American Government, 14th edition

• Contemporary and concise coverage engages students in the most important issues of today and provides them with a solid understanding of the American governmental system. (ex. p. v)
• "Close-Up" box features appear in every chapter to provide small case studies of people, events, and legislation of importance in American politics.¿ Topics include free speech, gay marriage, internet voting, marijuana regulation, the Patriot Act, pension reform, and much more. (ex. p. 5)
• Conclusions at the end of each chapter provide strong summaries to help students focus on the key concepts of the chapter. (ex. p. 16)
• Critical thinking questions can be found throughout each chapter, stimulating debate and encouraging students to establish informed opinions (ex. p. 8)
• Key Terms, appearing in bold within the text and listed again at the end of each chapter, are defined in a glossary at the end of the book. (ex. p. 409)

• President Obama’s historic campaign and first term in office are covered in detail, providing the most current treatment of important national and international issues, such as the appointments of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the United States Supreme Court and growing threat of Iran and North Korea. (ex. p. 276)
• Critical and relevant current events and debates are explored throughout the book – including the economic crisis, the debate over healthcare, public attitudes toward gay marriage – to spark student interest and demonstrate how government affects daily lives of all Americans. (ex. p. 70)
• Analyses of recent, groundbreaking Supreme Court decisions encourage students to think critically about these cases and their ramifcations for¿civil liberties nationwide.¿(ex. Ch. 11)
• Coverage of the 2010 congressional elections and its effects on the Obama administration. (ex. Ch. 7)
• Excerpts from the Constitution, accompanied by key questions, open each chapter to prime students and establish the Constitutional framework of the book.¿ Chapter Conclusions review how the Constitution relates to the topics discussed in that chapter. (ex. p. 170)

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