Keeping the Republic's lively discussion of 'who gets what and how' develops studentsÆ critical thinking abilities in the intro American government course. Every section and every feature in the book has one goal in mind: to get students to think critically and be skeptical of received wisdom. Serving as a true aid to teachers, each chapter is designed to build students' analytical abilities. By introducing them to the seminal work in the field and showing them how to employ the themes of power and citizenship, this proven text builds confidence in students who want to take an active part in their communities and governmentùto play their part in keeping the republic, and to consider the consequences of that engagement.