The Political Science Toolbox : A Research Companion to American Government

The authors of The Political Science Toolbox understand the dilemmas facing political science majors and the dilemmas facing political science instructors. Students yearn for a trusted guide to help them cope with the political science experience--a single reference work that contains the basic tools that an American government major needs to succeed. And instructors desire to help students ask meaningful political science questions, but are concerned about sacrificing valuable class time to 're-teach' basic research concepts. In other words, instructors desire a work that contains the basic tools that they hope their students bring to each class, but that experience tells them their students are unlikely to possess. The Political Science Toolbox is a reliable companion to students of American government as they navigate their undergraduate programs. It serves as a bridge between research methods classes and student research, making it a valuable supplement for an applied research methods class, as well as a useful supplement for introduction to American government courses or introduction to Political Science courses. Moreover, students completing honors papers, capstone assignments, or any substantial research projects in the field of American government will find the ideas and guidance provided in this work to be invaluable. Apathy and antipathy toward politics are epidemic. Citizen Democracy provides the antidote. In this revised and updated edition, Stephen E. Frantzich portrays citizens from every walk of life—rich and poor, old and young, black and white, male and female, left and right, famous and obscure—as they choose to become involved in politics at a level to which readers can relate. Some of the stories contain unexpected twists. Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, now works as a liquor industry lobbyist and argues that MADD has gone too far. College freshman Gregory Watson reacted to receiving a OCO on a political science paper by quitting school and becoming the driving force behind passage of a constitutional amendment that had been the subject of his paper. Two young women independently wrote letters of application to the U.S. Naval Academy and in the process moved military education in the direction of gender neutrality. Citizen Democracy shows ordinary people engaged in extraordinary civic activity. Their causes run the gamut from civil rights to flag burning, from the Internet to the environment—but their common cause is the fact that they creatively entered the arena of national public policy making and made a difference. The Political Science Toolbox serves as a bridge between research methods classes and student research, making it a valuable supplement for an applied research methods class, as well as a useful supplement for introduction to American government courses or introduction to political science courses. Moreover, students completing honors papers, capstone assignments, or any substantial research projects in the field of American government will find the ideas and guidance provided in this work to be invaluable.

About the Author:
Stephen E. Frantzich is professor of political science at the U.S. Naval Academy

About the Author:
Howard R. Ernst is associate professor of political science at the U.S. Naval Academy and senior scholar at University of Virginia's Center for Politics

Contents......Page 8 List of Skill Boxes......Page 16 Preface......Page 18 Introduction: Thinking Like a Political Scientist ......Page 22 1. The Founding Era ......Page 38 2. Congress ......Page 80 3. The Presidency and the Bureaucracy ......Page 116 4. The Federal Judiciary ......Page 150 5. State and Local Government ......Page 174 6. The Media ......Page 208 7. Political Parties and Interest Groups ......Page 238 8. Elections and Voting Behavior ......Page 280 Glossary......Page 314 Index......Page 332 About the Authors......Page 344 "The Political Science Toolbox serves as a bridge between research methods classes and student research, making it a valuable supplement for an applied research methods class, as well as a useful supplement for introduction to American government courses or introduction to political science courses. Moreover, students completing honors papers, capstone assignments, or any substantial research projects in the field of American government will find the ideas and guidance provided in this work to be invaluable."--BOOK JACKET

this Book Is Designed To Serve As A Reliable Research Companion To Students Of American Government As They Navigate Their Undergraduate Programs. It Is A No-nonsense Guide That Assists Students As They Develop Research Questions, Explore The Literature, Make Use Of Web-base Resources, Analyze Data, And Present Findings.