AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS, 2015-2016 Edition inspires readers to join the exciting process of being active, informed citizens. Unbiased, concisely organized, and updated with Election 2014 coverage, the book’s fundamental theme continues to be the importance of participating in active citizenship, emphasizing critical thinking about political issues and encouraging readers to become involved in the political process. The authors incorporate compelling and thought-provoking current examples to stimulate learning and excitement. MindTap™ for Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt’s AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS-Cengage Learning’s fully online learning solution-is automatically included with this text.