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A Novel Approach to Politics
Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture
Sixth Edition
- Douglas A. Van Belle - Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Other Titles in:
Politics (General)
Politics (General)
July 2020 | 544 pages | CQ Press
A textbook your students will want to read.
“If you would like students to understand hard political concepts, this work makes it accessible for them. By using pop culture, we can open ideological ideas and students are not bound by their own preconceived ideas.”
—Leah Murray, Weber State University
A Novel Approach to Politics turns the conventional textbook wisdom on its head by using pop culture references to illustrate key concepts and cover recent political events. Adopters of previous editions are thanking author Douglas A. Van Belle for some of their best student evaluations to date.
With this Sixth Edition, Van Belle brings the book fully up-to-date with current events and policy debates, international happenings, and other assorted ‘intergalactic’ matters. Van Belle tackles the most tumultuous political periods in recent history head-on, encouraging students to engage with ideas, arguments, and information that makes them uncomfortable. Employing a wide range of references from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to The Good Place to Ready Player One, students are given a solid grounding in institutions, ideology, and economics. To keep things grounded, the textbook nuts and bolts are still there to aid students, including chapter objectives, chapter summaries, bolded key terms, and discussion questions.
Included with this title:
The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. Learn more.
“If you would like students to understand hard political concepts, this work makes it accessible for them. By using pop culture, we can open ideological ideas and students are not bound by their own preconceived ideas.”
—Leah Murray, Weber State University
A Novel Approach to Politics turns the conventional textbook wisdom on its head by using pop culture references to illustrate key concepts and cover recent political events. Adopters of previous editions are thanking author Douglas A. Van Belle for some of their best student evaluations to date.
With this Sixth Edition, Van Belle brings the book fully up-to-date with current events and policy debates, international happenings, and other assorted ‘intergalactic’ matters. Van Belle tackles the most tumultuous political periods in recent history head-on, encouraging students to engage with ideas, arguments, and information that makes them uncomfortable. Employing a wide range of references from Brooklyn Nine-Nine to The Good Place to Ready Player One, students are given a solid grounding in institutions, ideology, and economics. To keep things grounded, the textbook nuts and bolts are still there to aid students, including chapter objectives, chapter summaries, bolded key terms, and discussion questions.
Included with this title:
The password-protected Instructor Resource Site (formally known as SAGE Edge) offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. Learn more.
Preface
Introduction: Warning, This Is Probably the Worst Textbook, Except for All the Others
Introduction (Take 2)
About the Author
CHAPTER 1. Introducing the Ancient Debate: The Ideal Versus the Real
CHAPTER 2. Why Government? Security, Anarchy, and Some Basic Group Dynamics
CHAPTER 3. Governing Society: We Know Who You Are
CHAPTER 4. Government’s Role in the Economy: The Offer You Can’t Refuse
CHAPTER 5. Structures and Institutions
CHAPTER 6. El Grande Loco Casa Blanca: The Executive (in Bad Spanish)
CHAPTER 7. The Confederacy of Dunces: The Legislative Function (Not in Bad Spanish)
CHAPTER 8. Brazilian Bureaucracy: Do I Even Need to Bother with the Jokes?
CHAPTER 9. Courts and Law: Politics behind the Gavel, Obviously, but What’s under the Gown?
CHAPTER 10. Not Quite Right, but Still Good: The Democratic Ideal in Modern Politics
CHAPTER 11. Media, Politics, and Government: Talking Heads Are Better Than None
CHAPTER 12. International Politics: Apocalypse Now and Then
CHAPTER 13. Secret Government: Spies, Lies, and Freedom Fries
CHAPTER 14. Political Culture: Sex and Agriculture, Getting Rucked Explains It All
CHAPTER 15. The Lastest and Bestest Chapter: The Study of Politics
Appendix A: Fiction Appendix
Appendix B: A Strategic Approach to Writing for the Classroom
Glossary
Notes
Index
Supplements
SAGE edge - Instructor Site
edge.sagepub.com/vanbelle6e
Online resources included with this text
The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.
edge.sagepub.com/vanbelle6e
Online resources included with this text
The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.
“If you would like students to understand hard political concepts, this work makes it accessible for them. By using pop culture, we can open ideological ideas and students are not bound by their own preconceived ideas.”
Weber State University
“An interesting interpretation of the basics, ordered in a unique way.”
Caldwell University
“I wish all Political Science texts were written by Van Belle!”
University of Alaska Anchorage
“A very relatable text that covers a number of important concepts for students new to the study of political science.”
Cape Cod Community College
“An engaging way to teach Introduction to Political Science with unique use of pop culture examples.”
The University of Tennessee
I have used this book for several semesters now. It it a great text both in terms of the material and the way it presents the material.
Political Science Dept, Radford University
October 26, 2021
