Author: Russell Tillson
Published May 2003
ISBN 0 907529 78 X
Price £35.00 (photocopiable)
This photocopiable resource is aimed at those sitting AQA specification (6151) since it covers the compulsory A2 Unit 4 (Comparative British and American Government) and the optional A2 Unit 5 (American Politics), and also covers the OCR and Edexcel Unit options in American Government and Politics.
This photocopiable book will help examination candidates to bring a clear focus to their studies and their revision. It reviews underlying political principles, compares the governmental systems of the UK and the USA , and provides a very large number of historical and topical examples. It is accurate up to April 2003.
The author, Russell Tillson, has thirty years experience teaching American government and politics, and is a former Chief Examiner.
1 Key Political Concepts
1.1 Why concepts are important
1.2 Democracy
1.3 Pluralism
1.4 Representation
1.5 Accountability and Responsibility
1.6 Power and Authority
1.7 Rights
1.8 Sovereignty
2 The Political Traditions and Culture of the USA
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The demography of the USA
2.3 The diversity of the fifty states
2.4 Federalism
2.5 The written constitution and popular consent
2.6 The emphasis upon individual liberties
2.7 Attitudes to nation and government
3 A Comparison of the UK and US Constitutions
3.1 The purpose of a constitution
3.2 Written and unwritten constitutions
3.3 Codified and uncodified constitutions
3.4 Rigid and flexible constitutions
3.5 Monarchical and republican constitutions
3.6 Unitary and federal constitutions
3.7 Parliamentary and presidential constitutions
3.8 The British Constitution
3.9 The American Constitution
4 A Comparison of the UK and US Legislatures
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Parliamentary and presidential government
4.3 The legislative function of assemblies
4.4 The representative function of assemblies
4.5 The scrutiny or oversight function of assemblies
4.6 The recruitment and training function of assemblies
4.7 The legitimating functions of assemblies
4.8 Upper and lower houses
4.9 The committee system
4.10 Assemblies and policy making
4.11 Are assemblies in decline?
4.12 The passage of bills into law
5 A Comparison of the UK and US Executives
5.1 The role of the executive branch
5.2 The British Cabinet
5.3 The American Cabinet
5.4 The British Prime Minister
5.5 The American President
5.6 The Prime Minister and President compared
5.7 The American Vice President
6 A Comparison of the UK and US Bureaucracies
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Characteristics of the British civil service
6.3 Characteristics of the American bureaucracy
6.4 Assessment of the British civil service
6.5 Assessment of the American bureaucracy
7 A Comparison of the UK and US Judiciaries
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The independence of the judiciary
7.3 The appointment of the judiciary
7.4 Judicial review in Britain
7.5 Judicial review in the USA
7.6 Checks on the Supreme Court
7.7 The stance of the Supreme Court
7.8 The protection of rights in Britain
7.9 The protection of rights in the USA
8 American Political Parties and the Party System
8.1 The functions of political parties
8.2 The evolution of the modern political parties
8.3 Party realignment
8.4 Party dealignment
8.5 The two party system and minor parties
8.6 Parties and the pursuit of power
8.7 The difference between the parties
8.8 Party organisation
8.9 The revival of parties
8.10 Party organisation and the modern campaign
8.11 Evaluation of the parties
9 American Interest Groups
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Types of interest groups
9.3 Factors determining the success of interest groups
9.4 Lobbying and relationships with government
9.5 Political Action Committees and elections
9.6 Evaluation of interest groups
9.7 Appendix: interest group activity
10 The American Electoral Process
10.1 The electoral college
10.2 American election campaigns
10.3 The national nominating conventions
10.4 Primary elections
10.5 Money in elections
11 American Public Opinion and Voting Behaviour
11.1 Political knowledge and socialisation
11.2 Public opinion and political ideology
11.3 Registration and turnout in elections
11.4 Underlying influences on voting behaviour
11.5 Other influences on voting behaviour
