American Government 4e

About this book

American Government 4e aligns with the topics and objectives of many government courses. The authors have worked to develop meaningful and memorable explanations, narratives, and examples regarding the actions, workings, and outputs of government. The offering focuses on the real-world impact of government, and presents the importance and benefits of civic engagement by students. This book follows a logical progression from the fundamental principles of institutional design at the founding, to avenues of political participation, to thorough coverage of political structures. American Government 4e is designed to continually build upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The goal of each section is to enable students not just to recognize concepts, but to work with them in ways that will be useful in later courses, future careers, and as engaged citizens. In order to help students understand the ways that government, society, and individuals interconnect, the revision includes updated information on the 2024 election results, recent court decisions and legal actions, and new opportunities for civic engagement. Changes made in American Government 4e are described in the preface to help instructors transition to the fourth edition. The third edition of American Government by OpenStax is available in web view here.