Every section and every feature in the book has one goal in mind: to get students to think critically and be sceptical 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 brief text builds confidence in students who want to take an active part in their communities and government—to play their part in keeping the republic, and to consider the consequences of that engagement (or lack thereof).