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American Government
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American Government
Stories of a Nation

Fifth Edition
January 2025 | 600 pages | CQ Press
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American government is not just one story—it’s many stories. Our stories. And they are still being told.

In American Government: Stories of a Nation, Scott F. Abernathy tunes into the diverse perspectives and political persuasions involved in American politics. This balanced approach encourages students to actively engage with the material while facilitating a thoughtful exploration of important themes in politics, governance, and current events.

Known for addressing issues in a way that is both relatable and solidly grounded in research, the Fifth Edition delivers new ways for students to understand and participate in politics.
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgements
 
My Place as a Storyteller
 
About the Author
 
American Political Stories
Standing Rock: Water Protectors Claim Their Rights and Freedoms in North Dakota

 
American Political Culture Is Built on a Set of Shared Ideas

 
The American Revolutionaries Employ Strategic Political Action

 
The Structure of Institutions Affects How Citizens Participate

 
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Links the Challenge against Racial Segregation to Core American Ideals

 
Conclusion: The American Experiment Continues, and You Are Part of It

 
 
The Constitution of the United States
James Madison Plans for a Republic That Will Last

 
The Confederal System Made Coordination between the States Difficult

 
Delegates Reach a Compromise at the Constitutional Convention

 
Delegates Work Out Details of the New Government

 
Federalists and Anti-Federalists Argue over Ratification

 
Conclusion: The Motives of the Framers and the Effects of the Constitution Are Still Being Debated

 
 
Federalism
Marijuana Policy Today Reveals Tensions between State and Federal Law

 
The Constitution Divides Power between the Nation and the States

 
For Much of American History, the Boundaries between the Nation and the States Were Sharper Than They Are Today

 
President Franklin Roosevelt’s Response to the Great Depression Reshapes American Federalism

 
Modern American Federalism Remains Cooperative but Faces Challenges

 
Conclusion: The Evolution of Federalism Continues

 
 
Civil Liberties
Claims on Rights to Privacy Highlight the Shifting and Contentious Debates Surrounding Americans’ Civil Liberties

 
The Bill of Rights Establishes Protections for Americans’ Civil Liberties

 
The First Amendment’s First Two Protections Both Involve Religion

 
The First Amendment Also Protects Expression: Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petitioning the Government

 
The Constitution Also Protects Individuals Involved with the Criminal Justice System

 
The Ninth and Tenth Amendments Help Shape Freedoms in the Nation and across the States

 
Conclusion: Civil Liberties Involve Fences Still under Construction

 
 
Civil Rights
Protesters Act to Secure Rights for Americans with Disabilities

 
Civil Rights Amendments Emerge from the Civil War—but Provide Limited Protection in Practice

 
Challenges to Legal Segregation Achieve Successes but Face Resistance

 
American Women Work to Secure Their Civil Rights

 
Americans Confront Overlapping Forms of Discrimination

 
Conclusion: Have Americans’ Civil Rights Been Secured?

 
 
Political Participation
Acting against Campus Sexual Violence Involves Many Forms of Political Participation

 
Political Participation Can Take Many Forms

 
The Decision to Vote or Not Vote Involves Many Factors

 
#MeToo Highlights the Possibilities and Challenges of Digital Political Participation

 
Are Young Adult Americans Really Disconnected from the Political Process?

 
Conclusion: Americans Are Continually Tasked with Carrying the Weight of Self-Governance

 
 
Public Opinion
Public Opinion May Be Moved by Important Events

 
Public Opinion Is the Sum Total of Individual Beliefs and Attitudes

 
Public Opinion Is Transmitted and Measured in Several Ways

 
Political Socialization and Political Ideology Shape Public Opinion

 
From Changing the Conversation to Changing Public Policy: Americans Remain Divided over the Protests’ Legacy

 
Conclusion: How Meaningful Is Public Opinion?

 
 
The Media
Can Americans Trust Their News Media?

 
Though the American Media Have Changed, Questions of Trust and Power Endure

 
Questions of Bias Challenge Americans’ Trust in the Media’s Objectivity

 
Media Ownership and Content Are Subject to Regulation

 
Did the Media Convince Americans That They Were Being Invaded by Martians?

 
Conclusion: Debates about the Power of the Media Continue

 
 
Political Parties
Bernie Sanders Challenges the Democratic Party to Become More Progressive, Twice

 
Parties Act to Identify, Support, and Nominate Candidates for Elected Office

 
Parties Strive to Get Voters to Identify with Them

 
Donald Trump Takes on the Establishment

 
Political Polarization, Gridlock, and Two-Party Dominance Are the Defining Features of Parties in Government Today

 
Conclusion: In a Tumultuous 2024 Election Season, the Parties Respond

 
 
Campaigns and Elections
Elections from the Candidate’s Point of View: Campaigning in Uncertain Times

 
The Rules Governing National Elections Shape the Transmission of Americans’ Preferences into Laws and Policies

