The book gets students to consider how and why institutions and rules determine who wins and who loses in American politics and to be sceptical of received wisdom. Every element of the text is crafted to provide the tools students need to be thoughtful, savvy consumers of political information and to teach them to think more deeply about what they see, read, and hear. Going even further in this new edition, the authors have partnered with award-winning information designer and teacher Mike Wirth to create a series of stunning, data-rich infographics that appear throughout the text, presenting information in new, more revealing ways. Combining critical thinking skills, pedagogically rich visuals, and the seminal work in the field of American politics, this trusted text is ideal for students who want to take an active part in their communities and government-to play their part in keeping the republic.

Christine Barbour teaches in the political science department and the Hutton Honors College at Indiana University, where she has become increasingly interested in how teachers of large classes can maximize what their students learn. At Indiana, Professor Barbour has been a Lilly Fellow, working on a project to increase student retention in large introductory courses, and a member of the Freshman Learning Project, a university-wide effort to improve the first-year undergraduate experience. She has served on the New York Times College Advisory Board, working with other educators to develop ways to integrate newspaper reading into the undergraduate curriculum. She has won several teaching honors, but the two awarded by her students mean the most to her: the Indiana University Student Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty and the Indiana University Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Brown Derby Award. When not teaching or writing textbooks, Professor Barbour enjoys playing with her dogs, traveling with her coauthor, and writing about food. She is the food editor for Bloom Magazine of Bloomington and is a coauthor of Indiana Cooks! (2005) and Home Grown Indiana (2008). She is currently working on another cookbook and a book about local politics, development, and the fishing industry in Apalachicola, Florida.

Chapter 1: Politics: Who Gets What, And How?
What Is Politics?
Political Systems and the Concept of Citizenship
Origins of Democracy in America
Citizenship in America
America Citizenship Today
Thinking Critically About American Politics
Chapter 2: American Citizens And Political Culture
Who Is an American?
The Ideas That Unite Us
The Ideas That Divide Us
The Citizens and American Political Beliefs
Chapter 3: Politics Of The American Founding
Politics in the English Colonies
The Split From England
The Articles of Confederation
The Constitutional Convention
Ratification
The Citizens and the Founding
Chapter 4: Federalism And The U.S. Constitution
The Three Branches of Government
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
Federalism
Amending the Constitution
The Citizens and the Constitution
Chapter 5: Fundamental American Liberties
Rights in a Democracy
The Bill of Rights and Incorporation
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of Expression
The Right to Bear Arms
The Rights of Criminal Defendants
The Right to Privacy
The Citizens and Civil Liberties
Chapter 6: The Struggle For Equal Rights
The Meaning of Political Inequality
Rights Denied on the Basis of Race
Rights Denied on the Basis of Race and Ethnicity
Rights Denied on the Basis of Gender
Rights Denied on Other Bases
The Citizens and Civil Rights
Chapter 7: Congress
Understanding Congress
Congressional Powers and Responsibilities
Congressional Elections
Congressional Organization
How Congress Works
The Citizens and Congress
Chapter 8: The Presidency
The Double Expectations Gap
The Evolution of the American Presidency
Presidential Politics
Managing the Presidential Establishment
The Presidential Personality
The Citizens and the Presidency
Chapter 9: The Bureaucracy
What Is Bureaucracy?
The American Federal Bureaucracy
Politics inside the Bureaucracy
External Bureaucratic Politics
The Citizens and the Bureaucracy
Chapter 10: The American Legal System And The Courts
Law and the American Legal System
Constitutional Provisions and the Development of Judicial Review
Federalism and the American Courts
The Supreme Court
The Citizens and the Courts
Chapter 11: Public Opinion
The Role of Public Opinion in a Democracy
Citizen Values
What Influences Our Opinions About Politics?
Measuring and Tracking Public Opinion
The Citizens and Public Opinion
Chapter 12: Political Parties
What Are Political Parties?
Do American Parties Offer Voters a Choice?
The History of Parties in America
What Do Parties Do?
Characteristics of the American Party System
The Citizens and Political Parties
Chapter 13: Interest Groups
The Role and Formation of Interest Groups
Types of Interest Groups
Interest Group Politics
Interest Group Resources
The Citizens and Interest Groups
Chapter 14: Voting, Campaigns, And Elections
Voting in a Democratic Society
Exercising the Right to Vote in America
How the Voter Decides
Presidential Campaigns
The Citizens and Elections
Chapter 15: The Media
Where Do We Get Our Information?
Who Owns the Media, and How Does That Affect Our News?
Who Are the Journalists?
The Media and Politics
The Citizens and the Media
Chapter 16: State And Local Politics In A Federal System
The Federal Context of State and Local Politics
The Context of State Politics
Rules of the Game
State Institutions
Local Governments
The Citizens and State and Local Government
Chapter 17: Social And Environmental Policy
Making Public Policy
The Case of Social Policy
The Case of Environmental Policy
The Citizens and Social Policy
Chapter 18: Economic Policy
A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Economy
Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy
Economic Regulatory Policy
The Citizens and Economic Policy
Chapter 19: Foreign Policy
Understanding Foreign Policy
Who Makes American Foreign Policy?
How Do We Define a Foreign Policy Problem?
How Do We Solve Foreign Policy Problems?
American Foreign Policy Today
The Citizens and Foreign Policy