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Politics and Government

Explore the politics and government of the United States, which was established after the 13 American colonies declared their independence from Britain in 1776. The United States is a representative democracy, which means that power belongs to the people, who elect representatives to make policy and pass laws. It is a federal system of government, which means that the national government shares responsibilities with state and municipal governments. It’s also a constitutional government in that it operates according to the principles outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution established three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. Each branch has specific responsibilities and serves as a check on the power of the other two branches. The legislative branch, known as Congress, is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each state has two senators, while the number of representatives a state has in the House is determined by the state’s population. Congress is responsible for drafting and passing laws. The president is the leader of the executive branch, which is responsible for executing the laws passed by Congress. The president is also the commander in chief of the military, responsible for the nation’s defense. The judiciary is made up of courts and judges who interpret the laws and ensure they don’t contradict the Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has the highest authority in the court system.

Since the 19th century, politics in the United States has been dominated by two political parties: the Republican and Democratic parties. Political parties are responsible for choosing candidates to run for office, helping to run and finance their candidates’ campaigns, and outlining a platform of principles and ideas that are generally (though not always) adhered to by their candidates.

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Politics and Government Resources

Gale provides political science resources that support research, including databasesprimary source archives, and eBooks.

Databases

Gale databases offer these political science databases to support research. These resources include periodicals, peer-reviewed journals, and other sources.

Primary Source Archives

Gale Primary Sources contains full-text political science journals and other sources that provide researchers with firsthand material, including historical documents, printed works, and news articles.

Gale eBooks

Gale offers a variety of eBooks covering a wide range of politics and government research publications, including military, dilemmas, democracy, and more. Users can add Gale eBooks to a customized collection and cross-search to pinpoint relevant content. Workflow tools help users easily share, save, and download content.

  • Dilemmas in Democracy: Military Force, 1st Edition

    Dilemmas in Democracy: Military Force, 1st Edition

    Cavendish Square Publishing | 2020 | ISBN-13: 9781502645050

    The question of when to use military force is one of the most difficult that democracies face. What exactly constitutes self-defense and whether to intervene in a humanitarian crisis are questions that can quickly come to define a president’s tenure in office. Readers will examine recent examples of military force around the world, whether they were justified, and their controversial legacies.

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  • Handbook of Research on Politics in the Computer Age, 1st Edition

    Handbook of Research on Politics in the Computer Age, 1st Edition

    Information Science Reference | 2020| ISBN-13: 9781799803782

    Technology and particularly the internet have caused many changes in the realm of politics. Aspects of engineering, computer science, mathematics, or natural science can be applied to politics. Politicians and candidates use websites and social network profiles to get their message out. Revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa, and protests and riots in numerous countries, have started largely due to social networking. Mainstream media no longer has a monopoly on political commentary—anybody can set up a blog or post a video online, and political activists can network online. This pivotal reference source serves to increase the understanding of methods for politics in the computer age, the effectiveness of these methods, and tools for analyzing the methods. It includes chapters on aspects of politics with information technology, engineering, computer science, math, online campaigning, and fake news from researchers at universities and research organizations worldwide.

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  • How Government Works: Executive Orders, 1st Edition

    How Government Works: Executive Orders, 1st Edition

    Cavendish Square Publishing | 2019 | ISBN-13: 9781502640611

    The president’s ability to issue executive orders is a process steeped in misconceptions. This must-have volume looks at the history of this important executive power, explains executive orders that have had wide-ranging effects, and demonstrates the legal limits of the president’s power. With emphases on checks and balances put in place by the U.S. Constitution and responses from Congress and the Supreme Court to past executive orders, the book covers the objectives of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards. Contemporary examples of executive orders, such as President Trump’s orders related to immigration, provide background knowledge about key debates today.

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  • Looking Forward: Military Spending, 1st Edition

    Looking Forward: Military Spending, 1st Edition

    New York Times Educational Pub | 2020| ISBN-13: 9781642822731

    When President Eisenhower identified the military-industrial complex as a powerful component of political and economic life in the United States, he also warned against feeding it too much power. That balance continues to be a hot debate. Where will readers stand on using military spending to fuel economic growth or limiting that spending to leave room for social programs? Should we be bolstering geopolitical power with military strength or limiting military spending in order to combat wasteful budgets? From drones to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to cyberoperations, this reporting reveals the extent of military spending and the complex political problems associated with controlling it. Beyond the text, media literacy terms and questions further challenge readers.

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Resources to Boost Your Research

From trending social issues to classic literature, Gale resources have you covered. Explore overviews, statistics, essay topics, and more or log in through your library to find even more content.

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