This extremely brief introduction to American government has been a long-time student favorite because of its lively, no-nonsense approach to the core topics in the course.

Using a dynamic game metaphor, the text covers 4 governmental and 4 non-governmental “players,” as well as the constitutional “rules of the game.” It ends by examining rival theories on who wins and who loses in the American political system. Written in a way that engages students and offers instructors great flexibility, Wasserman's text covering all the requisite topics and focuses on current debates in politics. In under 300 pages, a class learns what they need to know and likes it.