The Challenge of Democracy: American Government in Global Politics, The Essentials (Book Only)

THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IN GLOBAL POLITICS, THE ESSENTIALS introduces new co-author Debra Schildkraut to this stellar author team. This best-selling American government text is highly acclaimed for the non-ideological framework it uses to explore three themes: freedom, order, and equality as political values; the majoritarianism versus pluralism debate; and globalization's effect on American politics. Using an easy to follow approach, with chapters and subheadings numbered and organized by learning outcomes, and a new end of chapter 'Assessing Your Understanding' section where students can can test their knowledge, the ninth edition provides a solution for teaching and assessing course learning outcomes. Extensively updated, this condensed edition includes new examples, figures, data, and current discussions. The authors include balanced coverage of Obama's historical presidency and coverage and analysis of the 2012 presidential primary campaign and election. This ninth edition of THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY, THE ESSENTIALS is an abridged version of the twelfth edition of THE CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY. See 'Features' for details.

Table of Contents:
1. Dilemmas of Democracy. 2. The Constitution. 3. Federalism. 4. Public Opinion, Political Socialization, and the Media. 5. Participation and Voting. 6. Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections. 7. Interest Groups. 8. Congress. 9. The Presidency. 10. The Bureaucracy. 11. The Courts. 12. Order and Civil Liberties. 13. Equality and Civil Rights. 14. Policymaking and the Budget.

About the Author :
Deborah Schildkraut (Ph.D., Princeton, 2000) is professor of political science at Tufts University. Her research and publications focus on public opinion and political psychology in the United States, with an emphasis on issues related to race, ethnicity, identity, and immigration. She is the recipient of the Robert E. Lane award for the best book in political psychology published in 2011 by the Political Psychology Organized Section of the American Political Science Association-AMERICANISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: PUBLIC OPINION IN THE AGE OF IMMIGRATION (Cambridge University Press). She has also served on the Board of Overseers of the American National Election Study. Her teaching includes Introduction to American Politics, Public Opinion, Political Psychology, Political Science Research Methods, Political Representation, and the Politics of Ethnicity and American Identity. Jeffrey M. Berry (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins, 1974) is the John Richard Skuse Professor of Political Science at Tufts University. His books include THE OUTRAGE INDUSTRY (2014), THE NEW LIBERALISM (1999), and THE REBIRTH OF URBAN DEMOCRACY (1993). He is twice the recipient of the Leon Epstein Award, first for his book A VOICE FOR NONPROFITS (2003) and more recently for LOBBYING AND POLICY CHANGE (2009). He is also the recipient of the Samuel Eldersveld Career Achievement Award from the Political Organizations and Parties section of the American Political Science Association. Jerry Goldman (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins, 1974) is professor emeritus of political science at Northwestern University and research professor of law at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. His research interests are judicial politics, constitutional law, and information technology and politics. He is the founder and director of Oyez(R), a multimedia judicial archive at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has received many awards, including the American Bar Foundation's Silver Gavel for increasing the public's understanding of law, the Roman and Littlefield Prize for Teaching Innovation, and the first APSA CQ Press Award for Teaching Innovation. Kenneth Janda (Ph.D., Indiana, 1961) is the Payson S. Wild Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Northwestern University. He has published extensively in the areas of political science, research methodology, and the use of computer technology in political science. In 2000 he won the Samuel Eldersveld Lifetime Achievement Award from the Political Organizations and Parties Section of the American Political Science Association. In 2009 he received the APSA's Frank J. Goodnow Award for distinguished service to the profession and the Association. Kevin W. Hula (Ph.D., Harvard 1994) is Associate Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Maryland, where he teaches the introductory American Government course, as well as courses in the presidency, intelligence organizations, and interest groups. His research is in interest groups and the executive branch. He is author of Lobbying Together: Interest Group Coalitions in Legislative Politics, for which he received the Emerging Scholar Award from the APSA's Political Organizations and Parties section.

Review :
�Strengths: 1. Conceptual framework. 2. COMPLETE coverage. 3. Unbiased, even-handed approach. Clarity of writing. Consistent, continual theme development throughout the text.� �The most important strength of this book for me is that my students have ranked it higher than any other major American Government text. -The book is not biased one way or another. -It covers all the main subjects in a readable manner and has excellent online resources. -The authors continuously work on improving the text.� �This book is a very comprehensive, yet readable, text on American Government. It is balanced analytically and has extensive online resources. It has been the number one choice among hundreds of my students who have compared it to other major texts.