Gateways to Democracy,
6th Edition

John G. Geer, Richard Herrera, Wendy J. Schiller, Jeffrey A. Segal

ISBN-13: 9798214145938
Copyright 2026 | Published
736 pages | List Price: USD $193.95

Geer/Herrera/Schiller/Segal's GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY: AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, 6th Edition, highlights the "gateways" that facilitate or block participation. The authors Illustrate the relevance of government to your life, explaining how the political system works and how individuals and groups opened gates and overcame barriers to influence public policy. The text includes coverage the issues reflecting America's changing demographic infrastructure. Updates focus on Supreme Court decisions and the impact of shifting ideologies on the constitutional context in which U.S. democracy operates. Each chapter opening spread focuses on a unique insight into a piece of political science data, from maps to public opinion polls to employment statistics, helping you sharpen their data analysis skills. MindTap is also available.

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Introduction.
1. Gateways to American Democracy.
Part I: BUILDING A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
2. The Constitution.
3. Federalism.
4. Civil Liberties.
5. Civil Rights.
Part II: CITIZEN GATEWAYS TO DEMOCRACY.
6. Public Opinion.
7. The News and Social Media.
8. Interest Groups.
9. Political Parties.
10. Elections and Campaigns.
11. Voting and Participation.
Part III: THE INSTITUTIONS OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
12. Congress.
13. The Presidency.
14. The Bureaucracy.
15. The Judiciary.
CONCLUSION.
16. Economic, Domestic, and Foreign Policy.
Appendix.
A. The Declaration of Independence.
B. The Constitution of the United States.
C. Federalist Papers 10 and 51.

  • John G. Geer

    John G. Geer is the Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science, a professor of political science and co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll. He teaches Introduction to American Politics, as well as specialty courses on elections and campaigns, and has been honored with numerous teaching awards at both Arizona State University and Vanderbilt University. In addition, he has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University and Princeton University. Dr. Geer has published widely, including IN DEFENSE OF NEGATIVITY, which won the Goldsmith Prize from the Shorenstein Center at Harvard University. A frequent commentator in the press, he has made appearances on all the major networks (Fox News, CBS Evening News, CNN) and has been quoted in THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST and the LOS ANGELES TIMES. He also has done interviews for major international outlets, such as BBC and Al Jazeera. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

  • Richard Herrera

    Richard Herrera is professor emeritus of political science in the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, where he taught for 30 years, including courses in American politics, American political parties and American politics and film. He also directed the ASU Capital Scholars Washington, D.C., Summer Internship program and received the Faculty Teaching Achievement Award at ASU in 2020. Dr. Herrera has contributed articles to the AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, JOURNAL OF POLITICS, LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY and STATE POLITICS AND POLICY QUARTERLY. Currently, his research interests are focused on U.S. governors, their ideology, policy agendas and representative functions. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

  • Wendy J. Schiller

    Wendy Schiller is the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Political Science and Professor of Public & International Affairs at Brown University, where she teaches courses on a wide range of American politics topics, including Introduction to the American Political Process, The American Presidency, Congress and Public Policy, Parties and Interest Groups, and The Philosophy of the American Founding. She also is a political analyst for local and national media outlets. Dr. Schiller's published works include ELECTING THE SENATE: INDIRECT DEMOCRACY BEFORE THE SEVENTEENTH AMENDMENT with Charles Stewart III, THE CONTEMPORARY CONGRESS with Burdett Loomis and PARTNERS AND RIVALS: REPRESENTATION IN U.S. SENATE DELEGATIONS. In her prior roles, she was legislative assistant for Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan, a federal lobbyist for Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, a guest scholar and Ph.D. fellow at the Brookings Institution and a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. She can be found on Twitter at profwschiller.

  • Jeffrey A. Segal

    Jeffrey A. Segal (PhD, Michigan State University) is SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of the political science department at Stony Brook University. He has served as Senior Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University and held a Guggenheim Fellowship. Segal is best known, with Harold Spaeth, as the leading proponent of the attitudinal model of Supreme Court decision-making. Segal has twice won the Wadsworth Award for a book (with Spaeth) or article 10 years or older with lasting influence on law and courts. He has also won the C. Herman Pritchett Award (again with Spaeth) for best book on law and courts. His work on the influence of strategic factors on Supreme Court decision-making won the Franklin Burdette Award from APSA. With Lee Epstein, Kevin Quinn, and Andrew Martin, he won Green Bag's award for exemplary legal writing. He has also won a national award sponsored by the American Bar Association for innovative teaching and instructional methods and materials in law and courts.

  • The text includes the most up-to-date data and literature available, giving students the latest insights into the U.S. political system.

  • Significantly revamped chapters on public opinion and social media reflect the ever-changing nature of these topics.

  • Additional coverage includes President Biden's full term, impact of major legislation, changes to the Democratic ticket in summer of 2024, congressional politics and more.

  • Additional coverage of political participation beyond voting, including protest politics on college campuses and January 6, 2021 protests in Washington, DC, has been added.

  • The author's emphasis on gates and gateways gives students a thorough understanding of the opportunities and challenges of American democracy.

  • A focus on inclusivity and diversity highlights important contributions of individuals and groups to public policy.

  • Expansive policy coverage includes a section in every chapter as well as a full stand-alone chapter, enabling instructors to focus on policy as much or as little as they want.

  • Each chapter spotlights a Supreme Court case that illustrates the constitutional and legal context in which American democracy has evolved.

Cengage provides a range of supplements that are updated in coordination with the main title selection. For more information about these supplements, contact your Learning Consultant.

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