Michael Kryzanek - The 25 Issues that Shape American Politics: Debates, Differences, and Divisions

This book is organized to examine the major subjects taught in American politics through the lens of twenty-five hot button issues affecting American politics and policy today. These key issues reflect the ideas, principles, concerns, fears, morals, and hopes of the American people. The authors argue that these issues are the heart and soul of the American political system, serving as the basis for the disagreements that drive citizens, public servants, and elected officials into action.

Features of this Innovative Text

• Examines 25 issues in light of the 2016 presidential election and beyond.
• Up-to-date chapters reflect important developments in the arenas of money and politics, immigration, health care, race relations and civil rights, gun control, and gay rights in particular.
• Includes international coverage with recent and ongoing events surrounding Iran, Syria, Israel and Palestine, and China.
• A chapter on Russia puts recent developments in Syria, Ukraine, Crimea, and the near abroad in context with US foreign policy.

Michael Kryzanek is Emeritus Professor of Political Science and Special Assistant to the President of Bridgewater State University. He is the author of books on American politics, US foreign policy, and Latin American politics. Dr. Kryzanek received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University and his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While on the faculty, he received awards for teaching and research, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ann K. Karreth is Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at Ursinus College. Dr. Karreths primary research interest is in African democracy and international development. She has published articles in numerous journals and book chapters. She teaches courses in comparative politics, research methods, public policy, and American foreign policy. Dr. Karreth received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

Praise for the Second Edition

In an era of fake news and alternative facts, students are ever more in need of balanced and empirically sound explorations of the many major issues confronting the United States. This book delivers exactly that. Our national agenda is crowded; this book helps students soundly examine it.

Steven E. Schier, Carleton College

In this innovative and timely book, Michael Kryzanek and Ann Karreth give readers a fresh perspective on key issues in American politics, covering everything from national security and terrorism to health care and gun rights. The authors bring each topic to life with highly informative discussions that supplement the standard approach to American politics. This book is sure to be a valuable addition to introductory and advanced undergraduate courses.

Michael Parkin, Oberlin College

This book provides an excellent survey of the range of issues structuring political debate in the contemporary American polity. Considering all sorts of questions domestic and international, economic and cultural Michael Kryzanek and Ann Karreth expertly summarize the key arguments on all sides of these important debates, with an admirable sense of fairness and balance. In addition, the pedagogical tools provided and referred resources in each chapter will be very helpful for students who want to dig deeper in their own explorations of these complex topics.

Matthew Wilson, Southern Methodist University

Michael Kryzanek and Ann Karreths well-organized and accessible text substantively navigates contemporary issues and provides students and scholars with deeper insight into the crucial divisions that characterize and animate American political life.

Jay Steinmetz, University of Oregon

Michael Kryzanek

Bridgewater State University

Ann K. Karreth

Ursinus College

First published 2018

by Routledge

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2018 Taylor & Francis

The right of Michael Kryzanek and Ann K. Karreth to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested

ISBN: 978-1-138-65471-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-65475-4 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-62305-4 (ebk)

Typeset in Palatino
by Apex CoVantage, LLC

To Grace, Noah, and Caleb Sabo
and
Mae Karreth

There are various ways to study American politics. There is the traditional, institutional approach, in which the Constitution and the three branches of government are explained and analyzed in order to better understand the foundation upon which American democracy has been built. Then there is the policy or process approach, which accents the way the political system works from the initial inputs or demands of the citizenry all the way through the final outputs or public policies. There have also been approaches to the study of American politics that stress the importance of examining the role of elites, groups, and key players who influence the final outcomes of government policymaking. All of these approaches are excellent explanatory methods for understanding what is arguably one of the most complex and complicated political systems in place in the world today.

However, there is also another approach to understanding American politics that serves as the basis of this book. American politics is driven and shaped in large part by a wealth of issues that reflect the ideas, the principles, the concerns, the fears, and the hopes of the American people. Issues in many respects are at the heart and soul of the American political system; the institutions of government respond to the issues; the process of policymaking is a response to the issues; and elites, groups, and players all seek to influence the manner in which the issues are addressed and resolved. There would be no American politics without issues, and without issues there would be nothing for the American people to support or reject and to demand that their elected representatives act upon in the policy arena.

Because the issue universe in American politics is so pervasive and critical to the functioning of American democracy, it is natural that there will be arguments over how best to deal with these matters. Many of the issues that make their way to the front burner of American politics are entangled in controversy and filled with pro and con positions. The fact that these issues are political in nature means that they stimulate intense partisan pressure. As a result, it is accurate to state that the political issues often shape the national agenda, the policy process, and the political fortunes of politicians and political parties. Moreover, because many of these issues percolate from the American public through polls, organized campaigns, or direct contact with public officials, they also foster intense debate, sharp differences, and deep divisions within the country.