American Government (13th Edition)
American Governmentprovides today’s students of American politics with a concise and contemporary overview of the American political system, its institutions, and policies, while using the Constitution as a backdrop and touchstone in every chapter.    A longtime, best-selling author and professor of political science, Walter Volkomer once again trains his sights on the most significant issues necessary for understanding American government — free of ideological or political bias. New to the Thirteenth Edition: - President Obama’s historic campaign and first year in office are covered in detail, providing the most current treatment of important national and international issues, such as the appointment of Justice Sotomayor and the rising threats of North Korea and Iran.- Critical and relevant current events and debates are explored throughout the book — including the 2008/2009 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.- New questions — designed to promote critical thinking as students read the chapters — have been added throughout the margins of the text.- Excerpts from the Constitution, accompanied by key questions, open each chapter to prime students and establish the Constitutional framework of the book.- The Constitution has been annotated to provide a clear, easy-to-understand interpretation of the language in this seminal document.- Chapter Conclusions have been revised to review how the Constitution relates to the topics discussed in that chapter.