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GOVT

By Ricardo A. Romero

12th Edition © 2026
Discipline:Political Science
Course:American Government
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Romero's GOVT, 12th Edition, formerly authored by Sidlow/Henschen, provides an overview of American government. The short chapters and easy-to-reference format appeal to students of all learning styles. Updates cover the 2024 presidential election, major policy issues, discuss critical bases of support in the electorate and review the political events of the campaign. The text provides insight into recent Supreme Court decisions, updates on policy data and figures, public opinion polling and more. Findings and discussions drawn from academic articles published in the leading journals of political science are now incorporated in a brief, intuitive and straightforward way that is accessible for college-level students. Equip your students with anywhere, anytime with learning tools to seamlessly integrate them into your course. Digital course solutions from MindTap is also available.

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MindTap for Sidlow/Henschen's GOVT, 1 term Instant Access

MindTap for Romero's GOVT, 12th Edition, formerly authored by Sidlow/Henschen, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of you…

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MindTap for Sidlow/Henschen's GOVT, 1 term Instant Access

MindTap for Romero's GOVT, 12th Edition, formerly authored by Sidlow/Henschen, is the digital learning solution that powers students from memorization to mastery. It gives you complete control of you…

ISBN-13:9798214590189Copied!
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Available January 1, 2026
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AboutTable of contentsResourcesPricing & formatsRelated products

About this product

Romero's GOVT, 12th Edition, formerly authored by Sidlow/Henschen, provides an overview of American government. The short chapters and easy-to-reference format appeal to students of all learning styles. Updates cover the 2024 presidential election, major policy issues, discuss critical bases of support in the electorate and review the political events of the campaign. The text provides insight into recent Supreme Court decisions, updates on policy data and figures, public opinion polling and more. Findings and discussions drawn from academic articles published in the leading journals of political science are now incorporated in a brief, intuitive and straightforward way that is accessible for college-level students. Equip your students with anywhere, anytime with learning tools to seamlessly integrate them into your course. Digital course solutions from MindTap is also available.

Updated opening features help set the stage and frame the overall chapter theme, including coverage of critical political documents, government entities or policy questions.

A new in-chapter feature titled “Think it Through” focuses primarily on American public policies and includes critical analysis questions to facilitate discussion.

“What Do We Know?” features discuss various themes and institutions, mostly in a historical context, and provide additional resources and information for further study.

Chapters are presented in a student-friendly format that is shorter and more modern, leading to an increase in student engagement.

Table of contents

Chapters

Cover Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Letter to Students
About the Author
Career Opportunities: Political Science
Part I. The Foundations of Our American System
Part II. Our Liberties and Rights
Part III. The Politics of Democracy
Part IV. Institutions
Part V. Public Policy
Appendix A. The Declaration of Independence
Appendix B. The Constitution of the United States
Appendix C. Federalist Papers No. 10 and No. 51
Skill Prep: A Study Skills Module
Take Action: A Guide to Political Participation
Show more

Part I. The Foundations of Our American System

1. America in the Twenty-First Century
Preview this section ↗
What Are Politics and Government? ↗
Defining Politics and Government ↗
Resolving Conflicts ↗
Providing Public Services ↗
Defending the Nation ↗
Different Systems of Government ↗
Undemocratic Systems ↗
Democratic Systems ↗
American Representative Democracy ↗
The British Legacy ↗
Principles of American Democracy ↗
American Political Values ↗
Political Values and a Divided Electorate ↗
The Trump Presidency ↗
The Biden Presidency ↗
Political Values in a Changing Society ↗
American Political Ideology ↗
Conservatism ↗
Liberalism ↗
The Traditional Political Spectrum ↗
Beyond Conservatism and Liberalism ↗
Chapter Summary ↗
Test Yourself ↗
2. The Constitution
The Beginnings of American Government
The First English Settlements
Colonial Legislatures
The Rebellion of the Colonists
“Taxation Without Representation”
The Continental Congresses
Breaking the Ties: Independence
The Confederation of States
The Articles of Confederation
A Time of Crisis—The 1780s
Drafting and Ratifying the Constitution
Who Were the Delegates?
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
The Compromises
Defining the Executive and the Judiciary
The Final Draft Is Approved
The Debate Over Ratification
Ratification
Did a Majority of Americans Support the Constitution?
The Constitution’s Major Principles of Government
Limited Government, Popular Sovereignty, and the Rule of Law
The Principle of Federalism
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Limited versus Effective Government
The Bill of Rights
Amending the Constitution
Chapter Summary
Test Yourself
3. Federalism
Federalism and Its Alternatives
What Is Federalism?
Alternatives to Federalism
Federalism—An Optimal Choice for the United States?
The Constitutional Division of Powers
The Powers of the National Government
The Powers of the States
Interstate Relations
Concurrent Powers
The Supremacy Clause
The Struggle for Supremacy
Early U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
The Civil War—The Ultimate Supremacy Battle
Dual Federalism—From the Civil War to the 1930s
Cooperative Federalism and the Growth of the National Government
Federalism Today
The New Federalism—More Power to the States
The Supreme Court and the New Federalism
The Shifting Boundary Between Federal and State Authority
The Fiscal Side of Federalism
Federal Grants
Federal Grants and State Budgets
Federalism and Economic Cycles
Using Federal Grants to Control the States
The Cost of Federal Mandates
Competitive Federalism
Chapter Summary
Test Yourself

Resources

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