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Published: January 2021
Page Count: 710
ISBN (Digital): 978-1-4533-3761-5

American Government and Politics in the Information Age

Version 4.2

Included Supplements

Key Features

Comprehensive treatment covers standard topics in the American government course.
Contemporary theme of how media and politics interact ties the narrative together without inflating or distorting the media’s importance. Initial chapter on the media underscores the key theme but can easily be assigned later in the course.
Strong focus on civic education encourages participation in civic life. Explains how students can use media to intervene effectively in the American political system on their own terms.
Strong learning framework. Each chapter contains:

Learning objectives, interim summaries called “Key Takeaways,” and key terms.
“Enduring Image” features that visually capture the chapter’s subject by presenting an instantly recognizable image. Explains the original meaning of the image, why it was important, and the contemporary relevance.
“Comparing Content” features that present differences among media depictions of a subject. For example, this feature may compare a political event to reports about it in the news, depictions of the same political event in various media outlets, or compare changes in media depictions over time.
Certain chapters contain “Civic Education” features that show how young people have become involved in politics, government, and making public policy—and how the media can help and hinder civic work.
Annotated set of readings (fiction and non-fiction) and non-fiction films for research and enrichment. Links to video and audio clips, political and media websites, and research databases.

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American Government and Politics in the Information Age is appropriate for United States government and politics or American government and politics courses at the undergraduate level at two- and four-year colleges and universities.

This textbook is a comprehensive and lively introduction to the vital subject of American government and politics that covers all the basics of American government. Inspired by students’ familiarity with mass media and fluent use of communication technologies, the authors make explicit connections between the book’s subject matter, media, and technology. The book’s main areas of focus are: 1). How the media interact with and depict the American political system, 2). The similarities and differences between these depictions and the real world of government and politics, and 3). The consequences these interactions and depictions can have on the public, politics at all levels, and government operations and policies. Students develop a keener perception of how the media not only conveys information, but also how students themselves can engage productively in politics in order to “get things done.”

New in This Version

Version 4.2 is updated to include information about the 2020 elections, including the results of and legal challenges to the presidential election; the outcome of Senate run-off elections in Georgia and how those impacted control of the Senate; the final days of the Trump Administration and the transition process to the new Biden administration; the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol; how democratic institutions responded to challenges to the system; and the congressional confirmation of the elections of President Biden and Vice President Harris and their subsequent inaugurations. Interim updates on the Black Lives Matter movement, summer 2020 protests, the coronavirus pandemic and COVID relief, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett are included.
Reflects the recent updates in Versions 4.0 and 4.1:

A new Section 16.6 “The Coronavirus, COVID-19 Pandemic” was added to Chapter 16: “Policymaking and Domestic Policies” to highlight Congressional and presidential responses to the crisis. The Instructor’s Manual includes a January-April timeline of presidential statements and the administration’s specific actions during the first few months of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
A substantially revised Section 12.2 now called “The Powers of Congress Including Impeachment” reflects the House of Representatives’ investigation and passage of articles of impeachment of President Trump in 2019, the subsequent Senate hearings in 2020, the Senate’s vote not to convict according to the articles, and the implications for American government and society.
Chapter 1: “Communication in the Information Age.” Reorganized and refreshed to better reflect the current digital environment.
Chapter 2: “The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power.” Relevance of the Electoral College in today’s political environment.
Chapter 3: “Federalism.” Refreshed and updated to reflect evolving conflicts between the federal government under the Trump Administration and the states.
Chapter 4: “Civil Liberties.” Expanded coverage of arms, searches, and seizures; abortion and privacy.
Chapter 8: “Participation, Voting, and Social Movements.” New section on voter suppression.
Chapter 9: “Interest Groups.” Updated discussion of relations between interest groups, Congress, and the executive.
Chapter 11: “Campaigns and Elections.” Better accounts for the media’s shifting role in election campaigns by increased coverage of big media corporations (e.g. Facebook and Twitter), microtargeting and the use of personal data, and political memes. Deeper analysis of the 2018 midterm elections and their implications, party identification, partisan polarization.
Chapter 12: “Congress.” Now includes more information about how Congress operates under united and divided government, the implications of partisan polarization on lawmaking, the media environment for Congressional operations, members’ use of digital media, and other topics of current relevance such as the 2019 hearings about Russian interference in U.S. elections.
Chapter 13: “The Presidency.” Focus on the evolving ways in which the president communicates to the public, the media, and other leaders/elites, the boundaries of the president’s constitutional authority, how the principle of co-equal branches of government is being tested, and how the presidency is being transformed by President Trump.
Chapters 14–17 on the bureaucracy, the courts, and policy integrate important new material and key updates on the impacts being made by the Trump administration and notable, recent court decisions.

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