American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials

Helping students become better informed, a "Consider the Source" feature encourages them to think more discerningly about the primary sources from which many statistics and statements are derived in U.S. government research.

Extremely student-friendly, the text combines a conversational, easy-to-read style with a concise organization that delivers thorough coverage in a streamlined format.

This edition thoroughly engages students by focusing on how government impacts them personally -- now and in the future. Chapter 1 shows students how government is everywhere, at every stage of their lives. "Why Should You Care About ..." and "How You Can Make a Difference" features encourage community and political participation. In addition, student demographics, social media and cross-generational information is incorporated throughout.

Maximizing study time, Learning Outcomes open each chapter and correlate to every major section to help students target their reading and then are revisited in the chapter summary and end-of-chapter quiz for an effective review. These are tied to the Introduction to American Government outcomes that are expected from most courses across the country.