American Government

An analytical approach that emphasizes the role of political institutions

In addition to solid coverage of the “nuts and bolts,” the text provides an analytical perspective on how the institutions of American government work. The conclusion to each chapter encourages students to think critically and analytically about how well the institutions discussed in that chapter serve the goals of a democratic society.

New and reworked chapters on political behavior offer a contemporary perspective

Building on American Government: Power and Purpose’s longstanding strength in the coverage of institutions, new coauthor Stephen Ansolabehere has thoroughly reworked the chapters in the political behavior section of the book, sharpening the analysis and employing the Five Principles framework from Chapter 1. Rewritten chapters on public opinion and elections bring a contemporary perspective to these topics, and a deep revision of the media chapter highlights the media as an institution.

“Analyzing the Evidence” units explore the political science behind the political phenomena discussed in each chapter

In Chapter 1, a new primer on “Analyzing the Evidence” explains how political scientists use data to test arguments, how to read tables and figures, and how to think analytically. Then, in each subsequent chapter, two-page “Analyzing the Evidence” units—including many new to the Eleventh Edition—use bold graphics to show how data and basic methodology yield important insights into topics discussed in the chapter. StudySpace exercises based on the “Analyzing the Evidence” units give students the opportunity to work through related exercises using the approach modeled in the text.

Supplementary PowerPoint Presentations provide additional data examples

This supplementary set of PowerPoint slides, created by Kevin Esterling (University of California, Riverside), explores additional data examples that build on the material in the chapter text. Each module presents recent empirical evidence, using graphs, tables, and maps, and provides thorough notes that highlight the significance of the findings and their relationship to the concepts in the textbook. With two modules to accompany every chapter in American Government, the "Analyzing the Evidence" PowerPoints are perfect for use in lecture or discussion sections.