Living Democracy: Brief National Edition

Everything about this dynamic book–from its engaging writing and examples, to its bold graphics and photos, to its innovative learning pedagogy and interactive assessment–is designed to get students to participate: in their learning, in the classroom, and in all aspects of American politics.

American Government instructors overwhelmingly cite student apathy as the single biggest problem in their course; students are simply not engaged in the material and do not believe that the government can affect and enrich their lives.  Lead author Dan Shea, founder of the Center for Political Participation, along with co-authors Joanne Connor Green and Christopher E. Smith teamed up to write an American Government text that helps students experience the impact of government in their daily lives and inspires them to work to affect that government in return.  Written with the belief that the American Government course is critically important for our students–as well as for the long-term stability of the democratic process–Living Democracy helps students draw connections between course topics and current events and find a role for themselves in politics and government.

The text’s innovative approach to American government presents the dynamic nature of our country's democratic process more accurately than any other book currently on the market, while offering all of the material found in a comprehensive, traditionally organized government text within an active framework.  The Brief edition includes the coverage of the comprehensive version in a stream-lined format.

Now in its second edition, this attention-getting text is building on its message of participation:  improvements to its innovative pedagogical system with even more assessment opportunities help students participate more fully in their own learning process, while new Student Profiles of politically active young people from around the world continue to promote students’ political participation.   New coverage highlights the events surrounding the 2008 Election including the massive growth in voter participation. 

Features:

Participation in Politics

Recurring Pathways features provide students with the means―and the inspiration―to participate directly in the political process and to make a difference at all levels of the community. 

• “Pathways Profile” features in each chapter profile individuals who have made a difference in American politics.  This feature helps underscore the importance of diversity in our system. (Example: Pathways Profile: Mary Beth Tinker)
• “Pathways of Action” explain how an individual or group has influenced government by using a particular “pathway” or course of action. These examples help students see how others have done it, and how they too might make a difference too. (Example: Pathways of Action: Cruel and Unusual Punishments)
• “What YOU can do!” Stressing the idea that American politics is not a spectator sport, this feature prompts students to explore politics on a local level―on campus and in their local governments, taking political action off the pages of the text and into actual political participation. 

Participation in the classroom

A story-telling narrative, provocative examples, and stunning visual program foster in-class participation and discussion while a range of activities encourage students to apply key concepts in- and outside the classroom.

• Chapter Opening Vignettes present a fascinating story that grabs the reader’s attention and provides tangible links between popular culture and the political process, helping students relate to the material.
• Developed with student input, the photo and art program offers a modern, contemporary presentation from which they will enjoy learning. The text’s open design draws readers in and provokes intense reactions and learning through pertinent, compelling photos, easy-to-follow features, and bold illuminating graphs, figures and tables, along with captions that help put data in context and pose critical thinking questions.
• High impact “Visual Pathways” timelines combine photographs and text to present a visually rich treatment of a specific core policy issue. Timelines conclude with provocative essay questions that prompt students to consider the interrelated forces that affect the democratic process.
• Discussion Questions throughout each chapter provide students with the opportunity to study and to understand course material in a more conceptual or collaborative way.

Participation in Learning

This text wide variety of self-assessment tools in each chapter to help students anticipate, understand, and review key ideas as they work through the text.

• Practice Quizzes and Chapter Review Tests offer multiple-choice questions and answer keys so students can check their progress.
• Critical Thinking Questions prompt students to synthesize ideas from different chapters.
• New Key Questions, Key Objective Outlines, and Key Objective Review sections in this edition expand this text’s extensive pedagogy and focus students on the most important information in the section. 
• Connect the LINK features placed at the top of the page help students to make connections about particular topics, from one chapter to another. 
• Actual Student Questions are called-out in the text serve as a starting point for a topic and class discussion.

New to this Edition:

• Revised design still offers lots of visual appeal, but also better organizes material for students and seeks to expand their understanding of complex topics. 
• With expanded learning goals, outlines and review pedagogy for each chapter, this edition provides even clearer framework for learning.
• Key Objective Outlines appear on each chapter-opening spread with a Key Question for each section to help students focus in on the most important ideas to look for as well as a key question for the chapter itself and the chapter-opening vignette. 
• Key Questions for each main section of the chapter highlight the most crucial information. 
• Key Objective Review sections at the end of the chapter include a summary statement about each major section, a list of the Key Terms, Critical Thinking questions, Internet Resources and Additional Readings.
• Extended Key Term Definitions provide more background with key terms defined at the top of the page.  An illustrative example of each term appears next to the definition to fully explain the significance of the term.
• “Student Profile” sections showcase the actions and accomplishments of young persons who have become active in American politics or engaged in making changes in pubic life.  (Example:  Ch 12, Alexander Heffner and Andrew Mangino, the founders of Scoop08.com, the first-ever national student newspaper.)
• “Pathways of Change from Around the World” offer a comparative perspective by spotlighting stories of political action by young persons in different parts of the world.  (Example:  Ch 1, Pathways of Change from Around the World: Venezuelan Students Demand the Right to Protest)
• You Decide! features [formerly “Your Turn!”] at the end of every chapter ask students to consider a scenario or a project that requires them to apply the information they’ve learned to a real-world situation.