Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, Brief Edition (8th Edition)

Framing its content within a “politics matters” theme, Government in America illustrates the impact that government has on the daily lives of each and every American, motivating students to become active participants in all aspects of political culture.

Features:

• "Why It Matters" marginal boxes encourage students to think critically about an aspect of government, politics, or policy and ask them to consider the impact–usually on themselves–if things worked differently.
• “Young People and Politics” boxes illustrate how politics specifically impact young adults, how their political behavior patterns are unique and important, and how their particular political desires are being met or ignored by public officials. 
• “You Are the Policymaker” boxes throughout the text put students in the role of policymaker, asking them to analyze two sides of an issue and reach a policy decision.
• “How You Can Make a Difference” boxes provide students with information on how they can get involved with issues in order to influence how government works or help decide what policies are established.
• "America in Perspective" features examine how the United States compares to other countries in areas such as tax rates, voter turnout, and the delivery of public services. Through reading these boxes and comparing the United States to other nations, students can obtain a better perspective on the size of our government and the nature of our democracy.
•  “Issues of the Times,” pulled directly from the New York Times, ask students to think critically about the news and how it affects them. These two-page spreads at the back of the book are accompanied by an introduction, overlaying pedagogy that emphasizes key points in the article, and critical reading questions to guide students through the issues of the day. In essence, students get a free New York Times  Reader in every copy of their book!
• “Get Connected” chapter-ending boxes underscore the “politics matters” theme by asking students to get involved, investigate current political issues on the web, and then answer critical thinking questions about what they've seen. The exercises demonstrate key points in each chapter and are designed to work well as homework assignments.
• Tools for Understanding Government in America “Primer” at the start of the text provides helpful guidance on how to read newspapers, study charts and graphs (especially in this book), and understand the Internet.
• MyPoliSciLab icons are included throughout the text's margins, and access to the web site comes at no additional charge when an access card is bundled with the book.  MyPoliSciLab is a state of the art, interactive and instructive online solution for your course offered within a course management system or as a website alone. (Course management systems include CourseCompass, Blackboard, and Web CT.)  MyPoliSciLab offers students a wealth of interactive exercises and a battery of assessment tools—all integrated with the on-line e-book. For each chapter of the text, students will navigate through a pre-test, post-test, chapter review, and a full chapter exam, all linked to the on-line e-book, so they can assess, review, and improve their understanding of the concepts within the chapters. In addition to the electronic chapter content and assessment, students will have access to a wealth of simulations, interactive timelines, comparative exercises, debate and roundtable videos, weekly polls, an hourly feed from the New York Times, Research Navigator, writing resources, and much more. 

New to this Edition:

New feature called “A Generation of Change” compares various current aspects of politics, government, and public policy to that of a generation ago.  An 18-year old student in 2007 was born in 1989, when President Reagan was finishing up his term and the first President Bush took office.  Because students have little idea of just how much things have changed between then and now, the “A Generation of Change” feature provides students with some historical perspective - all the more engaging because it is framed around their lifetime.

Chapter 1 - now includes a section on "American Political Culture and Democracy," which looks at the overall set of values widely shared within American society.  This section discusses five aspects of this culture, including liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, laissez-faire, and populism.  This section is followed by a new section, "A Culture War?" that discusses the perceived political polarization in today's society.

Chapters 4 and 5 — In response to user feedback, the old Chapter 4, Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, has been split into two chapters.  Chapter 4 covers Civil Liberties and Chapter 5 covers Civil Rights.

Chapter 7 - The section "Narrowcasting:  Cable TV and the Internet" has been revised by separating these two topics and expanding upon them and their impact on politics and the mass media.   The new section "From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The Rise of the Cable News Channels" focuses on the rise of cable news channels, and explores the proliferation of channels appealing to a specialized audience and the impact on the overall quality of political journalism.  The new section "The Impact of the Internet" looks at the expanding role of the Internet in the political process and whether the potential of the Internet has been realized or reinforces predispositions.  The section explores how the Internet facilitates communication, brings activists together through websites and blogs, and provides information and news as an alternative to other media.

Chapter 8 - In the section on "Party Eras in American History," the discussion of "1968-Present" has been expanded to include a discussion of the Southern Realignment.

Chapter 17 - The authors have elevated and expanded the section on "The War on Terrorism," including a new subsection on "Afghanistan and Iraq."  The section "The Decreasing Role of Military Power" has been changed to "The Changing Role of Military Power," and includes a new subsection on "Humanitarian Interventions."

In addition, the entire text has been updated throughout to reflect recent changes in politics, policy, and participation.  This includes comprehensive coverage of the 2006 midterm elections — both the campaigns and the results — in Chapters 8 to 9 and 11 to 12, and the latest Supreme Court decisions from 2006 on federalism, civil liberties, civil rights, and other relevant topics. From the numbers for the 2007 budget to the backgrounds of members of Congress, the text, tables, and figures reflect the most recent available data. Naturally, considerable attention is devoted to the Bush administration in Chapter 12 and to the efforts of both the president and Congress to deal with the budget (Chapter 15), which has become central to American politics and policy.  25-30% of the photos and their captions, used to support and expand the discussion, have been updated and replaced.

The Issues of the Times Reader, included at the back of the book, presents thought-provoking articles directly from the New York Times on important issues in the news along with useful pedagogy that helps students understand and think critically about the issues.  New articles cover topics such as how the internet is changing politics, state compensation for federal inaction, the revolving door between congress and lobbying firms, and the use of public opinion theories to “sell” presidential policies.

New topics in other existing features include:

How You Can Make a Difference

Birthright Citizenship (Chapter 2)

Federalism (Chapter 3)

Free Speech on Campus (Chapter 4)

Gender Discrimination (Chapter 5)

Political Participation (Chapter 6)

Political Action and Congress (Chapter 11)

The Constitution in Exile v. The Living Constitution (Chapter 14)

Federal Spending and the Pork Barrel (Chapter 15)

Faith-Based Social Welfare Reform (Chapter 16)

Joining the Peace Corps (Chapter 17)

Americain Perspective

Preaching Procreation and Paying for It: Family Policies in Europe and Elsewhere (Chapter 16)

You Are the Policymaker

Defanging a Nuclear Threat (Chapter 17)