American Government

Features: NEW! American Values/American Voices featuresexamine the shared values that unite American citizens. American political culture, with its emphasis on liberty, equality, and individualism, as well as other values, is the glue that holds Americans together. Differing views of what it means to adhere to these values, however, often create conflict and division-especially in the policy arena. American Values/American Voices boxes are intended to help students understand the passionate beliefs and common concerns that underlie the controversies being debated on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in statehouses and homes across the United States. Topics discussed include U.S. efforts to promote democracy abroad, changes in government policy related to the Establishment Clause, voting rights for ex-felons, and veterans running for office. "The Living Constitution"reflects the authors' emphasis on the origins of America's democratic system.The Constitution of the United States of America, carefully annotated to make it accessible to students, is placed between Chapters 2 and 3, providing students with a careful walkthrough of this seminal document. To further support the text's emphasis on the constitutional underpinnings of government and politics, aLiving Constitutionboxed feature appears in every chapter. Each feature examines the chapter's topic in light of what the Constitution says or does not say about it. Living Constitution boxes are broken down into four components. Each one begins with an excerpt from the Constitution related to that chapter's topic; defines the meaning of the excerpt; explains the historical context of the excerpt, noting what the Framers were thinking about or reacting to in this portion of the document; and covers why the excerpted clause continues to be relevant, noting recent court cases or ongoing debates or challenges related to it. "Politics Now" boxesprovide in-depth examinations of contemporary issues, showcasing the book's currency and serving as a counterbalance to the text's thorough treatment of America's origins and history. New boxes discuss the Roberts Court, same-sex marriage-related initiatives and amendments in the 2006 Midterm elections, and the impact of illegal immigration on social welfare programs. "Join the Debate" boxesexplore provocative, student-oriented topics and provide extensive, well-balanced coverage of both sides of a debate. Each box begins with a topic overview, provides accessible and detailed summaries of opposing arguments related to the issue, and ends with critical thinking questions that allow students to examine their own stance on the topic and suggested readings for further research. New topics in this edition include minority party rights in Congress, the Senate's advice and consent role, and the impact of state initiative and referendum movements. "Analyzing Visuals" boxed features ask students to closely examine and assess a variety of different types of images including photographs, tables, bar graphs, line graphs, and maps. Each feature includes an overview paragraph and critical thinking questions designed to guide students in a detailed analysis of the information. Analyzing Visuals: A Brief Guideis a primer that appears in the front of the text that provides the guidelines students need to analyze and interpret the different types of visual information they'll encounter as students and citizens. "Global Perspective" boxesunderscore the commonalities and differences between the United States and other nations to provide students with a comparative perspective on a range of issues, such as freedom of the press, economic freedom, or American exceptionalism. Features new to this edition include examinations of the Mexican federal sysSabato, Larry J. is the author of 'American Government', published 2008 under ISBN 9780205621736 and ISBN 0205621732.