The Logic of American Government, 4th Edition
The logic of American politics? Are those snickers from your students as they deride the phrase an oxymoron? By helping them see that political institutions and practices are imperfect solutions to collective action problems, distinguished scholars Samuel Kernell and Gary C. Jacobson—and new coauthor Thad Kousser—reveal a rationale to the U.S. political system and give students a window through which they can not only view American politics but also come to understand it.
Known for its engaging narrative, the book’s new edition continues to weave historical context, current politics, and analytic concepts into a text that gently strengthens students’ theoretical understanding while hooking them with great storytelling. In order to make the argument fully accessible to a student audience, the new edition highlights passages that apply the collective action and institutional design themes presented in the introduction.
To learn more about Logic--including its valuable student and instructor resources, click here.
Lone Star Politics
Texas is in a bit of a dilemma—it is a rapidly growing state saddled with a constitution that was written by conservative farmers in 1876. Texas’s government struggles to meet the needs of an increasingly diversified population and the challenges of an economy driven by large multi-national corporations, many on the cutting edge of the information age. How has Texas developed and flourished over the years, but failed to fully respond to these changes?
Lone Star Politics explicitly focuses on the disconnect between the outsized myth of Texas with its legendary political history and the reality of the state’s day-to-day governance to help explain who gets what resources and how they are distributed. The engaging and accessible writing style makes this a book that students of all levels will actually want to read. And when they do, they’ll get both description and analysis, a balance of institutions and behavior, as well as comparisons of Texas with other states.
To learn more about Lone Star Politics, click here.
Bio(s)
Samuel Kernell, University of California, San Diego
Samuel Kernell is professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, where he has taught since 1977. Previously, he taught at the University of Mississippi and the University of Minnesota. Kernell’s research interests focus on the presidency and American political history. His books include Going Public: New Strategies of Presidential Leadership, 4th edition, Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 3rd edition (edited with Steven S. Smith), an edited collection of essays, James Madison: The Theory and Practice of Republican Government, and, with Gary C. Jacobson, The Logic of American Politics, 3rd edition and Strategy and Choice in Congressional Elections, 2nd edition.
Gary C. Jacobson, University of California, San Diego
Gary C. Jacobson is professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, where he has taught since 1979. He previously taught at Trinity College, the University of California at Riverside, Yale University, and Stanford University. Jacobson specializes in the study of U.S. elections, parties, interest groups, and Congress. He is the author of Money in Congressional Elections, The Politics of Congressional Elections, 6th edition, and The Electoral Origins of Dividend Government: Competition in the U.S.House Elections, 1946-1988, and is coauthor with Samuel Kernell of Strategy and Choice in Congressional Elections, 2nd edition. Jacobson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Thad Kousser, University of California, San Diego
Ken Collier, Stephen F. Austin State University
Ken Collier is associate professor at Stephen F. Austin State University with a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. He has is the author of Between the Branches: The White House Office of Legislative Affairs and is currently conducting research on presidential speechwriting and gubernatorial elections. He has published articles in such journals as White House Studies, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Public Choice, and Social Science Quarterly.
Steven Galatas, Stephen F. Austin State University
Steven Galatas is assistant professor at Stephen F. Austin State University with a PhD from University of Missouri. He has published articles in Journal of Politics, Public Choice, and Party Politics. His research and teaching concerns comparative elections, voting behavior, and campaign finance.
Julie Harrelson-Stephens, Stephen F. Austin State University
Julie Harrelson-Stephens is assistant professor at Stephen F. Austin State University with her PhD from the University of North Texas. She is the coeditor of Exploring International Human Rights: Essential Readings (with Rhonda L. Callaway).
