Understanding the U.S. Government: A Guide to Understanding American Government and Elections demystifies the complexities of the United States government, its election processes, and the concept of separation of powers. Written in a question-and-answer format, this book provides essential information for readers interested in American democracy at all levels. The authors compare various ideologies (capitalism, socialism, communism, and fascism) and other facets of U.S. politics that shape conversations about the U.S. Government and influence political policies, while also providing answers to historical questions about the American constitution and Declaration of Independence.
The book answers questions on these topics:
- Maintaining personal relations amidst differing political views
- Rights and responsibilities of American citizens
- Competing political and economic philosophies
- The Ins-and-Outs of American democracy
- The impact of the media on U.S. Elections
- The American political party system
- The impact of lobbyists and monetary donations on political decisions and policies
- How U.S. elections work
- Practical tips for American voters
Readership
General readers and political science students interested in U.S. government and elections.Table of Contents
Contents- Foreword
- Abstract
Chapter 2 Maintaining Personal Relations in An Age of Political Discord
- How Do I Maintain a Relationship With People With Whom I
- Disagree?
- How Do I Survive When Everyone is So Sure Their Opinion is the Only
- Correct Opinion?
- How Do I Keep from Being Intimidated?
- Should I Go to Protests or Rallies? How Effective Are They?
- Civic Duties?
- What Are Civic Duties?
- What is Capitalism?
- What is Fascism?
- What is Socialism?
- What is Communism?
- Political and Moral Philosophies
- What Do Conservatives Believe?
- What Do Liberals (Progressives) Believe?
- What Do the Libertarians Believe?
- What is the United States: a Democracy, a Federal Republic, or A
- Constitutional Republic?
- Why Do We Have States Instead of Other Governmental Entities?
- What is the Electoral College, and How Does It Differ from The
- Popular Vote?
- What Are the Articles of Confederation?
- What is the U.S. Constitution?
- to Whom Did the Constitution Assign Power?
- Why Do We Have a Vice President?
- What is Congress?
- How Does An Idea Become the Law?
- What is a Presidential Veto?
- What is the President's Cabinet, and What Are Their Functions?
- Department of State
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Defense (Dod)
- Department of Justice (Attorney General)
- Department of the Interior (Doi)
- Department of Agriculture (Usda)
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Labor
- Department of Health and Human Services (Hhs)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (Hud)
- Department of Transportation (Dot)
- Department of Energy (Doe)
- Department of Education
- Department of Veteran Affairs
- Department of Homeland Security (Dhs)
- What is An Executive Order?
- What is the Function of the Judicial Branch?
- What is the Bill of Rights?
- What is Bureaucracy, and is It Elected?
- What is the “Deep State”?
- What Are the Terms Potus, Flotus, and Scotus?
- Are the Media Protected Under the First Amendment?
- What Are the News Outlets in the United States?
- Do News Outlets Have Political Leanings?
- What Are the Political Leanings of Each Major U.S. News Outlet?
- What is a Fact-Checker?
- How Does One Become a Fact-Checker?
- Are All Fact-Checkers Unbiased?
- What is Fake News? How Does Fake News Differ from Misinformation
- and Outright Fabrication?
- How Do I Know Real News from Fake News?
- How Do I Differentiate Facts from “Feelings” and “Opinions”?
- How Important is Social Media?
- is Everything on Social Media Truthful and Correct?
- Do Politicians and People With a Political Agenda Use Social Media
- or the Internet to Their Advantage?
- What Would Be the Impact If All the Social Media Giants Supported
- One Candidate? How Many Votes Would Be in Play?
- How Can I Help a Candidate or Support My Position on An Issue
- Through Social Media?
- How Many Parties Do We Have in the U.S.?
- What is the History of the Two Major Parties, and What Are Their
- Fundamental Beliefs?
- How Important is a U.S. Party Platform?
- How Does One Join a Political Party?
- Do I Have to Support a Political Party to Which I Have Joined?
- What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Belonging to A
- Particular Party?
- How Do I Learn About What a Political Party Supports?
- Can I Change My Political Registration?
- What Questions Do I Want to Ask a Candidate or Learn from His
- Platform?
- Will I Find a Candidate Who Agrees With Me on Every Political
- Position?
- How Do I Know the Candidate Has the Country's Best Interest At
- Heart?
- How Do I Rank Issues of Importance?
- What is Identity Politics?
- How Does Identity Politics Differ from Ethnic/Racial Politics Or
- Gender Politics?
- Do Racial or Ethnic Groups Vote Alike?
- Does the Candidate's Personal Life Matter?
- How Do I Influence a Candidate or Elected Official?
- What is a Lobbyist?
- What is a Bundler and a Pac, and When Does It Become Dark Money?
- Are Political Donations Public?
- is Contributing to a Political Party Legal, and How is It Done?
- Where Should I Send My Check? Do I Need to Have a Large Fortune? 42
- Should I Donate to a Large Organization or Go Straight to The
- Candidate I Support?
- Can I Give Donations to More Than One Candidate?
- Can I Give to a Presidential Race, Down-Ballot, or Across The
- Board?
- Should I Send Money to Individuals Outside My District to Support
- Candidates Who Have a Chance to Unseat Incumbents With Whom I
- Disagree?
- How Much Money Am I Allowed to Give?
- Can I Designate That Money Go to a Specific Candidate?
- Can I Volunteer My Time, and Whom Do I Contact to Volunteer To
- Help?
- What Are the Characteristics of the American Election System?
- How Often Do We Have Elections?
- When Are National Elections Held?
- What is the Difference Between a Primary Election and a General
- Election?
- Who Can Vote in a Primary Election?
- Are All Elections Held in November?
- What Offices Are on the Ballot?
- What Other Officeholders Do We Elect?
- Who is Entitled to Vote?
- What Identification Do I Need to Vote?
- What Types of Voting Mechanisms Do We Have in the U.S.?
- What Are Absentee, Special, or Early Voting Ballots, and Are They
- the Same?
- What is Early Voting?
- is There Such a Thing as a Protest Vote?
- Who Counts the Votes?
- What is a Recount, and When Do We Recount the Ballots?
- How Do We Know the Vote is Fairly Counted?
- What is Election Fraud?
- How Do We Protect Against Fraud?
- What is a Poll Worker?
- What is a Poll Watcher?
- What If Someone Intimidates or Threatens Me?
- How Do We Remove a Politician from Office?
Chapter 12 the Practical Side for American Citizens Mental Experiments
- Tables
- Bibliography
- Subject Index
Author
- Peter E. Tarlow
- Stephen H. Vincent
