Acclaimed for the scholarship of its prominent authors and the clarity of its narrative, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: THE ESSENTIALS preserves the structure of the main text but replaces the policy chapters with one brief chapter on the policymaking process while maintaining focus on three fundamental topics: the importance of institutions of American government; the historical development of governmental procedures, actors, and policies; and who governs in the United States and to what ends. Reader involvement in the material is bolstered by features such as learning objectives, "Who Governs?" and "To What Ends?" questions framing each chapter, and "How Things Work" boxes that illustrate important concepts. Available separately, a state-of-the-art media package with new online tools makes the learning experience engaging and accessible.