rising Power of Citizen Groups (Brookings, 1999). You can access his web page at ase.tufts.edu/polsci and you can write to him at [e-mail].

Jerry Goldman was awarded his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 1974. He served as a Research Associate in the Federal Judicial Center in Washington for a year before joining Northwestern University. He won the College of Arts and Sciences' Outstanding Teacher Award in 1984 and was named Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence for 1992–95. He also received the 1997 EDUCOM Medal for his contributions to computing and higher education. Goldman's interest in the use of information technology led to the creation of The OYEZ Project at oyez.nwu.edu, a multimedia relational database on the US Supreme Court. He is now developing a similar resource for history and politics audio materials accessible from the Web at www.hpol.org. You can contact him at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company; 8 edition (December 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061837244X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618372447
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #623,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book despite hating government, August 12, 2005

By 

L. Hughes (Houghton, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Challenge Of Democracy: Government in America (Paperback)

I have never read an entire textbook in my life. This was the first, and it actually kept my attention for the most part. At times it gets boring but hey its the basics of government you can't expect excitement all the time. There are plenty of examples of the various definitions given with very recent applications. Examples make it easier rather than just spitting out the definition and leaving the reader to interpret. I am an engineering major that needed a government class to graduate and I am glad this was the book I had b/c I hate government/history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 101 Survey, August 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Challenge of Democracy: Government in America : Brief Edition (Political Science College Titl) (Paperback)

This is an excellent 'first look' deeper into American politics, and should be required reading for Poli Sci 101 classes. What separates 'Challenge of Democracy' from most other 'beginner's' political science books is its unabashed but un-partisianed look at the workings of the Amnerican political system from the inside out and the outside in. The title alone suggests that Democracy is not a one way street from the Hill down, but something which needs to be constantly nurtured and protected from going astray. The 'challenge' is also in using our political system as a tool to maintain our freedoms and as a vehicle for change to enable us more freedoms and at the same time greater security. In short, 'The Challenge of Democracy' will get one thinking deeper about the inner-workings and dynamics of the American political system by focusing on a broader spectrum of its use, abuse, and everyday applications.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Easy Read, April 3, 2006

By 

A. Thompson "Ms.T" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Challenge Of Democracy: Government in America (Paperback)

I used this textbook for an Introduction to American Government class at college. Frankly, I found the book almost simplistic at points but it was always very clear and concise. I would definately recommend this text for anyone who is looking for a comprehensive, yet readable guide to US Gov. Plus, it is so often updated with new editions that it makes for vert relevant reading. Highly recommended.