SOLUTION MANUAL
American Government: Political
Development and Institutional Change
12th Edition by Cal Jillson, All Chapters 1 - 16
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Chapter 1 The Origins of American Political Principles
2. Chapter 2 The Revolution and the Constitution
3. Chapter 3 Federalism and American Political Development
4. Chapter 4 Political Socialization and Public Opinion
5. Chapter 5 The Mass Media and the Political Agenda
6. Chapter 6 Interest Groups: The Politics of Influence
7. Chapter 7 Political Parties: Winning the Right to Govern
8. Chapter 8 Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
9. Chapter 9 Congress: Partisanship, Polarization, and Gridlock
10. Chapter 10 The President: Executive Power in a Separation of Powers Regime
11. Chapter 11 Bureaucracy: Redesigning Government for the Twenty-First Century
12. Chapter 12 The Federal Courts: Activism versus Restraint
13. Chapter 13 Civil Liberties: Ordered Liberty in America
14. Chapter 14 Civil Rights: Where Liberty and Equality Collide
15. Chapter 15 Government, The Economy, and Domestic Policy
16. Chapter 16 America’s Global Role in the Twenty-First Century
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Chapter 1
THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL PRINCIPLES
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Q1 What are the broad purposes of government?
A1 The ancients believed the role of government and politics was to foster human
excellence. However, it is imperative to remember that the Greeks and Romans
believed the virtuous should rule according to natural law. Furthermore, valuesof
equality and order would be served through a society based upon the rule
oflaw to provide for the common good. In the Middle Ages, government was
largely used to facilitate religion and maintained the need for the individual to
live a proper life in the service of God. The role of government changed in the
early sixteenth century by downplaying the role of religion while alternatively
promoting the role of limited government to protect private property and
individual rights.
Q2 How should government be designed to achieve its purposes?
A2 According to Plato the philosopher-king’s wisdom and intellect would promote
order, stability and justice. Yet, Aristotle takes a more realistic view of Athenian
society by advocating the best form of government as a polity, which combined
oligarchic and democratic elements to produce political stability. The Romans
combined monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic principles as a mixed
government within representative bodies like the Senate and the Assembly in
order to champion the causes of both the rich and the poor. Government in
theMiddle Ages was determined through divine right, whereby a monarch or
Pope was ordained by God to rule. Hence, wisdom and virtue rested within
these few individuals who governed to promote religious life and protect the
religious establishment. The Renaissance, Protestant Reformation, and
Enlightenment Periods shifted the role of government from upholding religious
doctrine to secular concerns, such as protecting inalienable rights, including
private property, and promoting commerce. In turn, Enlightenment political
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