American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom

Robert C. Smith, Sherri L Wallace, Hanes Walton Jr., Sherri L. Wallace, Hanes Walton, Jr.

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781040343975
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• Index: Politics & International Relations

American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom is known for its lucid style, student-oriented approach, and wide-ranging perspective. Designed to allow flexibility in teaching approaches, this tenth edition retains all the features that made previous editions so popular. All chapters have been updated with new content and the latest data available, including:

• Inclusive and affirming language throughout
• Enhanced discussion on "Elements of Black Culture" and the political significance of African American music and the Black Church
• Black American public opinion and the various strands of African American ideology
• The CROWN Act, the politics of black hair, and the African American celebrity impact on politics
• Political significance of the increasing ethnic diversity of Black communities due to immigration from Africa and the Caribbean and the latest on "Black Lives Matter" discussion
• Discussion on the first Black sorority political action committee established in the U.S. and advocacy organizations serving the Black LGBTQIA+ community
• Characteristics of eligible and registered Black voters, the coverage of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, and the results of the congressional elections with respect to partisan control of Congress and the size of the Black congressional delegation
• Demographic characteristics of the members of the 118th Congress now includes sexual orientation and generational data for comparison
• Race policies of former President Biden, reclassifying him as "antiracist." An alternative method of ranking presidents that brings the views of Black experts to the conversation and includes a discussion of the record number of Black political appointments and policies implemented under Biden
• Confirmation hearing of the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, appointed to the Supreme Court. New material on the Voting Rights Act, Affirmative Action, and the Pigford cases testing institutional racism
• "Tennessee Three," highlighting racism in the rare expulsion of two Black members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, and how Republican state-controlled legislatures are stunting the quest for universal freedom
• Revisions using the Urban League's State of Black America "Equality Index," as a measure of material well-being in the African American community, to examine historic and systemic patterns in structural inequities as manifested in economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement
• Updated Textbook Media Integration Guide featuring lecture power points, chapter summaries, critical thinking questions, the profiles and "Faces and Voices", and the links to the biographical material and videos

American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom continues to offer a comprehensive, rigorous, and accessible understanding of how the presence of African Americans in the United States has profoundly influenced and influences American politics. It remains essential reading for all students of American Government, Black Politics, and African American Studies, particularly those approaching the study of race and politics for the first time.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Endorsement
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• About the Authors
• List of Figures
• Preface
• Part I Foundations
• Chapter 1 Universal Freedom Declared, Universal Freedom Denied: Racism, Slavery, and the Ideology of White Supremacy in the Founding of the Republic
• Chapter 2 Federalism and the Limits of Universal Freedom
• Part II Political Behaviorism
• Chapter 3 Political Culture and Socialization
• Chapter 4 Public Opinion
• Chapter 5 The Media
• Part III Coalitions, Movements, Interest Groups, Parties, and Elections
• Chapter 6 Social Movements and a Theory of African American Coalition Politics
• CHAPTER 7 Interest Groups
• Chapter 8 Political Parties
• Chapter 9 Voting Behavior and Elections
• Part IV Institutions
• Chapter 10 The Congress and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom
• Chapter 11 The Presidency, Bureaucracy, and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom
• Chapter 12 The Supreme Court and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom
• Chapter 13 State and Local Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom
• Part V Public Policy
• Chapter 14 Domestic Policy and the African American Quest for Social and Economic Justice
• Chapter 15 The African American Quest for Universal Freedom and U.S. Foreign Policy
• Index