The Basics of American Politics, 14th Edition

This brief,nuts-and-boltsintroduction to American government has been a student favorite and a bestseller forover 30years because of its lively, straight-forwardapproach to the basics, its brevity,and itsalways inexpensive price.

This text uses a dynamic game metaphor to engagestudents in the basics ofthe American political system and the contact sport of politics.Beginning with a clear definition of politics, it introducesfour governmental and four nongovernmental “players”who must abide by the “rules of the game”established by the Constitution and civil liberties. It ends by examining rival theories of who wins and who loses in American politics. Written to engage students, and kept short to provide a flexible foundation for instructors, The Basics of American Politics covers all the terms and topics a student will need to understand the nuts-and-bolts of American government and poltics.