One national government; fifty state governments; town, city, and county governments…international visitors are often overwhelmed by the complexity of the U. S. system of government. There are various ways of ordering relations between central governments and local units. Federalism is one of them. Understanding federalism and how it differs from other forms of government is critical to understanding the American political system. 

American politics today cannot be understood apart from the nation's heritage. Government does not begin over again with each generation; it builds on the past. In the case of the United States, the most significant link between past and present lies in the nation's founding ideals. This episode examines the key principles that have shaped American politics since the country's earliest years. 

This episode focuses on the economic role of government: its promotion and regulation of economic interests, its fiscal and monetary policies, the politics of economic decision making, and the management of the public debt. 

Today, party organizations are alive and well in America, but they are no longer the driving force in contemporary campaigns. Much of what transpires is more accurately described as candidate-centered politics in which office seekers raise their own funds, form their own campaign organizations, and choose the issues on which they will run. This episode looks at organizing and financing campaigns through the eyes of candidates, strategists, managers and critics. 

The United States is a country marked by divergent political views. Political attitudes formed early in life seldom change dramatically, however the basic framework is etched and refined by life experiences. The Vietnam War in the sixties, the Watergate scandal in the seventies, reaction to the impeachment of President Clinton reflect the powerful role public opinion plays in the politics of this country. In fact, the scientific measurement of public opinion has become a permanent fixture of the political scene. 

In the world of the 21st century, the basic tools of diplomacy are not far different than they were at the country's inception. The primary goal of United States foreign policy is the preservation of the American state. This requires not only military readiness to protect the territorial integrity and international interests of the United States, but also global policies that foster economic growth and preserve the nation's position in the international marketplace. This episode takes a close look at the foreign policy of the United States and shares the first-hand experiences of those who were involved in its formulation. 

Most of the actual work of legislating is performed by the committees and subcommittees within Congress. This division of legislative labor has emerged as a means of responding to the profusion of bills introduced each congressional term. Such an approach also allows members to gain expertise in particular aspects of governmental activity. This episode explores the committee structure and formal leadership of Congress, and various routes bills may take before being enacted into law. Members of Congress talk candidly about factors that influence their vote. 

Despite attempts to provide an equitable baseline of healthcare for Americans, an estimated 44 million people in the United States do not have health insurance, public or private. This episode looks at various governmental attempts to insure a "healthy" America, from the work of various research agencies and regulatory units to specific governmental programs, like Medicare and Medicaid. 

The president operates within a system of separate institutions that share power. Without congressional authorization and funding, most presidential proposals are nothing but ideas, empty of action. Theodore Roosevelt longed to "be the president and Congress, too" if only for a day, so that he would have the power to adopt as well as propose programs. Whether a president's initiatives are likely to succeed or fail depends on several factors, including the force of circumstance, the stage of the president's term, the president's support in Congress, and the level of public support for the president's leadership. 

In recent years the judiciary has become an increasingly powerful policymaking body. Although judicial decisions are constrained by applicable constitutional law, statutory law, and precedent, the courts have considerable discretion in the way they interpret these laws, causing some people to question the judiciary's proper role in a democracy. This episode probes contemporary questions regarding the federal judiciary including the debate surrounding originalism, textualism, judicial review, and judicial activism. 

The patterns of party politics in the United States provide a fascinating platform from which to view American political history. Divergent interests, seeking to strengthen their voice, join with others in creating a common political agenda, often under the Republican or Democrat banner. In recent years, as the two major parties have become more narrowly defined, many political moderates feel they've lost their political home. Third party ventures tend to work to only a limited degree because of the electoral system. They can play a major role in influencing the outcome of an election, as was apparent in the 2000 presidential election, but they seldom elect their candidates to public office. 

It was a sparkling September morning in New York City. The familiar cacophony of taxi horns and street vendors greeted commuters as they emerged from the subway. No one anticipated that in a matter of moments the city—the country—would be under attack. Since September 11, 2001, the protection and defense of the United States has occupied center stage. This episode looks not only the nation's response to the terrorist attacks, but also examines the defense and "peace keeping" policy of the country in the post-Cold War period. 

Alexis de Tocqueville observed in 1834 that "no country of the world has the principles of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objectives than in America." The degree to which Americans form groups to solve civic problems and lobby for their economic or political interests is unique among the nations of the world. The structure of government, particularly at the local level, invites public participation. The system has many points of access or places in the decision-making process where interest groups, including big business, may make their opinion known. 

The United States has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. It is not surprising, therefore, that many citizens have strong opinions about the rights of the accused. When a person charged with a crime is set free because of a legal "technicality," some people feel that the rights of the accused are being given greater weight than the rights of society and victims of crime. At the basis this discussion are the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments of the Constitution—amendments that specifically address the rights of criminal defendants. 

This narrative story of the settlement and early days of the colonies culminates in the fight for independence and the evolution of a constitutional framework of government for the new United States. Comments of scholars are interwoven with excerpts from writings of those who were on the scene. 

Modern government would be impossible without a bureaucracy. The government's enormous administrative capacity makes it possible for the United States to have such ambitious programs as social security, environmental protection, interstate highways, and the postal service. In fact, it's the only practical way of organizing large-scale government programs. Yet the bureaucracy is also a problem. Even those who work in federal agencies bemoan its rigidity and costliness. Today's civil servants, governed by stringent rules and regulations, are encumbered by regulatory impediments that would appall their private sector counterparts. 

The founders of the American republic believed that the bulk of power exercised by a national government should be in the hands of the legislature. Article I of the Constitution is both highly specific and vague about the powers Congress may exercise. This episode follows three current and past members of Congress through the election process and their early days in office. It examines the differences between the ways the Senate and House of Representatives operate, the every-ten-year redistricting process, and the challenges congressional members face not only in the halls of Congress but in maintaining close ties to their home districts. 

On a daily basis, more Americans connect to politics through the news media than through the activities of parties or groups. The press brings events and problems into public view, serves as a channel through which political leaders can address the public, and scrutinizes political behavior for evidence of deceitful, careless, or corrupt acts. The increasing tendency of the media to probe into all aspects of a politician's life, private as well as public, has made many officials less candid and forthcoming with the American public. However, the press cannot do the job of political institutions, even though increasingly it tries to do so. 

The writers of the Constitution had a basic idea of what they wanted in a president: a national leader who would carry out the law of the land, a statesman who could negotiate with world powers, a commander-in-chief in times of conflict. But they had no models to follow, and the vague words they used to describe the position in in Article II, Section I, of the Constitution left a lot of questions unanswered. This episode explores the foundations of the modern presidency, and takes viewers from the campaign for nomination to staffing the executive branch of government. It features political observers as well as those who have occupied positions of authority in recent administrations 

A look at the Constitution in contemporary terms reveals a short document—7,000 words long—shorter than every state constitution except Vermont's. Only thirty-three of the more than 11,000 amendments that have been proposed have been approved by Congress and submitted to states. Twenty-seven have been ratified. Nevertheless, the Constitution is an unfinished work that has evolved through less formal methods of change—congressional legislation, presidential actions, judicial review, custom and use.