Updated in a new 11th edition, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, illustrates the impact that government has on the daily lives of... each and every American, particularly its effect on students.  Designed around the theme that “politics matters,” this descriptive text emphasizes public policy — what government actually does. It contains recent political developments and policy on the global economic recession and addresses President Barack Obama’s impact on our current government.   The brief edition is a streamlined version of this bestseller.

Updated in a new 11th edition, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, illustrates the impact that government has on the daily lives of... each and every American, particularly its effect on students.  Designed around the theme that “politics matters,” this descriptive text emphasizes public policy — what government actually does. It contains recent political developments and policy on the global economic recession and addresses President Barack Obama’s impact on our current government.   The brief edition is a streamlined version of this bestseller.

Updated in a new 11th edition, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, illustrates the impact that government has on the daily lives of... each and every American, particularly its effect on students.  Designed around the theme that “politics matters,” this descriptive text emphasizes public policy — what government actually does. It contains recent political developments and policy on the global economic recession and addresses President Barack Obama’s impact on our current government.

Why a book defending government? Because for decades, right-wing forces in this country have engaged in a relentless and irresponsible campaign of... vicious government bashing. Conservatives and libertarians have demonized government, attacked basic safety net programs like Medicare, and undermined vital regulations that protect consumers, investors, workers, and the environment. This book takes on this anti-government movement and shows that most of its criticisms of this institution are highly exaggerated, misleading, or just plain wrong. In reality, American government - despite its flaws - plays a valuable and indispensable role in promoting the public good. Most government programs are working well and are actually improving the lives of Americans in innumerable ways. Democratic government is a vital tool for making our world a better place; and if we want an America that is prosperous, healthy, secure, well-educated, just, compassionate, and unpolluted, we need a strong, active, and well-funded public sector. Part I: Why Government is Good. The section of the book describes how government acts as a force for good in society. One chapter chronicles a day in the life of an average middle-class American and identifies the myriad ways that government programs improve our lives. Other chapters describe the forgotten achievements of government; how government is the only way to effectively promote public values like justice and equality; and how a free market economy would be impossible without the elaborate legal and regulatory infrastructure provided by government. Part II: The War on Government. This section of the book chronicles the unrelenting assault on government being waged by conservative forces in this country. Chapters describe how cuts in social programs and rollbacks of regulations have harmed the health, safety, and welfare of millions of Americans and how these assaults have taken place on many fronts - in Congress, the administrative branch, and the federal courts, as well as on the state and local level. Also addressed: how the right's radical anti-government agenda is out of touch with the views and priorities of most Americans, and what the real truth is about government deficits. Part III: How to Revitalize Democracy and Government. There are, in fact, some problems with American government, and we need to address these if we are to restore Americans' faith in this institution. One of the main problems with our government is that it is not accountable and responsive enough to the public. Moneyed special interests too often win out over the public interest. Chapters in this section describe this problem and how we can fix it. There are several reforms - including public financing of elections - that could help our government live up to its democratic ideals. The final chapter discusses strategies for building a pro-government coalition in this country.

An informative case study of how bureaucrats establish and enforce policy and law. By focusing on personnel from the U.S. Environmental Protection... Agency and the New Mexico Environment Department Bureaucrats, Politics, and the Environment puts a face on bureaucracy and provides an explanation for its actions.

The Basics of Speech Communication targets effective oral communication skills used in day-to-day living. Short, concise content delivers a thorough... approach with clear-cut examples and exercises to reinforce learning. Use of current technology including the Internet have been incorporated throughout as well as the SCANS workplace readiness skills. Humor is also added to emphasize key principles and concepts.

Scholars and practitioners of public management have stressed the importance of such varied concepts as efficiency, process, systems, and capacity as... key to running effective government programs. While acknowledging the usefulness of each of these criteria, the authors of Government Performance argue that one quality above all is crucial to the overall performance of government: effective management. Examining government performance at the federal, state, and local levels, the authors present analyses of public management systems in all fifty states, the thirty-five largest cities, forty large counties, and a number of federal agencies. They examine systems for financial management, human resources management, information technology management, capital management, and systems for managing results. While acknowledging the political context of all public administration systems, they argue that effective management of these systems nevertheless provides the key to good government performance.

The most trusted name in law school outlines, Emanuel Law Outlines support your class preparation, provide reference for your outline creation, and... supply a comprehensive breakdown of topic matter for your entire study process. Created by Steven Emanuel, these course outlines have been relied on by generations of law students. Each title includes both capsule and detailed versions of the critical issues and key topics you must know to master the course. Also included are exam questions with model answers, an alpha-list of cases, and a cross reference table of cases for all of the leading casebooks. Emanuel Law Outline Features: #1 outline choice among law students Comprehensive review of all major topics Capsule summary of all topics Cross-reference table of cases Time-saving format Great for exam prep

The events of 2003 in Texas were important to the political history of this country. Congressman Tom DeLay led a Republican effort to gerrymander the... state's thirty-two congressional districts to defeat all ten of the Anglo Democratic incumbents and to elect more Republicans; Democratic state lawmakers fled the state in an effort to defeat the plan. The Lone Star State uproar attracted attention worldwide. The Republicans won this showdown, gaining six additional seats from Texas and protecting the one endangered Republican incumbent. Some of the methods used by DeLay to achieve this result, however, led to his criminal indictment and ultimately to his downfall.With its eye-opening research, readable style, and insightful commentary, Lines in the Sand provides a front-line account of what happened in 2003, often through the personal stories of members of both parties and of the minority activist groups caught in a political vortex. Law professor Steve Bickerstaff provides much-needed historical perspective and also probes the aftermath of the 2003 redistricting, including the criminal prosecutions of DeLay and his associates and the events that led to DeLay's eventual resignation from the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, Bickerstaff graphically shows a dark underside of American politics--the ruthless use of public institutional power for partisan gain. (20070304)

Much maligned in the past as wasteful and self-serving, government public relations provides several distinct services that can be used to advance the... substantive mission of an agency in ways that save money, time, and effort. In the same manner as budgeting, HR, strategic planning, and performance assessment, public relations must be included in the contemporary public administrator’s toolbox. Using unorthodox yet cost effective measures, public relations can increase the utilization of governmental goods and services, promote voluntary compliance with new laws, improve media relations, and strengthen the standing of the agency with the public at large. In short, public relations is public administration. Addressing the theory, practice, and context of government public relations, Government Public Relations: A Reader compiles contemporary writings from international sources to provide an understanding of the importance, value, and uses of public relations as tools to advance the goals of government. Each section begins with an introductory overview and short preview of the section topic. The end of each section provides additional reading and a list of discussion questions that can help identify key points. Beginning with an introduction to the general subject, the book focuses on the discrete purposes of public relations to make their benefit and application more tangible. Topics include media relations, public reporting, responsiveness, and outreach, as well as the integral role of PR in crisis management. The book stresses the “publicness” of government public relations as distinct from business PR and examines the increasing use of non-profit agencies to deliver government funded services. The last section summarizes the overall themes along with trends likely to influence the future of the field such as globalization and e-reporting. An extensive appendix consists of an annotated bibliography of the historical literature.