Politics in America

With a focus on competition for resources, this balanced, but provocative text uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics—“Who gets what, when, and how”—as a framework for presenting a clear, cohesive and stimulating introduction to the American political system.

Thomas Dye, along with new co-author Bartholomew Sparrow, has written a lively and absorbing narrative examining the struggle for power that is American politics: the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutions. Numerous feature boxes explore timely issues, draw cross-cultural comparisons, promote critical thinking, and provoke thoughtful opinions.

With the intense political conflict of the most expensive presidential campaign in American history and the hotly-contested primary campaigns that led to the national conventions in 2008, Politics in America’s theme of the constant competition for power and resources—“who gets what”—has never been more relevant.

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Introduces students to the American political system by examining the struggle for power<-->the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arenas. Relies on Harold Lasswell's classic definition of politics, including the who, what, when, and how mode of analysis. Examines topics such as the constitution, federalism, mass media, political parties, campaign and elections, White House and Capitol Hill politics, civil rights, and national security. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

THOMAS R. DYE, Emeritus McKenzie Professor of Government at Florida State University regularly taught large introductory classes in American politics and was University Teacher of the Year in 1987. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books and articles on American government and public policy, including. The Irony of Democracy, Politics in States and Communities, Understanding Public Policy, Who's Running America, American Politics in the Media Age, Power in Society, Politics, Economics, and the Public, and American Federalism: Competition Among Governments. His books have been translated into many languages, including Russian and Chinese, and published abroad. He has served as president of the Southern Political Science Association, president of the Policy Studies Organization, and secretary of the American Political Science Association. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Georgia, and served as a visiting scholar at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi, and is listed in most major biographical directories. Additional information is available at thomasr.dye.com.

L. TUCKER GIBSON, JR., is chair and professor of political science at Trinity University, where he teaches introductory courses in American national and state government as well as courses on U.S. legislatures, political parties, and interest groups. He has served onthe Civil Service Commission of the city of San Antonio, assisted local governments across central and south Texas in redistricting their government bodies, and conducted public opinion research for political candidates, businesses, and corporations. Gibson is the coauthor of Government and Politics in the Lone Star State: Theory and Practice.

CLAY ROBISON has covered state government and politics in Texas for more than 30 years as a journalist, first for the San Antonio Light, and then, since 1982, for the Houston Chronicle. He is the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau chief, and in addition to covering daily news events, he writes a weekly column that appears on the newspaper's Sunday editorial page. He has covered many of the personalities and events that are incorporated in the chapters on Texas government. Robison is the coauthor of Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Theory and Practice.