With an emphasis on elections and their importance in our political system, Morris Fiorina and Paul Peterson's groundbreaking text offers a stimulating, analytical approach to American government that engages students as it gives them a unique understanding of their political system as it exists and functions today.

The accessibility of instant public opinion polls, the growing influence of Internet, the ubiquitous nature of the news media, and the increasingly important role of interest groups–all of which Fiorina and Peterson use to demonstrate that America is moving toward a more popular democracy–have blurred the lines between campaigning and governing. Politicians today are constantly engaged in the campaign process–a “permanent campaign”–this has profoundly affected how our government functions today. The fifth edition of this presitgious text has been brought completely up-to-date through the second George W. Bush administration and 2006 midterm elections, includes  engaging debate-style readings throughout, and is now available in a unique “Sandbox” format that allows instructors to seamlessly blend text chapters with policy material and/or selections from the “Great Questions in Politics” series.