 
The Details of Congressional Elections Differ by State, but Many of the Rules Are the Same

 
Presidential Elections Have Many Stages and Moving Parts

 
Conclusion: The 2024 Elections: The National Becomes Local, and the Local Has National Implications

 
 
Interest Groups and Social Movements
A Housing Bubble Bursts, and Interest Groups Pop Up

 
Americans Face Challenges in Acting Collectively in a Representative Democracy

 
Interest Groups Vary by Type and Tactic, but They All Face Similar Challenges

 
Occupy Wall Street Illustrates the Struggles, Successes, and Failures of Social Movements

 
Social Movements Employ Different Tactics from Interest Groups to Make Change and Educate

 
Conclusion: The Challenges of Organizing in American Political Life Continue

 
 
Congress
Two “Years of the Woman” Highlight the Promise and Challenge of More Inclusive Representation in Congress

 
The Constitution Defines Congress’s Shape and Powers

 
Congress Is Organized Around Formal and Informal Rules

 
The Legislative Process Is Complex by Design

 
Members Represent Constituents in How They Act and Who They Are

 
Conclusion: Representation Remains Complex, but the Landscape Continues to Change

 
 
The American Presidency
As Individuals, American Presidents Must Confront the Often Contradictory Demands of Their Office

 
The Constitution Outlines the Powers of the American Presidency and Places Limits on Those Powers

 
Institutions and Other Informal Sources of Power Shape the Modern Executive Branch

 
Presidents Have Pushed the Limits of Their Power to Preserve National Security

 
The President Has Several Tools for Unilateral Action

 
Conclusion: The Paradoxes of the Presidency Continue

 
 
The Federal Bureaucracy
Federal Bureaucratic Action Consists of Many Actors and Evolves over Time

 
Theories of Bureaucratic Organization Focus on Rules, People, and Tasks

 
The Bureaucracy Has Developed in Response to Demands and Crises

 
A Functioning Bureaucracy Depends on Effective Organization

 
The Bureaucracy Is Constrained by Oversight and Reform

 
Conclusion: New Challenges Arise, and the Federal Bureaucracy Is Asked to Respond

 
 
The Federal Judiciary
The Politics of Supreme Court Confirmations Place Nominees on “Trial”

 
The Constitution Casts the Judiciary as a Unique but Weaker Branch

 
The “Trial” of John Marshall Establishes the Principle of Judicial Review

 
The American Legal System Is Defined by Federalism

 
Judicial Review Raises Questions of Constitutional Interpretation and Judicial Decision-Making

 
Conclusion: The Trial of the Supreme Court Continues

 
 
Domestic Public Policy
American Education Policy about School Choice Involves Both Politics and Markets

 
There Is Nothing Tidy about the Domestic Policymaking Process

 
Educational Reform Today Takes a Variety of Types

 
Health Care Policy Has Evolved since the Great Society

 
Education and Health Care Are Only Two of Many Areas of Domestic Policy

 
Conclusion: Domestic Policy Is about Democratic Representation

 
 
Economic Policy
The Problem of Student Debt Threatens the Financial Health of Student Borrowers and the National Economy

 
Student Debt Helps to Shape the Agenda of Presidential Politics

 
Fiscal Policy Guides the Economy through Decisions on Spending and Taxation

 
Economic Policymaking during Uncertain Times: Congress Responds to COVID-19

 
Monetary Policy Is Governed by the Federal Reserve System

 
Conclusion: Can Economic Policy Solve the Student Debt Problem?

 
 
Foreign Policy
Major Shifts in Global Political and Economic Power Shape American Foreign Policy Today

 
US Foreign Policy Has Changed over Time

 
American Foreign Policy Is Formulated by Many Actors and Organizations

 
Immigration Connects Foreign Policy to Domestic Policy

 
Conclusion: The Story of American Politics Continues

 
 
Appendix 1: Articles of Confederation
 
Appendix 2: Declaration of Independence
 
Appendix 3: Constitution of the United States
 
Appendix 4: Federalist No. 10
 
Appendix 5: Federalist No. 51
 
Appendix 6: Political Party Affiliations in Congress and the Presidency, 1789-2024
 
Appendix 7: Summary of Presidential Elections, 1789-2024
 
Glossary
 
Notes
 
Index

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The careful, deliberate, and inclusive approach of American Government: Stories of a Nation does more than any other text to ensure that all students see themselves as part of the narrative of American government and political culture. As a result, all of my students are more engaged with the material and in class discussion.

Andrew Civettini
Knox College

One of my goals in teaching American Government is to shrink the distance my students feel between themselves and their government. American Government: Stories of a Nation is the best textbook I have found to help me do this. Each chapter contains just the right balance of historical and contemporary narrative to show students that they are part of a story that has been unfolding for more than two-hundred years. Abernathy is a storyteller, but he is also a political scientist, and I appreciate his commitment to tell the American story with solid research from the field.

Jonathan Peterson
North Park University

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