American Government

Cal Jillson earned a PhD from the University of Maryland and has taught at Louisiana State University and the University of Colorado, where he chaired the Department of Political Science from 1989 to 1993. He joined the faculty of Southern Methodist University in 1995 as professor and chair of the Department of Political Science (1995–2001). He is a member of the American Political Science Association and several regional political science associations. Professor Jillson has written a number of books dealing with the origins of the American political culture and the health and performance of contemporary American politics and political institutions. His recent books include Lone Star Tarnished: A Critical Look at Texas Politics and Public Policy, 4th ed., 2021; Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State, 9th ed., 2024; and Race, Ethnicity, and American Decline, 2024.

Praise for American Government: Political Development and Institutional ChangeThe textbook, American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change, by Cal Jillson, provides students with a comprehensive study of the origins, politics, and institutions of the American political system. The inclusion of questions embedded in the chapter, definitions in text boxes, and thoughtful exercises are instructional tools to help guide students through each of the chapters. I highly recommend this textbook because it gives a nuanced and unbiased look at government allowing students to develop their own ideas, views, and opinions.Michelle Belco, University of HoustonWhat sets Jillson’s text apart from other American government books, is how it connects the compromises that shaped the creation of American institutions to their historical evolution and how they confront twenty-first century challenges. The text helps students understand and critically engage important debates, from the proliferation of fake news to mass protests fighting discrimination, potential government reforms, and the historic nature of a national election amid a global pandemic.Stephen C. Phillips, Clemson UniversityA book that connects the political challenges of today to the political conflicts of the past.Jonathan Chausovsky, SUNY FredoniaThis text is accessible and well-written with a nice amount of historical/institutional background. It does a very good job of offering students a sense of why we do things one way rather than another in historical terms. I think the author’s clear writing is one of the text’s most attractive features.Thomas Hoffman, Spring Hill CollegeClear, comprehensive, and concise, this is no doubt the best American government text on the market today.Christopher Malone, Lehman College

• Chapter 1 THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLESChapter 2 THE REVOLUTION AND THE CONSTITUTIONChapter 3 FEDERALISM AND AMERICAN POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTChapter 4 POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION AND PUBLIC OPINIONChapter 5 THE MASS MEDIA AND THE POLITICAL AGENDAChapter 6 NTEREST GROUPS: THE POLITICS OF INFLUENCEChapter 7 POLITICAL PARTIES: WINNING THE RIGHT TO GOVERNChapter 8 VOTING, CAMPAIGNS, AND ELECTIONSChapter 9 CONGRESS: PARTISANSHIP, POLARIZATION, AND GRIDLOCKChapter 10 THE PRESIDENT: EXECUTIVE POWER IN A SEPARATION OF POWERS REGIMEChapter 11 BUREAUCRACY: REDESIGNING GOVERNMENT FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYChapter 12 THE FEDERAL COURTS: BULWARK OF THE CONSTITUTION?Chapter 13 CIVIL LIBERTIES: ORDERED LIBERTY IN AMERICAChapter 14 CIVIL RIGHTS: WHERE LIBERTY AND EQUALITY COLLIDEChapter 15 GOVERNMENT, THE ECONOMY, AND DOMESTIC POLICYChapter 16 AMERICA’S GLOBAL ROLE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYGLOSSARY OF KEY TERMSGLOSSARY OF CASESAppendix A THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCEAppendix B THE ARTICLES OF THE CONFEDERATIONAppendix C CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES Appendix D FEDERALIST NUMBERS 10, 51, AND 78Appendix E PARTISAN CONTROL OF THE PRESIDENCY, CONGRESS, AND THE SUPREME COURTINDEX